The Crossroads of Africa
Mali was known as the crossroads of Africa for centuries. It once flourished with mighty empires, the center of the legendary trading routes across the unforgiving Sahara Desert. The ghost city of Timbuktu now stands alone amid the blowing sand dunes, but Mali has become a fascinating mix of people of cultures, a mix that has produced one of the most famous contemporary music genres in West Africa. The Niger River reaches its highest arc within Mali’s borders, creating fertile soils for the people farming its banks. A cruise to Mali will reveal the place where the traditional and the modern meet in Africa.
