Arrive in Douala and transfer to your hotel. Overnight Sawa Hotel or similar.
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Tropical Adventures Africa
Cameroon Cultural Immersion Tour
13 days from £3,249
Straddling West and Central Africa, Cameroon is alive with the traditions and customs of more than two hundred and fifty different ethnic groups. Its cultural mix is enchanting and magical.
This Cameroon tour takes you to the heart of a country much neglected by tourism, exploring lands that have seldom been visited by outsiders. We start in the steamy city of Douala, which is both chaotic and mesmerising. Then we head west to the tribal kingdoms of the highlands taking in dramatic waterfalls and lush forests on the way. We discover lands ruled by traditional chiefs that have changed little in centuries, centred around royal courts and nobles that govern in an almost feudal manner.
From here we take the train to Ngaoundere, an atmospheric journey to the very different world of the north. In Poli, we stay in a delightful camp and meet the semi-nomadic Mbororo and Dowayo. We then hike into the isolated Vokre Mountains where few have been before.
We spend time with the Dupa, an intensely traditional group of people, where women still wear skirts made of forest leaves and men hunt for game with bows and arrows. If we are lucky we may witness traditional ceremonies and celebrations, gaining an insight into a way of life that has disappeared from much of Africa with the onset of modernity. Heading back to the south we spend time exploring Yaounde’s city centre, stopping to see some traditional art before heading home.
This is a pioneering Cameroon tour that encapsulates the very best of this magical region.
Highlights
- Visit traditional tribal kingdoms
- Meet the Dupa and Dowayo people
- Explore the remote Vokre Mountains
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Day 1 - Douala
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Day 2 - Ekom Falls - Melong
Drive to the west of the country, stopping first at a busy fruit market around Penja. We then head to the impressive Ekom Falls, located in beautiful primary forest, then drive through the coffee plantations to Melong, a small farming town in the Cameroonian Highlands. Overnight Villa Kleber or similar. (BD)
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Day 3 - Bandjoun - Bappit - Koutaba
Drive through the lands of the Bamileke people, great artisans and agriculturalists and one of Cameroon’s largest ethnic groups. We stop in the Kingdom of Bandjoun, not far from the regional capital Bafoussam, and visit the palace. From Bandjoun we head to the Noun Valley and the picturesque crater lake of Bappit for great views of the surrounding area. Finally, we drive to Koutaba for the night. Overnight Paradise Hotel or similar. (BLD)
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Day 4 - Foumban
Visit Foumban, home of the Bamoun people. We explore the town and visit its art museum as well as the 19th-century royal palace. We also visit the central market, one of the most colourful in Cameroon, and walk through the artisans’ quarter. The Bamoun are great craftsmen, working with wood and bronze, and most of the pieces they create are exported overseas to collectors. Overnight Paradise Hotel or similar. (BLD)
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Day 5 - Yaoundé
Drive to Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital. We visit the excellent African art museum, located in the Benedictine monastery atop Mount Febe and with a superb collection of carvings and artefacts from some of the ethnic groups we have just encountered. Later we head to the train station to take the overnight train to Ngaoundere, the gateway to the north of the country. (B)
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Day 6 - Ngaoundere
Arrive in Ngaoundere, the gateway to the north of the country and the capital of Adamawa Province. The city retains a medieval atmosphere and we visit the palace of the Lamido (sultan) and the local market. Overnight Adamawa Hotel or similar.
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Day 7 - Poli
From Ngaoundere we descend into the Benoue Valley and enter a different world – the modern villages disappear to be replaced by traditional adobe settlements, and we arrive in Poli, the capital of the kingdom of Faro, in the afternoon. Overnight Bukaru Camp. (BD)
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Day 8 - Poli
We visit the Mbororo people, one of West Africa’s most traditional groups and with a lifestyle based around cattle. The Mbororo still practice the custom of facial tattooing and live semi-nomadic lives, following their livestock to pasture. We also visit Kongle, centre of the animistic Dowayo people. Overnight Bukaru Camp. (BD)
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Day 9 - Vokre Mountains
Continue our journey and head to one of Cameroon’s most isolated and unexplored areas, the Vokre Mountains. We walk through millet fields and streams and make our way on foot to a small village belonging to the Dupa people, where we camp for the night. This is a great way to immerse ourselves in the culture of this fascinating ethnic group. (BLD)
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Day 10 - Vokre Mountains
Explore the lands of the Dupa, a deeply traditional and animist group who make their living from agriculture and hunting. Many still wear traditional dress – for the men this is a loincloth and for the women, skirts made from leaves – modernity has made few inroads here and this is a unique opportunity to see a culture that has changed little for centuries. The Dupa are incredibly hospitable and we can expect to be welcomed into their villages – if we are lucky we may witness a traditional ceremony or celebration. There are no roads in this part of Cameroon and we explore on foot. Overnight camping. (BLD)
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Day 11 - Poli
Reluctantly we bid our hosts farewell and return to Poli, hiking back down the mountains to meet our vehicles. On the way we stop in a traditional sultanate where we should be able to meet the sultan and learn about the challenges of life in this area. Overnight Bukaru Camp. (BLD)
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Day 12 - Mbe – Ngaoundere
We drive back to Ngaoundere. On the way we stop at local villages and markets, meeting the various different ethnic groups that live in this region. Arrive in Ngaoundere and board the overnight train for the journey back south. (B)
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Day 13 - Yaounde
Arrive in Yaoundé this morning. After breakfast explore the city with visits to the Solomon Muna Foundation and a traditional art shop, among other sites. In the afternoon there will be free time to freshen up and get ready for the journey home.
PRICE 13 days from £3,249
What's included?
1. Airport transfers
We include arrival and departure transfers regardless of whether you book flights yourself, or we book them for you. If you’re booking them yourself, then please let us know the details so that we can arrange the transfers.
Please note though that if you arrive earlier than Day 1 of the tour, and leave after the final day, we may need to make an additional charge for an airport transfer.
2. Accommodation
Accommodation as listed in the dossier. The nature of the destinations that we operate may sometimes mean that we need to change hotels, but we’ll always endeavour to keep the same standards. Please be aware that as we operate in many countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you’re used to elsewhere.
3. Guides
In most cases, you will be accompanied by one guide from start to finish. However, there may be occasions when this is not practical, for example, if your trip covers a number of different countries. In these cases it often makes more sense to include different guides for each place, to take advantage of their specific knowledge of the destination.
4. Meals
As listed within the itinerary / dossier (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner). These will vary from trip to trip – in some areas it makes sense to include all meals while in others there is a good choice of restaurants and we feel people might like to ‘do their own thing’ now and again.
5. Entrance fees
Entrance fees are listed for those sites that we mention within the itinerary. If there are any other sites that you’d like to see, these would be at your own expense.
What's not included?
1. Visas
We don’t arrange visas for our travellers, but if an invitation letter is necessary then we will arrange this for you. If you need any advice with visas then just give us a cal
2. International flights
Many of our travellers arrive from different destinations and so we don’t include international flights in the cost of our tours. If however, you would like us to book flights for you, then just give us a call and we’ll be happy to discuss your options.
3. Travel Insurance
If you need any assistance with this, then let us know – although we can’t arrange it ourselves we can point you in the direction of a reputable provider that can assist.
- Old street Bonaberi, Bonassama. Opposite Atlantique Bank. Douala- Cameroon.
- contact@tropicaladventuresafrica.com
- +237 677 57 17 00
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