Discovering customs and traditions
15 days/14 nights from Yaoundé
The discovery of the customs and traditions of Cameroon and the friendliness of the local people will be the richness of this trip. We will visit two unforgettable and unique regions whose magnificent landscapes will immerse you in a Cameroonian atmosphere: shrub and tree savannah from Ngaoundéré to Garoua, grassy savannah, dry wooded savannah, gallery forests and mountain vegetation. There are many small streams, which often run dry in the dry season. We'll end our journey with the first inhabitants of the Cameroonian forest, the Baka Pygmies, who share a common culture. We'll be staying with them to get a close-up view of their way of life.
ITINERARY
Day 1: EUROPE –YAOUNDE
Welcome at Nsimalen-Yaoundé International Airport, the political capital of Cameroon, commonly known as the city of seven hills. It is a green city with a mild climate, and is also the capital of the Centre Region and the Mfoundi Department. Yaoundé is home to most of Cameroon's most important institutions. The city is built on a network of hills dominated by Mbam Minkom (1,295m) and Mont Nkolodom (1,221m) in the north-western part of Yaoundé, and Mont Eloumden (1,159m) in the south-west. The different districts are arranged according to the rugged terrain of the city. Transfer to the Sindz Palace hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: YAOUNDE – N'GAOUNDERE
Breakfast. Excursion to the Mefou Zoological Park, located 38 km from Yaoundé, a transitional park between a zoo and a protected area created in 1999. in their natural environment, partial visit to the city of Yaoundé, transfer to the passenger station at 4.45pm, sleeper train all night, enjoy the Cameroonian atmosphere, dinner and overnight stay on the train.
Day 3: N'GAOUNDERE
Breakfast on the train, arrival at N'Gaoundéré which is a transition town between the South and the North built at an altitude of 1100m, still called the water tower of Cameroon because all the rivers originate there, transfer to the TRANSCAM Hotel followed by installation, discovery of the town surrounded by several volcanic hills, one of which gave its name to the town (the navel mountain), orientation tour, visit to the Lamidat of N'Gaoundéré and the typical market, lunch and dinner in a restaurant in the town, discovery by night of the atmosphere of the MBOUM people for those who wish, night at the hotel.
Day 4: N'GAOUNDERE – NGAN-HA 130 km
Early wake-up call, breakfast, excursion to the Mboum village called Ngan-Ha, the Mboum are the natives of the Adamaoua region, a migratory people whose origins lie in Yemen. They are also found in Chad and CAR, and are distinguished from other Mboum by their Mboryanga rites and traditions, we enjoy the marvellous scenery along the way, arrive and visit the Lamidat and its museum, enjoy traditional Mboum dances, picnic, return to N'Gaoundéré, diversions to visit the magnificent Tello waterfalls, continue, arrive and enjoy refreshments, dinner in a restaurant in town and overnight at the hotel.
Day 5: N'GAOUNDERE – POLI 214 km
Early wake-up call, breakfast, departure for Poli, short stop at Mbé if it's market day so you can visit it, then on to the various villages to take photos, observing the very welcoming local people along the way, always smiling as they greet you, the immensity and diversity of agricultural production. The exceptional natural conditions mean that the populations of the far north have an agro-pastoral tradition adapted to the conditions of the environment, as well as exemplary supervision of the farmers. This will be the object of your contemplation throughout our stay, arrival and installation at the inn, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: POLI
Breakfast, excursion to the Seckseba village 7km from Poli to meet and share with the nomadic people (BORORO), who live mainly from livestock and are always on the lookout for pasture. The women collect the milk and package it in yoghurt for sale, return to Poli where we will have lunch, a second excursion to the Mango village to discover another tribe similar to the Koma called Namchi, observation of the traditional Namchi dance, visit to the blacksmith, return, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: POLI - MONTS ALANTIKA 90 km
Early wake-up call, breakfast, departure for Wangaï via Voko and the Valley of the Rôniers, arrival and gathering of the porters, start of the trek, lunch and installation in the LIBROU village, meeting and sharing with the indigenous people of the Monts Alantika called the Komas, organisation of the traditional dance, installation in tents, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8 and 9: IMMERSION DANS LES MONTS ALANTIKA
Early wake-up call, breakfasts, trekking through the Koma villages, a primitive people of medium size living in the Alantika Mountains. They learned about clothing culture late in life, so their clothing consists solely of hiding their genitals with green tree leaves, They have managed to preserve their rites and traditions, their houses are made of clay covered with thatched roofs built between the rocks, discover the rites and traditions of the Koma people, don't miss the chance to taste the millet beer called BILI BILI in the different villages, dinners and overnight stays in tents.
Day 10: WANGAÏ – NGAOUNDERE 314 km
Early wake-up call, breakfast, drive to Ngaoundéré with the unforgettable memory of our stay with the Koma in the back of our minds, lunch at Poli, this day the journey is fairly quick to avoid a late arrival in Ngaoundéré as the journey will be a little long, arrival and installation at the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 11: NGAOUNDERE – BERTOUA 498 km
Breakfast, departure for Bertoua in our vehicle, stopover at the Vina waterfalls if possible, lunch on the road, continuation of the journey on a tarmac road, arrival and check-in at Christiana Hôtel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 12: BERTOUA – SOMALOMO
Breakfast, departure for Somalomo, we'll see a different and magnificent vegetation, a green landscape that becomes dusty in the dry season along the way, lunch in Messamena, stopover on either side of the Bantu villages for photos if possible, arrival and installation at the hostel with mama Rose, entry formalities for the Dja reserve, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 13 and 14: SOMALOMO - CAMPEMENT BA'AKA
Early wake-up call, breakfast followed by departure for the pygmy camp, gathering of porters and luggage, walk of around 2 km (in case the ferry doesn't work), arrival and installation in tents at the camp, start of activities with the ancestors of the forest, dinner in a setting of wood fires and torches only, cultural entertainment, overnight in tents.
Day 15: CAMPEMENT BA'AKA – YAOUNDE – EUROPE
Early wake-up call, breakfast, group photos with our Baka'a friends. Return to Yaoundé, lunch in Ayos, continuation of the journey, arrival. Day Use in a hotel in the city. Transfer to the airport. End of our services.
The price includes:
- Accommodation in double room
- Full board
- Vehicle, fuel and tolls, Driver
- Guide
- Tracker, cook, porters
- Camping equipment
- All visits in the programme
- Entrance fee to the reserve
- Traditional dances
- One-way train ticket
The price does not include:
-Cameras
- Tips
- Drinks
- Personal expenses
- Sleeping bags and insulated mattresses
- Visits excluded from the programme