I was there a couple of years ago and loved it. At the port in Gao we hired a canoe, the owner was happy to bring us to the other side of the Niger for a small amount of money, he waited for us there during the time we hiked up the huge dune and took us back afterwards - during a romantic sunset over the Niger. The view from the dune is terrific, the river is huge, Gao is in the far distance. We saw some small villages next to the dune as well as small settlements on islands in the river. And of course the endless plains of the desert landscape with only sand and shrubs as far as you can see (this is more or less the southern border of the Sahara). And the later in the afternoon it gets the more beautiful the dune is becauce of the shades. La Dune Rose probably is the biggest dune in Mali, at least the most well known and I would say probably also the most beuatiful dune in this part of Africa. But it's in an Northern Mali, currently a no-go-area, it was captured in 2012 by Islamists wih al Qaeda links who immediately introduced their understanding of Sharia law (inlcuding stonings and amputations). Malian troops - supported by other countries - will try to capture the north again to reintegrage it in Mali's territory. It's not clear when this will start, how long that might last, if it will be successful and if the security after that will allow foreign visitors to come to Gao. If hopefully one day this is possible again the few tourists that might come here will have an unforgettable experience when they hike up the Dune and enjoy the view.