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Mark Moxon's Travel Writing

Mali: The Right Staff

It's not compulsory to take a guide to the Dogon Country, but it's highly recommended. Although the area where the Dogon people live can be explored independently, the Dogon don't speak any French and there are no maps or books available to tell you where everything is, so you're much better off with a guide.

Dear Petit David,

Here is our recommendation following our four-day trek through Dogon Country. You were an appalling guide, and we cannot recommend you in any way. You often left us alone, wandering off to god knows where, and you didn't have any good information about the area, didn't know anyone who lived in the villages, and worst of all, we had to pay to leave the last village ourselves, even though you had insisted that everything was included in the price.

You can expect to hear nothing but terrible opinions of your service.

'Good, isn't it?' asked Petit David.