The Senou International Airport of Bamako is the major international airport in Mali. It is situated about 15 kms south of the Bamako city centre. With normal traffic it takes about 15 minutes to get from the Airport to The Sleeping Camel Hotel.

Usually when you land at the airport you will be taken from the plane to the arrivals hall by a shuttle bus. Once you enter the main building you will be given an arrivals card that you must fill out in full and you will also be asked to present your Yellow Fever vaccination card.

As soon as you clear immigration you will find yourself at the baggage carousel. Even though you still haven’t cleared customs you will find guides offering their services and also baggage handlers who will carry your bag to your transfer vehicle or taxi. Neither of these are necessary, especially the services of a guide. Adjacent to the baggage carousel is a small ATM so it is possible to collect some money here with a card aligned to Visa. MasterCard only works in a few banks in Bamako whilst Visa works in nearly all ATM’s. Just prior to leaving the baggage hall you may be asked to put your bag through an x-ray machine but more often than not you will just have to show that your baggage reclaim ticket and bag match.

Once you leave the building you will find taxis a short walk across the pavement near the entrance to the car park. The taxi drivers will no doubt have found you first. To get from the Airport to The Sleeping Camel can cost upwards of 4 000 CFA. I have found that 6 000 CFA is a fair and reasonable price and one that you can achieve even with rudimentary bargaining skills.
We also offer a transfer service so contact us in advance and our driver will meet you there with a sign and take the headache out of your arrival in Bamako.