Child hawkers near the main markets in Bamako. and other Mali Tourist Trap Tips

Although the majority of the kids are not aggressive at all, it can become overbearing, in the heat when you have 30 or 40 of them following you.

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At Least Do This: Make a break by heading into the artisanal market . Here you can walk around, watch the men making the articles and not be troubled by the hordes of hawkers. They do not have the right to enter here.
Alternative: Wait until you reach Segou or Djenné for the markets there. Most things will be cheaper anyway, more time for haggling and much, much friendlier.

In the 10-year hiatus between my two trips to this part of Mali, much has changed here.The Dogon country is not as such, a trap that you cannot get away from, though it is fast becoming a problem in some of the villages, namely the amount of souvenir shops and the number of hawkers here and there. As the local guides know everyone, it is also impossible for them not to run you past the gauntlet. It is not yet a vast problem but one that may start turning people away from some villages.

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At Least Do This: The way I have found the best to deal with it is to just not accept that they put anything into your hands "just for the pleasure of the eyes", or to firmly make your point saying "you don't want anything". Both of these can be difficult to implement, once you are on their territory.
Alternative: Make it very clear to your guide that you have no intention of buying anything in the villages so "please do not take me where the hawkers are". He should also be told that his tip at the end of the trek will be adjusted according to the amount of hassle you have to endure.

Having said all that, I do fully appreciate the fact that everybody has to earn a living and most of the vendors do accept a "no" for an answer. As always, it is the few that make it hard to endure. This tip should not make you shy away from the Dogon people and their culture, nor from the beauty of the surroundings. But I feel that it's better to be forewarned.