Day One: Arrival in Douala
Upon your arrival at the airport in Douala, the guide from Afrikan Wildlife Safaris will welcome you and the transfer you to the hotel for dinner and overnight. Dinner and overnight at Sawa Hotel or similar.
Day Two: Ekom Falls – Melong
After breakfast, you will drive to the west of the country, stop at the fruit market in Penja. Then proceed to the impressive Ekom Falls, located in beautiful primary forest, drive through the coffee plantations to Melong, a small farming town in the Cameroonian Highlands. Dinner and overnight at Villa Kleber or similar
Day Three: Bandjoun to Bappit and Koutaba
This morning, you will 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 and then drive to Koutaba for the night. Dinner and overnight at Paradise Hotel or similar
Day Four: Foumban
On this day, you will visit Foumban, home of the Bamoun people. Explore the town and visit its art museum as well as 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. Dinner and overnight Paradise Hotel or similar
Day Five: Yaoundé
Today, you will 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.
Day Six: Ngaoundere to Poli
When you arrive in Ngaoundere, the gateway to the north of the country and the capital of Adamawa Province. We will make a short visit to the palace of the Lamido (sultan). Then descend into the Benoue Valley with traditional adobe settlements, and we arrive in Poli, the capital of the kingdom of Faro. Dinner and overnight Bukaru Camp.
Day Seven: Poli
This morning, we will 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. Dinner and overnight Bukaru Camp.
Day Eight: Vokre Mountains
For this day, we will continue 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.
Day Nine: Vokre Mountains
On this day, you will 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. Dinner and overnight camping.
Day Ten: Poli
On this day, we will 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. Dinner and overnight Bukaru Camp.
Day Eleven: Mbe to Ngaoundere
You will drive back to Ngaoundere. On the way, 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.
Day Twelve: Yaoundé to Mfou Primate Sanctuary and Oveng
When you arrive in Yaoundé this morning. Get breakfast and explore the city. Then proceed to Mfou Primate Sanctuary, situated in Mefou National Park. The sanctuary is dedicated to the protection of Cameroon’s larger primates including gorilla, chimpanzee, mandrill and drill, which live in large forest enclosures making them comparatively easy to spot. Then head to Oveng, where a lodge has been built in the middle of equatorial jungle. Dinner and overnight at Oveng Lodge.
Day Thirteen: Yaounde
After breakfast, you can explore the surrounding forest before returning to Yaoundé. Then transfer to the airport for departure.