Timbuktu - I've been there. And it is Fabulous x

How did a girl from the tiny Island of Ireland end up in Tombouctou (the official spelling) in Mali.

I was a 'mechanic' on the Paris-Dakar rally. This is when it was the real thing; when men and women faced some of the toughest terrain in the world; when life long dreams and hearts are broken in an instant.

Ok ok I wasn't a proper mechanic. More a good 'talker' as us Irish tend to be!!! And I managed to get myself on to the official crew being flown stage to stage and sleeping night after blissful night under the Sahara Desert skies.

I've been a Biker since forever. Even as a child I had a keen interest in the wild raw freedom that riding a bike offers.

As soon as I started earning money I started buying bikes. Mostly off road bikes. Competing in Motocross and Enduro across the country.

But let’s get back to Tombouctou. We spent 3 days here. And it was Awesome. One of the best places I've ever been. We were welcomed into the village with smiles and offers of help. Everybody spoke English and/or French and were willing to have the chat.

We rented a local taxi and had some fabulous excursions with a tour guide to help. Here’s what we saw

1. Djinguereber Mosque

This mosque is a must-do trip. We were lucky to have a tour around and got up on the roof to see the stunning views. There was a serene calmness inside, a great visit.

2. Heinrich Barth’s House

This is a quick little visit of the explorer’s home.

3. Ethnological Musem

This is built around the original well Bouctou. Lots of interesting pieces to be seen here.

4. Boat trip on the River Niger

This is spectacular. The river is stunning, vast and edged with beautiful green vegetation. Here we saw lots of Hippo in their natural habitat. Well worth doing this. I truly loved every second of this. When you've never seen a hippo in its real habitat, and then you suddenly see them on the vast openness of the Niger, you will be stuck for words. I promise!

5. Camel Ride

Our tour guide arranged this for us. We rode camels out to a Nomad Bivouac. We had no common language but they welcomed us, and we knew we were welcome. We were given tea in the most delicate little glasses. The tea was the strongest I’ve ever had, but also the sweetest, and was thoroughly enjoyable. Being out on the desert makes you realise how vast the world is and how tiny we are in comparison. This was the highlight of the trip for me.

6. Pub Crawl

Not a real pub crawl, more a café crawl. But, to our surprise and delight, in the middle of Tombouctou we came across a ‘pub’ with a Guinness sign. Definitely felt at home then. This is something I would definitely recommend - a great way to meet and chat with local people.

The best part of Tombouctou is the local people. They are so friendly and warm and so so welcoming.

I'll never forget Tombouctou as long as I live. I'm filled with warm fond feelings and anytime somebody says “Timbuktu” it just makes me smile.