![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.overlandrover-westafrica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Jonathon-at-Falls.jpg\" "\\"Jonathon")
<\/a><\/p>\nOur destination that day was Sindou, site of the most amazing natural landscape.\u00c2\u00a0 We did a bit of an unplanned detour toward Cote d’Ivoire because on our map it appears to be straight through the town of Banfora and, unbelievably,\u00c2\u00a0 the dirt track turn-off for Sindou in the town of Banfora is not markedl. \u00c2\u00a0 Great road, but the mille bournes (milestones – a legacy of the French colonial system) all kept counting down the distance to\u00c2\u00a0 the border town of Koloka, which was not on our route.\u00c2\u00a0 We caught this after about 10 km and turned around to go back to Banfora.\u00c2\u00a0 The correct road was only dirt, but it was much more attractive than the highway.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The Sindou Peaks are quite special.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Created by limestone rocks on one side of a very fertile valley that have been eroded into narrow stalactite-type structures.\u00c2\u00a0 The guidebooks all refer to landscape as reminiscent off \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Planet of the Apes\u00e2\u20ac\u009d although somehow that does not quite seem appropriate.<\/p>\n Walking tours of the area are provided by the Association Senoufa, a local community development group that uses the proceeds to help pay for childrens\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 school \u00c2\u00a0fees.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 One can get tours that range from 1 hour to more than a week and involve hiking back to Bob0-Dialasso, the distance we had driven over\u00c2\u00a0 two short days.\u00c2\u00a0 We took the two hour option and that allowed us to hike to the upper plateau and get a great view.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sindou Peaks as seen across the valley from our tent window<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was a special bonus to our visit to Sindou, in the form of what has to be one of the best campsites in the world, at least the best we had on our trip. We had been told about a campement in Douna, a town 10 km shy of Sindou, by Alain, the French owner of the B&B we stayed at in Ouga. \u00c2\u00a0He did not rave about it, he just mentioned it, but we decided to have a look because it was getting late afternoon and it was before Sindou.\u00c2\u00a0 We are very glad we did.\u00c2\u00a0 As a campement<\/em> it had also had rooms, but they were just very basic huts that were not really even furnished.\u00c2\u00a0 But as a campsite for us it was perfect.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>