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Ladji Danté traveled to meet me in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. A tall, imposing, young, polite Malian man, he has led enough tours and dealt with enough foreigners to feel comfortable with my constant questions. However, his knowledge and explanations, both within the context of the area as well as the culture, left little to be asked. I later learned Ladji was griot keeper of history and master of art of the spoken word. Then it made why he was so knowledgeable and had and answer to every question. Ladji allowed me a great deal of flexibility on the tour. Although accustomed to driving an SUV or minivan during his tours, he was completely open to using public transportation from Burkina Faso to Mali, which is quite an adventure. He actually said it is the best way to get a true feel of the culture. He had plenty of suggestions, and offered flexible plans when requested. He also allowed me to plan for what I was interested in, and had no problem making changes upon request, even if it was at the last moment. In Mali, Ladji seemed to have exponential amounts of knowledge regarding modern day realities as well as historic events and answered my questions with ease. Ladji loves Mali as the true Malian does, and he was eager to share his culture and his love with anyone interested on a very personal level. He wants to show Mali as a country instead of simply a tourist destination, and has a strong belief in eco-tourism and places a strong emphasis on learning about the culture and understanding the lives of the people you meet. Ladji has a tremendous amount of respect for those around him: Malians and visitors alike. It is with great pleasure and excitement that I recommend Ladji Danté as a tour guide. He made sure that my month of travel was incredibly special.

D. Abrams, past tour participant

Ladji worked as an assistant to his uncle when I toured West Africa in November and December of 2004. I think most of us were struck by his eagerness to learn, pleasant personality, helpfulness, good sense of humor and honesty. He has been like a grandson to me. Very caring and keeping in regular touch by email. From what I observed he could get along with a person of any age and be relied on to follow through.

B. Virden, past participant

Brother Diallo, the tour to Mali was fantastic! Brother Danté was a great guide and did a wonderful job getting us to know and understand Mali. It was wonderful meeting all the cultures, the Bambara, the Dogon, the Fulani, the Tuareg, the Bozo, all the cultures were amazing. The kids were really excited and did not want to return to the US. Mali is a place that every person of Africa descends should visit not only because of Timbuktu but the Mandé region, and Dogon Country are just as exciting. We have been to many African countries but this trip was by far the best. It was absolutely FANTASTIC.

Bro, S. Ngozi, past tour participant