The Sleeping Camel | Informal Campsite

January 22nd, 2024 by Wilma.TheWhale

Unfortunately The Sleeping Camel no longer resembles a camp site. It's a sports bar with a pool and some rooms. However for vans they do allow you to park on the quiet and safe street outside the compound, you can use the facilities for free. We had a nice two night stay, friendly staff. We chilled in the courtyard, watched the football, had a few beers and the food is also good, burger and taco

November 30th, 2022 by No Fear Reizen

We felt really safe in this place after everything happened in this country in the last few years. One of owners, Phil welcomed us friendly and showed us the room which have airconditioning and a general used bathroom with hot rainshower. The restaurant, mostly visited by white westerners, has an unique style which invites you to have a good time with a cold beer. You can even swim. Food, drinks and rooms are reasonable priced.

February 15th, 2020 by olgacrystal

The new location is pretty small, so it is more like an expensive restaurant for expats with a few rooms and small space for parking/camping. Cold outside shower, very slow wifi and quite noisy as last customers around midnight. The staff is nice, it’s secure and overall it was ok.

December 20th, 2019 by parissandrine

We love'd this place. We stay there 2 nights, so the place is nice, friendly, relax and confortable.
Phil make as we are some old friends, and all the staff is very friendly.
You can sleep in your car or take rooms, there are spacieuses, confortables, very clean (like Sanitary), and with AC.
It's ideally situated for a walking in the city.
The food is very delicious, we tasted varied, and love all of them.
You'll meet there, travellers and locals people.
Very good feeling.
Clairement The incontournable of Mali.
We loved

November 28th, 2019 by wanderlust.london

This place is in wrong location - it is located at 12.62283, -7.98611

November 28th, 2019 by wanderlust.london

As described below but note coordinates where wrong by a few miles. If not corrected by this check in then follow google maps, should be south of the river.

November 15th, 2019 by Sauf2Africa.com

new place the sleeping camel:
N 12.372131, 07.591088

Just go right instead of left at the very last junction and you will see it after a few meters on your right hand side.

The doors are too small for a big truck but you can stand outside the gate and use the facilities.

May 19th, 2019 by Kristian Rudbeck

Really nice place. Owner and manager helpful. Nice place for beers, fun and relaxing. Maybe it’s a little more expensive, but the food is really good. Definitely think it’s worth the visit.
Be aware that they’re moving to a new location soon. Not far from the old.

February 1st, 2019 by tadej.bolta

If you ask a staff about Dogon and Djenne they will say that is to dangerous for traveling there... But you can travel and is beautiful! For Dogon you can contact Ismail 0022376200718. He is a guide from Djenne and he can organise a tour to Dogon. Price is 40eur per day for two persons (withouth hotels and food) or 60eur (with hotels and food) for two persons. Tour around Djenne 10eur for half day.

The place Sleeping camel is a greta spot, best shower in West Africa and really nice food!

September 8th, 2018 by carelessgoddess

getting lots of really helpful travel info here! Thanks guys!

August 13th, 2018 by expedicionsonrisa.com

The best place in Bamako!

They just add super fast WiFi. They have a nice restaurant with friendly atmosphere. We stay in roof tent and use clean toilet and hot shower after a long trip from Mauritania. But the best was Kevin and Heike the managers. Kevin it’s an amazing guy, always looking to help you and nice conversations. He know a lot about Africa and how to fix everything... he help us so so much to fix our car.. mechanical and electrical
Problems. Was great hope to go back.

August 13th, 2018 by carina.belofiglio

I would give more than 5 stars if it would be posible, Kevin and Heike has been so nice with us. They have speed wi fi and a nice restaurant. We did camping in outr roof tent, clean bathroom and meet other overlanders. Also rooms a viable. They help us so much fixing our car, mechanical and electrical stuff during the days we spend with them. Kevin its an amazing guy, he really knows a lot about mechanic and electric and actually about everything. We will miss the conversations with kevin and the sleeping camel.

February 6th, 2018 by irene

It’s a nice place but:

-Internet doesn’t work at all.

-The restaurant is more orientated to expats, diplomats or NGO workers living in Bamako. It’s expensive if you are on a budget travelling. And there are no other restaurants or food shops around.

-There’s not really a space if you want to eat your food or bring your food. The only table and sofa that is not in the restaurant it’s always being used by the cleaning ladies to folder clothes, leave stuff or to rest and look their mobiles. You cannot really use.

January 30th, 2018 by anja-und-markus-in-afrika.tumblr.com

Nice compound with rooms and courtyard for camping... nice restaurant and food. Owners are very nice and helpful.. clean toilets and hot showers!

