Are you an intrepid traveller looking for a new adventure? West Africa, and specifically Cameroon, might be the perfect destination. While many travel stories focus on East and Southern Africa, Cameroon offers a unique and often overlooked experience. Nestled between six West African countries - Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea - Cameroon boasts a population of 25 million people speaking 250 local languages, as well as Pidgin, French, and English.
Between 2004 and 2006, I worked for Guinness in Cameroon, which was at once a culture shock and an amazing experience. Many of you will know of Guinness, but you may be surprised to find out that Cameroon is the fifth biggest market in the world (great quiz question if you need one!).
Travelling in West Africa is an adventurous affair, and it's beneficial to have local expertise to navigate the nuances of the region. This includes understanding driving customs, negotiating police stops, and knowing the local cuisine, where bush meat is a staple outside the main cities.
This article delves into the roads less traveled, showcasing the diverse cultures and landscapes found within Cameroon's villages.
Map of Cameroon showing the regions of Cameroon.
Read also: Journey Through Villages
A Land of Contrasts: Climate and Geography
While Cameroon is home to one of the wettest places on the planet, the weather is varied depending on the region. The far north is semi-arid while the south is wetter and more humid. The village of Debundscha in the southwest receives over 400 inches of rain per year! In general, there is a dry season (December to April) and rainy season from May to November, which starts with the little rains (only a few hours at a time) and works up to the big rains where it might not stop for 24 hours or more. If you watched the 1984 film, Greystoke,The Legend of Tarzan, you will have seen the Chutes D’Ekom waterfall, which is impressive in rainy season and just a trickle in dry season.
Exploring the Regions
Southwest Region
In the southwest, you can visit Limbe for the volcanic black sand beaches and the Limbe Wildlife Sanctuary which rescues primates and rehabilitates them. Not far away in the same area is the town of Buea which is the start point if you wish to climb Mount Cameroon. The mountain is just over 4000m / 13000 ft high and is an active volcano. I haven’t climbed it myself, but a colleague who did it over several days said it was quite challenging. This would make a great alternative to the well-worn path up Mount Kilimanjaro in East Africa.
Northwest Region
Carrying on up into the English speaking North West, there are the temperate central Highlands of Bamenda and Bafoussam areas. Fascinating local culture abounds everywhere from the style of architecture, the way of life, and the history to the natural landscapes. It was in these areas where I learnt that pineapples do not grow on trees (hey, I’m from the countryside in Scotland, and this was my first trip to the tropics. Please don’t judge me!).
In the area, Foumban is a must, as it has a key place in the history of Cameroon and a royal palace from the Bamoun Dynasty. Foumban is also well known for its arts and crafts. The craft market there will allow you to check how good your haggling skills are! There is a festival held every two years called the Nguon Festival which, hopefully, will survive the Covid pandemic and be held again.
Heading east, a couple of nights spent in Kribi, allows you to visit the Lobé waterfalls and have beach barbecues of locally caught freshwater prawns, expertly prepared by the locals. The beach is great but you need to be a fairly confident swimmer as there is a strong Atlantic surf.
Read also: Cameroonian Basketball Star: Nkwain Kennedy
The North
I also travelled to the far north of Cameroon with Guinness, to Garoua and Maroua and expand my understanding of the country and its culture. We were treated to a “fantaisie” by the local ruler; this consisted of a number of mounted riders in bright capes with beautiful horses racing towards us in a line and stopping at the last minute. It was an amazing sight to behold.
Community and Conservation
Guinness Cameroon sponsored a number of projects across the country as part of its corporate social responsibility. I was also able to get into more jungle-type areas where the company had established water projects. We almost got stuck on one trip as the roads go through the clay soil, which, in rainy season, becomes a slippery mess and even in a 4x4, hills can become a challenge to get up or go down.
There is a mound of evidence showing that reinstating the rights of local communities to own, use, and participate in the management of their ancestral lands, rather than removing such communities and severing their ties with the landscape, is far more likely to result in successful biodiversity conservation. The militarisation of conservation has not halted wildlife decline and has harmed the key allies: local communities.
We’re developing a smartphone app to enable indigenous Baka and local Bantu communities in Cameroon to report illegal wildlife crime. Whilst finishing off training, the current work is to liaise with officers from the Ministere de Foret et de la Faune (Ministry of Forests and Wildlife). Meanwhile, some small but interesting changes to the app have made it much easier to use by the communities, most likely all of which have never used a smartphone before and often don’t understand the same symbols as you do.
“We take the tool very seriously and think it is what we have been missing. Mobile phone network is surprisingly good, with internet and 3G available in some villages (3G! In the rainforest!). At the time of writing, two communities have completed the process and are now active in reporting.
