Mali is the diamond in West Africa's crown with its legendary towns spread along the banks of the mighty Niger River. The most remarkable - and remote - of these towns is Timbuctoo, whose reputation was forged by 19th Century explorers - and still remains today In the dunes about 65 km from this fabled town takes place the most unique musical event in world music - the Festival au Desert.
‘'The day is taken up wandering around the site, listening to impromptu music, looking around local craft stalls, and watching the various activities of the desert Tuareg - whether singing, dancing or charging around on their camels. The music starts on the main stage in the early evening, continuing on until the early hours of the morning. The standard is high and many of the groups are from around the Timbuktu/Gao area. It is incredible that there is so much talent around these small villages. There are acts from Burkina and other West African countries, as well as from further afield. It would be hard to imagine a comparable mix anywhere else on earth. In the heat of the day nothing beats spending an hour or so sitting with a cold beer in one of the open bars, watching the comings and goings of life around the camp, and when the evening concert kicks in, the desert comes alive with the rhythms of West Africa."
This tour also takes in the major attractions of Mali including trekking to the Dogon villages along the Bandiagara Escarpment, visiting Djenne on market day, with the great mud-built mosque
forming an amazing backdrop to the market, and Mopti, the bustling port on the banks of the River Niger.
Do not hesitate to get in touch with our malian expert to get more information about that wonderful experience into the saharian desert!
Privately guided
(individual travel without predetermined departure date)
Uniktour wishes to instil its passion for adventure travel through a flexible formula: individual packages which enable each and everyone to design a program according to their taste and wishes. This is the perfect formula for travellers who enjoy their autonomy and wish to travel at their own pace, while leaving the logistics to us.
By individual travel we mean a trip which is not with a group, with a local private guide just for you, and without a predetermined departure date. Individual travel with Uniktour is having a local guide and private driver, discovering a country at your own pace and in a more authentic manner.
In some groups, there are sometimes huge differences between the interests of the various members. For somebody who wishes to be able to devote all the time he or she wants to taking picture or learning more about the culture of the country, the best is to organise an individual, tailor-made, trip. This is our speciality.
Self-drive trips (without a guide)
You are an autonomous and experienced traveller and you want to discover a country at your own pace without bothering with the logistics? The freedom of self-drive trips is for you. These trips are similar to our individual packages except that you do not have a local guide. The very detailed road book will amply compensate.
You want to travel at your own pace. Travel while enjoying complete freedom in Costa Rica, South Africa, Namibia…. with your itinerary and a detailed map as your sole guides. Leave the rest to us: accommodations, transfers, vehicle rental and local logistical support. Trips that are intended for the experienced traveller! It is also the certainty of good planning, freedom of the mind without having to worry about reservations. Our freedom trips give you the freedom to leave on the date you choose, the freedom to travel with whom you want, at your own pace, without a guide, on your own… it is also the certainty of good planning and the peace of mind which comes from not having to worry about reservations and logistics.
The concept is simple: we offer you a tailor-made, off the beaten track trip on the dates you choose with whom you want on your own, without a guide at your own pace so that you can enjoy every moment providing you with all the travel documents.
Family travel
Our family trips have been designed to provide active and different family holidays. All our regular trips can be adapted for families, but we present here those which, according to our experience, are the most suitable.
The advantage of family travel with Uniktour is the flexibility of your itinerary. As you are on a private trip (nobody else is travelling with you and your family), you control your own schedule! We can thus design a trip according to your taste and your budget.
The list of family trips is not exhaustive: please contact us for more destinations. Please note also that, on some trips, we offer a 25% discount for children under 12 sharing a room with their parents.
Small group travel
We are committed to our main goal: to be the world specialist in tailor-made travel (with private guide). But we do not neglect those of you who prefer travelling in groups. This is why we have designed trips enabling you to join a group of travellers from around the world. We have fixed departure dates for these group trips.
Travel with small international groups
Ideal for singles, these trips bring together travellers from around the world to form an international group (English speaking departures). We have a large selection of thematic group trips (adventure, hiking, yoga, spirituality, personal care and massage, cultural discoveries, etc).
More economical than our private trips, these trips offer the possibility of meeting new people and sharing a rich experience off the beaten path.
