You absolutely have to taste the special meal of timbuktu... hard to find but just ask people... it's a wonderful kind of fufu with the twelve spices of timbuktu. Mmmmh !

Americans be warned for Religion extremists. Danger of kidnapping by A.Q.I.M.

If you're taking a boat from Timbuktu to Mopti be careful!  There are tourist boats that go between the two cities and they are very comfortable and pleasant, and then there are commercial boats.  These are fine if you're prepared to rough it a bit, but the drama arises in that people are often told they will be going on a tourist boat, pay their fee and then discover they're on a commercial boat.  Make sure you see the actual boat you will be going on before you agree to pay anything!  We went on a commercial boat, which is something I would define as "an experience", mind you, it certainly made for some interesting stories!  I've put the full story in my blog if you're interested. 

Timbuktu is HOT!  I know that sounds silly but I was completely blown away by just how hot it actually is, and how draining that constant heat can be.  Drink a lot of water.  Drink more water than you think you need and then drink some more.  I also found that soft drinks were incredibly useful which was strange as they're not something I drink at home but in Africa my body seemed to really need to sugar in them.  I cannot emphasize enough how much water you have to consume in order to stay hydrated in this part of the world.

When eating out in Timbuktu, or anywhere in West Africa for that matter, it's always a good policy to ask what they actually have first as the menus tend to just be a guideline as to the sorts of things that they have had at one point in the past and may have again at some point in the future, depending on available ingredients.

While it is necessary to dress fairly conservatively in this part of the world (especially as you will attract a lot of attention if you're not African to start with and the more skin you expose the more attention you'll get and not always good!) they seem to be much more concerned with covering then legs than the upper body.  A short skirt would be a scandal but a sleeveless top seems to be okay. That said it's usually wise to err on the side of caution.  I went with a long skirt and shirts with short sleeves which was fine.  If I wore my other skirt (which is below knee length but not to my ankles) I felt distinctly uncomfortable.

The history of the place is kind of mysterious. It is not clear what's the real meaning/origin of the name of the city. it is believed that it was created by the Tuareg around the 11th century, and over the years became a major center of trade and learning until was ransacked by the Morokkans in 1591.
If you go there, visit the market, take a camel ride, go to the swordsmiths and buy a proper Tuareg sword. Walking around the city you'll see the houses where the first European travelers stayed.
You can get there either by plane or by sailing on the Niger (from Bamako or Mopti). I recommend sailing. It takes 2-3 days, you get to sleep on the river banks, you get to see zebus and hyppos. It's quite nice