Music & Religious Festivals in Africa
Tim Best Travel has been sending clients over the past few years to a range of colourful religious festivals and music festivals in Africa, Latin America and India.
"... According to wonderfully pukka-sounding Tim Best of London's Tim Best Travel, you need an expert local guide who knows how to navigate the desert. You need a sleeping bag, heavy boots... camel-skin tents; 4x4 vehicles; two satellite phones; and lots and lots of bottled water. You need in other words, somebody like Tim Best Travel to organise an expedition that would get the attention of Lawrence of Arabia"
- Vogue Magazine expedition to Mali.
From the upbeat music festivals of Morocco and Mali, to the celebrations of the religious festivals in Ethiopia, and the colours of Jodhpur, we have found festivals provide a wonderful opportunity to truly get 'off the beaten track' and experience a country's culture.
Please click on one of the festival names below for further information.
Timkat FestivalJanuary - Ethiopia
Timkat is the most important festival in the Ethiopian calendar. Known as the Ethiopian Epiphany, it marks the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan. On 19 January, Ethiopian Christians celebrate His baptism at the festival of Timkat.
Festival in the DesertJanuary - Mali
Each year, Tuareg caravans from all corners of the Sahara desert - Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania - reunite near Timbuktoo for the annual music Festival in the Desert in Essakane.
Festival on the NigerFebruary - Mali
The festival takes place in early February. There will be regional music & dance, local arts & crafts as well as well known Malian artists including Oumou Sangare, Papa Gaoussou Diarra & Mama Sissoko.
Sauti za Busara FestivalFebruary - Tanzania
Sauti za Busara is Swahili for "Sounds of Wisdom". Set on the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar, the old Stone Town is host to this 4 day festival of Swahili music, theatre and dance, African rap & hip hop artists.
