Is it okay to use ATMs late in the evening in Mali or should I stick to daytime withdrawals only? I am a single woman travelling so want to be safe.
I lived in Mali for a year doing development work and I never once used an ATM after sunset. Not because it’s wildly unsafe - just that power outages, machine malfunctions, and low police presence make it impractical. If you’re visiting Mali, withdraw cash during the day and avoid drawing attention in quiet areas.
I was in Bamako and tried a late-night withdrawal from a BDM ATM around 8:30 PM. It was functional, but the lack of people and lighting made me feel uneasy. The ATM wasn’t near a bank branch, just on a wall. Most locals I met said to get cash during business hours only - night withdrawals carry some risk.
As an overland traveler heading toward Senegal, I passed through Sikasso and found ATM options very limited, especially at night. One evening I tried to withdraw cash, but the only ATM in the area was offline. Mali isn’t extremely dangerous, but infrastructure is weak. Don’t rely on being able to withdraw after dark - plan ahead.
I stayed in Bamako for a few weeks and needed to use an Ecobank ATM late one night. It was attached to a petrol station on Avenue de l’Independance - it worked, but the street was dark and almost empty. Locals warned me afterward that ATM safety at night in Mali isn’t great. Definitely safer to handle cash during the day when banks are open.