The story
Festival de Gouina in Gouina
Festival de Gouina is held near the Gouina Falls on the Senegal River in Mali's western Kayes region, one of the country's most striking natural landmarks. The festival pairs the scenery of the falls with performances of local Kayes-area music and dance, combining a natural tourism draw with a celebration of the surrounding communities' cultural traditions.
The Gouina Falls, where the Senegal River drops over a wide rock shelf in western Mali's Kayes region, rank among the country's most photographed natural features, a cascade substantial enough to draw comparisons with larger West African waterfalls despite Mali's reputation as a landlocked, largely arid country.