We have departures in every country. Please contact us for more details on these trips. Please note that we can recommend specific trips according to your age and the level of adventure you are looking for. Please note also that the groups are of 8 to 18 people, depending on the trip selected.
Although most of our trips are in English, there are some in French too.
Luxury stays (rejuvenating travel)
For the most demanding travellers, looking for something far from the stress and bustle of daily life. For those who want to come back refreshed after travelling to the most beautiful spas and boutique hotels in the world!
For those who want to mix travel, hikes and discoveries with traditional body care, comfort and cocooning.
For those who think that travelling is a mean to reach harmony of body and mind. To make a regenerating pause, to rediscover nature, meet other people, cultures and values….
Our rejuvenating trips are focussed mainly on rest, luxury and accommodations that are unique in the world.
Luxury travel
Here is a series of proposed travel experiences in luxury accommodations. Five stars hotels, sophisticated lodges, luxury camps in Africa, catamaran luxury cruise….
This selection is intended for the travellers looking for exotism during the day and comfort at night. A guide and private driver is provided for these trips.
All our luxury trips can be tailored to your wishes. Here is therefore a series of programs giving you an idea of the content of these trips. Please communicate with us for more details and to receive your personalised quotation.
Boat travel
Uniktour would like to introduce you to its BOAT collection, a series of trips by sailboat, yacht and catamaran. In the Caribbean, Galapagos, Polynesia, Greek Islands…. These sea trips offer charm and new sceneries, far from the tourist crowds and cruise ships.
Luxury catamaran cruise, ‘boutique’ sailboats, with a group or independently, Uniktour offers you the sea as you like it.
Please consult one of our specialists for more details.
Level
1/3 “Discovery” travel:
Our ‘discovery’ trips are perfect for a first encounter with a destination or continent and are meant for the less adventurous. They are less physically demanding, involve less movement from one place to another yet enable you to see the most important sites at destination, usually with higher levels of comfort.
The ‘discovery’ trips are more traditional trips, with a hint of the exotic. This is very soft adventure.
2/3 “Exploration” travel
These represent 70% of the trips we offer. More ‘off the beaten track’ than our ‘discovery’ trips, our exploration trips are more demanding yet offer a good level of comfort at night. This can mean camping in the mountains and 4-5 stars hotels in town. Typically, these trips include some trekking off the beaten path, exotic discoveries (pirogue in the Amazon, night in the Sahara, zodiac to see glaciers, etc) and, finally, visiting more traditional sites. These trips are intended for all and require some spirit of adventure.
3/3 “Adventure” travel
For the expert and the adventurous. Our ‘adventure’ trips require a good physical condition. These trips, well off the beaten path, offer a unique travel experience! Among our ‘adventure’ trips, you can find climbing in the Andes or the Kilimanjaro; trekking in Bhutan, in the Himalayas; a one-week hike in the Sahara, a multi-day safari, on foot, in Africa; a multi-day trek in Patagonia, etc. These trips are intended for those who love open spaces and unique experiences.
Confort & accomodation
Our scouting team -as well as our service providers- prides itself in finding unique accommodations for our travellers. Our selection is based on: comfort, upkeep, décor, a kind welcome, a nice environment and everything else that cannot be described but is simply called ‘charm’.
We offer to our travellers, friendly, charming and anti-industrial hotels in well preserved spots, a small personal place where each and everyone fell at ease and on vacation.
We are committed to a philosophy of authentic travel. We like to work with small hotels, locally owned (like B&Bs, lodges, or boutique hotels).
However, we do not neglect those who prefer to travel in more comfort. This is why we are also able to offer luxury accommodations in most of our trips.
Generally, we like to increase the quality of accommodations when we come back to town after some excursions. We seek to balance the off the beaten path adventure (excursions) with a good level of comfort in town or resorts. We do not offer bottom end accommodations.
We are linked to the personalized travel philosophy. Our goal is to offer cozy smaller hotels owned by local people. (B & B type). Of course, we will not neglect those of you who desire luxury settings. We have created many trips à la carte with different comfort levels in order to offer an adventure trip made to measure !
