Hi there,

There are two companies for Mali: Orange (used to be Ikatel) and Malitel.

When I am in Mali I take my own phone( simlock free ofcourse) and buy a simcard from either Orange or Malitel. That way I can talk to the family abroad much cheaper than with my own simcard.

The only thing you have to do is inform the people about your Malian telephone number.

O, there is one disadvantage: textmessage is limited; not abroad, only within Mali.

But I'm not sure if your American phones can be used in Mali; in that case it's very easy to buy a simple cellphone for about 75 dollars.

Most cities and larger villages are servicednowadays by Orange; have a look at the website: www.gsmworld.com/roaming/gsminfo/cou_ml.shtml

And when I'm leaving Mali I will donate the cellphone and the simcard to someone.

Have a lovely time in Mali; I love the country.

Thank you taamala.

I just got back from Mali. I took my AT&T phone with me (International) and it worked just great in most major cities, roaming usually to Malitel. There was no coverage in the bush. I kept in touch with home through a few calls, and mostly through text messaging. However, since I had my phone unlocked before I left, I was also able to use a local SIM card in my phone for cheaper calls. So if you have a good international phone, take it, but also consider using a local SIM card at times.