May 23rd, 2017 by CMSMJ

The entrance of the hostel is not obvious; it is next to the German Embassy and usually has a bunch of 4x4's and scooters parked in front of it

May 19th, 2017 by CMSMJ

It's a great hostel to meet up with expats/UN people and some overlanders. It's clean with pretty good food, I wouldn't recommend the place for camping 'though because it's too loud in the evening.

4 000 CFA per person to camp in the courtyard.

April 20th, 2017 by BigGreen

A bit hard to find, follow the GPS or first road to the left after the bridge, behind the German embassy. For camping, there is place for two or three 4x4 with roof tent or similar, not more (6000 franc for the two of us with Land Rover). In April, it was very hot, lots of mosquitoes and stench from the coal fires and burned garbage, so we took a room with shower and aircon for the second night, at 18000 franc. Internet works fine, good place to chill for one or two days. Water tap available in the garden for refilling tanks. Apart from the officials staying there, we met another overlander couple. Showers and toilets are clean and work fine. We also had our laundry done for 1500 franc. Food is good, unfortunately still a lot of milk powder and Nescafe around.

March 20th, 2017 by jamespaulallen

Phil and Matt who run this place are great guys. they look after you and help with advice and have a huge network of contacts. had my bike fixed by the police motorcycle mechanic. There are normally a few overlanders around but the majority of their business at the moment is derived from the UN. it's not cheap, but it's also not excessively expensive. (4000cfa for dinner, beer is 1000cfa). I was there for 2 weeks waiting for parts and they put on a free boat ride on the river for 8 of us, and most evenings they would give me a free beer. all round great place!

February 17th, 2017 by pjmancktelow

Highly recommended place. Pretty much as wanted says (big beers 1500 now)

Mosquitoes no worse than anywhere else in the region. The ngo/un guys are really friendly. One went above and beyond to help me source steering bearings, a new tyre and air filter at only slightly over UK prices!

Recommend booking as it's popular. Really well run by expats, I stayed longer just because its a nice place to take time form the road

They organise things like quiz nights, movie nights, rivet cruises etc. And there's a hash house harrier presence too. Everyone is welcome and they seem to think highly of us overlanders

January 18th, 2017 by tom

This place is worth a stop if you are in Bamako. We stayed here for 2 weeks because Tom was unable to ride the bike with a broken foot and we couldn't have imagined a better place to stay. The team does a great job here. Phil is a great source of information about the city and Mali in general. We stayed in the dorm (4 beds, 2000/night). Lots of mosquitoes here though so better take precautions as malaria got Tom shortly after our stay here. Menu is great if you stay a few days and reasonably priced. Bar with cold drinks, milkshakes and diet coke 😁. Only downside is that most of the clients are UN personnel nowadays, but there's still travellers passing by so you'll probably meet some.
Tom & Caroline
www.motomorgana.com

December 2nd, 2016 by stefanko

great little place for budget stay, clean and reasonably priced, rooms from 14000cfa, overnight camping in front yard 3000, food 2000-5000, beer/coke 1000

October 20th, 2016 by dieda-unterwegs.net

Definitely a place to stay some days and meet nice people there.
extremely friendly and helpfull stuff and owner!

September 10th, 2016 by daniel.vonmutius

camping in the car park. was fairly noisy with travellers and ngo staff in the restaurant bar. Mosquitoes are a nuisance day and night...thousands of them!! good place to meet other overlanders and exchange info.

June 14th, 2016 by tenkss

Very cool place, definitely worth a stop.

3000 for camping
4000 for bed in dorm room
1200 for a big beer
4000-5000 for a decent meal
Different types of breakfasts starting from 1500
Mildly cold showers but very refreshing
Has water mist spray in the common/bar area with fans to keep you cool

WiFi is super slow, but can buy sim cards with expensive data bundles. Orange sim network is still too slow to Skype.

Compound is very secure with newly introduced security room entrance you must pass through to enter.

Recommend this place would stay here again

June 7th, 2016 by micko

Great friendly place with very helpful staff, laid back and welcoming. Parking under trees for vehicle if you have roof top tent, showers and toilets close by otherwise they have air con rooms with bathrooms. Food is good and fresh. Bar keeps the cold drinks coming. A few UN and mine clearance types as guests all friendly. Highly recommended!!

April 30th, 2016 by Burtway.com

Good place to stop and rest for a while, get to know the town. Friendly staff. Apart from the usual, the place also offers fun nights at the restaurant (quiz night, performance evenings, music gigs, movie night) on a weekly basis and the food is great!

May 21st, 2015 by reise-blog von susu &uvo

guesthouse in bamako offering rooms and a camsite in the curtyard, nice sanitary facilities. there is a restaurant, a bar and free wifi.