Read also: History of Cameroon Soccer
A Day in Life of an AFRICAN VILLAGE GIRL in Cameroon 2022|MORNING ROUTINE
A Glimpse into Village Life: Kamkata
The village Kamkata is found in the Center region of Cameroon. This farming community is located 160 km west of Yaoundé, the country’s capital. This locality presents an agro-ecological variety made up of forest and shrubby savannahs which favor the cultivation of a wide variety of plant species, including cash crops, market gardening and food crops. At the start of this farming season, the young shoots of corn, yams, peanuts, pistachios and other tubers look great. The adult cocoa trees are blooming and various fruit trees - mango, plum, orange, guava, lemon and mature palm groves - add to the charm. Due to its attractiveness, this cosmopolitan village is inhabited by people from across the country in search of green gold. They have formed a Common Initiative Group there to defend their interests and the state deploys extension officers there regularly to advise and support producers.
The annual cocoa production in this village increased from 213 tons in 2018 to 346 tons in 2019. In this period of uncertainty relating to the Covid-19 pandemic, social distancing measures have been adopted here and interactions with urban centers reduced to the essential.
Stories from Kamkata
Ousmaïla Bamboyé, 50, better known as ‘Malam’ is from Kumbo in the North West region. He arrived Kamkata in 2005 as a traditional healer, invited to provide care to sick farmers. While there, he discovered the virtues of agriculture through significant income generated by the production and sales cocoa. He decided to settle here braving, the criticism of his family back home. He evolved from his initial status as a traditional healer to that of a successful farmer. He has been recognized as a model farmer by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Ngah Sulemanu, 43, is a professional photographer converted to farmer. He left Bafoussam, his hometown in the west of the country in 2016, flattered by the good news from Kamkata farmers. In order to also enjoy the benefits of the land to ensure the well-being of his small family, he settled there the same year by buying a 3 hectare plot of virgin forest in the ‘Cable’ neighborhood where he delved into a mixed cultivation of cocoa, plantain, cassava and cocoyams. To make the most of his free time in Kamkata, Mr. Ngah opened a photo studio in the English-speaking neighborhood where a shopping center is gradually being formed, thus allowing his fellow farmers to make souvenir portraits on the spot.
Mrs. Mavegam Ouembe Henriane Stéphanie, 38, is an educational psychologist and passionate about agriculture, a passion inherited from farming parents. She is one of the new arrivals in Kamkata where she acquired a 1.5 hectare plot of virgin forest in the ‘New Town’ area in 2018 and quickly launched the cultivation of cocoa and coco yams. For the good health of the plants, she organizes three brush cutting sessions there per year.
Despite these production gains, the village remains enclaved due to the lack of electricity, dependence on an embryonic solar energy and difficult access to the mobile phone network. Only the farmer can search the network to reach a correspondent in town. The main challenge remains post-harvest losses, notably of bananas and plantains linked to the difficult access to this farming village.
Visiting Authentic Village Tribes: An Excursion Through Cameroon
Nestled in the heart of Africa, straddling Central and West Africa, rests a country alive with centuries of enchanting culture fused together by over 250 different ethnic groups. Discover the traditions, customs and untold secrets of these authentic village tribes during a 7 day excursion through Cameroon. Relive the Stone Age with the Koma people and their ancient dances, at the same time inhale the crisp, invigorating air of the Alantika mountains. A true pioneering adventure that manifests the very best of this country.
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Cameroon - Welcoming at Yaoundé international airport in the night, and transfer to hotel la Falaise (4 stars) for diner and overnight.
Day 2: Yaoundé- Garoua - City tour of Yaoundé in the morning, then transfers to airport for domestic flight to Garoua. Visit the Lamido of Wangay in the evening. Dinner and overnight in the motel of Wangai.
Day 4: Wangai- Bimlerou bas- Alantika Mountain - In the morning, depart by motorbikes to the first Koma village(not accessible by car). Visit the village and chat with the primitive people, then start trekking on the Alantika mountain to village “Librou”. Visit of that village, and overnight in tents.
Day 5: Alantika mountain- Wangai - In the morning, organization of Koma dance and enjoyment with the locals. trek from village Librou to village Koelo. Visit the village, and enjoy the nice river of Koelo where we may swim. Continue trekking back to the village “Bimlerou bas”. Drive back to Wangai by motorbikes. Dinner and overnight in the motel in Wangai.
Day 6: Wangai- Bororo camps- Garoua - After breakfast, drive from Wangai to Poli. On the way, visit some typical Bororo peoples in their camps and discover their peculiarity. You will then be transferred to the airport for your outgoing flight. End of tour.
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Note: All prices are subject to 5.5% taxes and fees
National Parks
If all of this is not enough for you, Cameroon is also filled with national parks that range from jungle to savannah where you can spot a wide range of mammals and birds as well as spectacular flora and fauna. Parks include Waza National Park, Korup National Park for the birdlife, Campo Ma’an National Park and the UNESCO listed Dja Faunal Reserve which is one of the largest areas of protected rainforests in Africa.
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tags: #Cameroon