3/5 :
This is a convivial type hotel, charming, not linked to a chain of hotels, well kept and where everyone feels at home. Absent of pretentious luxury, these simple housings possess character and charm. We sleep in B & B ‘s, riad, Poussada, lodges and even a couple of nights under a tent. We may also stay overnight in a small hotel reflecting the personality of the city.
4/5 :
Same train of thoughts as the convivial type hotel but with an adder…. Swimming pool in a Moroccan riad, a wine cellar in a B & B in South Africa, welcoming cocktail awaits you at the lodge in Amazonia and much more. We are talking about upgraded surroundings.
5/5 :
This is a selection for people who desire the best. Even if these are 5 stars lodgings, Uniktour wishes to emphasize that we promote « adventure » type travels and that we do not favour concrete and steel. We may stay at the Marriot or the Meridien but as soon as we start to move, we may sleep in a 5 star Tanzanian campsite or in a 5 star housing in the middle of a coffee plantation in Vietnam! We always pick the best places!
Confort & accomodation
Our scouting team -as well as our service providers- prides itself in finding unique accommodations for our travellers. Our selection is based on: comfort, upkeep, décor, a kind welcome, a nice environment and everything else that cannot be described but is simply called ‘charm’.
We offer to our travellers, friendly, charming and anti-industrial hotels in well preserved spots, a small personal place where each and everyone fell at ease and on vacation.
We are committed to a philosophy of authentic travel. We like to work with small hotels, locally owned (like B&Bs, lodges, or boutique hotels).
However, we do not neglect those who prefer to travel in more comfort. This is why we are also able to offer luxury accommodations in most of our trips.
Generally, we like to increase the quality of accommodations when we come back to town after some excursions. We seek to balance the off the beaten path adventure (excursions) with a good level of comfort in town or resorts. We do not offer bottom end accommodations.
We are linked to the personalized travel philosophy. Our goal is to offer cozy smaller hotels owned by local people. (B & B type). Of course, we will not neglect those of you who desire luxury settings. We have created many trips à la carte with different comfort levels in order to offer an adventure trip made to measure !
3/5 :
This is a convivial type hotel, charming, not linked to a chain of hotels, well kept and where everyone feels at home. Absent of pretentious luxury, these simple housings possess character and charm. We sleep in B & B ‘s, riad, Poussada, lodges and even a couple of nights under a tent. We may also stay overnight in a small hotel reflecting the personality of the city.
4/5 :
Same train of thoughts as the convivial type hotel but with an adder…. Swimming pool in a Moroccan riad, a wine cellar in a B & B in South Africa, welcoming cocktail awaits you at the lodge in Amazonia and much more. We are talking about upgraded surroundings.
5/5 :
This is a selection for people who desire the best. Even if these are 5 stars lodgings, Uniktour wishes to emphasize that we promote « adventure » type travels and that we do not favour concrete and steel. We may stay at the Marriot or the Meridien but as soon as we start to move, we may sleep in a 5 star Tanzanian campsite or in a 5 star housing in the middle of a coffee plantation in Vietnam! We always pick the best places!
Cost
Cost estimates, land portion
The prices on our website do not include the cost international flights from your country of residence to where the trip begins. Except for group travel, all our prices are quoted on the basis of two persons sharing a room during the low season. They are therefore the lowest costs.
Our prices are in Canadian dollars, per person, and include taxes.
Internal flights are generally included in the price for the land portion
International flights are not include in the price for the land portion
Cost estimates, airfares
We provide you with a cost estimate for the international flights from Montreal. Please let us know your exact dates and place of departure to obtain a precise cost. We also suggest that you consult the following site to get an idea of the costs.
Our aim is to offer your tailor-made trips, on the dates that suit you. We provide on this site ‘budget’ prices to give you an idea of the cost of land portions. They do not have any contracting value.
Please ask for a quotation in order to know the exact price of the land portion and airfares.
Why give a cost estimate?
There are too many variables in individual tailor-made travel (with private guide) to provide firm prices. Our prices depend on:
The services and options you will select (various activities are proposed)
The number of days and period of the year (as we do not have predetermined departure dates and you choose you own date)
The number of people traveling with you (there are economies of scale on the fixed costs of the private guides)
The quality of the accommodations selected (we propose various types of accommodations)
Small group 
Comfort 3/5
15D/14N 
2854 $
Level 2/3 
2130 $
