Do not underestimate the remoteness!!! You must have proper supplies for an extended trip into the desert, about a week is necessary to travel from Kidal and spend a few days exploring...best to bring two weeks' worth of supplies in case you get lost or caught in a dust storm. Independent travel is highly discouraged and a guide and 4x4 is absolutely essential.
When camping and sleeping be sure your tent is entirely sealed as most animals, including venomous snakes and scorpions along with hyenas & jackals, are nocturnal. Be very careful when climbing around rocks and any place that is shady and cool, as these are the places snakes, scorpions, and other animals stay cool during the day. The sand viper buries itself entirely so that only the eyes appear above the sand, while there is a species of scorpion whose venom is more deadly than a cobra! Try to trod heavily to avoid stepping on a viper!
settlements
Abeibara —
Aguelhok —
Essouk — called by some the "cradle of the Tuareg" this tiny town was once a prospering town along trans-Saharan trade routes from the 9th to 12th cneturies; rock painting dating to 8000 BC can be found, although little remains of its ancient past. Legend holds that Boctou, founder of Timbuktu, was born here.
Tessalit, (http://www.tessalit.info/), a town of a couple thousand Tuareg which serves as the border post for the small amount of traffic between Mali & Algeria; the town has some gypsum and ancient salt mines.
Tin-Essako —