Canadian World Traveller Fall / Winter 2013-14

With its elongated triangle shape, justnorth of the equator Cameroon juts intoWestern Africa’s sharp curve like a pieceof jigsaw, hiding amongst its six borderingcountries and salvaging a little chunk ofthe Atlantic Ocean. These geographicalstatistics have sometimes proven a thornin the side to Cameroon’s tourism indus-try. The noisy neighbours have had a ten-dency to be, well, quite noisy over theyears, putting a damper on the region asa whole and forcing Cameroonians andofficials to be a little skeptical towards for-eign visitors. Those measures havechanged over recent years, and the gov-ernment has made it clear that tourismcan prove a vital boost to the country’swellbeing. Long gone are the days ofintense security checks at airports andborders, and visitors are now free to travelCameroon at will, exploring one ofAfrica’s most culturally and geographicallydiverse landscapes, before rounding offthe day with a cold and refreshingCameroon 33 beer.

Predominantly French speaking with sever-al English language regions, Cameroon isone of Africa’s most stable countries onboth a social and political scale, and isproving itself to be one of the continent’smost rewarding travel experiences.

Begin with Paradise

I started my West African adventure inCameroon’s largest city, and the country’sunofficial economic centre of Douala. Thecity houses the regions busiest airport andproves a pleasant surprise to first timers

See Cameroon on page 36

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CameroonAll Africa in one Country

By Michael Morcos

www.canadianworldtraveller.com

Canadian World Traveller Fall / Winter 2013-14

For those looking to sample some of thehistory of the region, head further alongthe coast to Bimbia where you can findthe Bimbia Slave Port. Here, locals act outthe gone-by days of slavery in a movingyet still entertaining show.

Cameroon’s Capital

Whilst the capital doesn’t enjoy the Africangrandeur of its coastal rival Douala, theCameroonian capital of Yaoundé is anarguably cleaner and more organized ver-sion. Close to the Centre Atisanal deYaoundé, one can pick up handicraftsbefore taking in some of the various styledgovernment buildings erected in the 70’sthat are still around today. Whilst capitalcities in this part of the world are makingthe news for all the wrong reasons,Yaoundé simply stays out of the news dueto the tranquility of the city, somethingrare for a capital city in any part of theworld. The main attractions do however lieon the outskirts of the city. Just 30kmnorth, head to Melfou National Park,which rehabilitates and socializes aban-doned and orphaned pet animals. Thetours which are in both English andFrench are informative and give visitors anopportunity to get close up to gorillas,chimpanzees and mandrills.

The perfect way to end my Cameroonadventure was out in the open air. Closeto Yaoundé, we headed to Ebogo wherewe were given the opportunity to canoe insome of the regions clearest lakes whilst ahandful of local children splashed aboutfor a post school swim – an amazing sitewhich summed up my West African jour-ney in a matter of seconds.

crashing waves. After a sleepy morning Iheaded to the nearby Chutes de la Lobé(Lobe Falls), the world’s only spot whereyou can find a waterfall that enters theAtlantic Ocean through a water cascade.Upon arrival, a late ‘Breakfast ofChampions’ was the order of the day, fea-turing beer and shrimp in a spicy saucewhilst enjoying the sensational seasideviews of the cascades before exploring thenearby Grand Batanga Museum to viewsome of the interesting artifacts on display.

We finished the day off with a late after-noon visit to the Camp of the Pygmies,where we were treated to a wonderfullunch and an afternoon of traditionaldances and ceremonies from the localpeople.

We were back in Kribi for sunset where weenjoyed a wonderful meal featuring typicalCameroonian fare of Captain Fish accom-panied by French bread, maize and yam.

Shadow of the Great

Lying amongst the looming MountCameroon, I arrived at the tea growingtown of Buea, which is the capital of theSouthwest Region of Cameroon. Home toseveral universities and a selection ofGerman colonial buildings, Buea offerstours to the Cameroon Tea Estate (CTE),while further towards the coast in thenearby town of Limbe one can visit theLimbe Wildlife Centre, which is a rescueand rehabilitation centre for animals thatface extinction and/or are victims of thebush meat trade, as well as the beautifulLimbe Botanical Gardens where we weretreated to traditional African music anddance whilst enjoying a fantastic five starmeal.

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biggest sources of carbohydrates in thedeveloping world, Cassava is a fleshy rootand is known in the region for its toler-ance to droughts and ability to grow withlittle soil. With a sweet taste, the woodyshrub forms an essential accompanimentto a typical meal in Western Africa.

An afternoon walk around the CameroonArtisanal Market should not be missed,where you can find authentic hand-madecrafts and a plethora of tasty street foodwhich sizzles through air as the localsbarter over produce and gifts. A little clos-er to the centre, Le Palais des Rois Bell(The Palace of the Kings Bell) is a palaceconstructed by the Germans in 1905 forthe then king Auguste Manga Ndumbe,also known as King Bell. With its Pagodastyle design and Asian influence, thepalace has very few rooms but does housenumerous court yards and a loft on thetop floor which once offered the best viewof the city.

A day or two is more than sufficient toexplore the highlights of Cameroon’slargest metropolis, with a few morethrown in for those who wish to samplefurther both the cuisine and the hospitalityof the local people.

Beach Life

Life certainly can be a beach in the sleepycoastal town and beach resort of Kribi,which lies just 150km south of Douala.The beaches here are pristine, clean andnot jammed with the hordes of holiday-makers normally associated with a beachof this quality. I spent a morning here incomplete tranquility, Cameroon 33 inhand, whilst relaxing to the sounds of the

CameroonContinued from page 35

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who are jetting into Cameroon, offeringmodern facilities and infrastructure aroundthe vibrant and bustling city.

Before I had a chance to explore the city, Irested up before taking a trip to one ofCameroon’s most spectacular settings; theChutes d’Ekom Nkam (Ekom Falls). Thedrive towards the falls – the setting for the1984 movie Greystoke – The Legend ofTarzan starring Christopher Lambert - ismagnificent in its own right, as weencountered steep roads which time andtime again revealed wonderful views ofthe surrounding hilly rainforests. Uponarrival I was greeted by the friendly villagechief and an awe-inspiring view of thefalls where one can take some memorablephotos and spend a while taking in thesurrounding vistas. Having visited some ofthe most spectacular waterfalls on theplanet, Ekom Falls surprised me for itssheer size and the volume of water whichtumbles down irrepressibly. There is then awalkway which allows you to hike downand get closer to the falls, along withsome improvised but well-functioning hik-ing trails around the rain forests.

Douala

Back in the city, I spent the day exploringfreely and felt extremely welcome by thelocals who, despite their hard workinglifestyle, are always available for a quickchat – primarily in French – should someadvice on local street food or directions beneeded. Whilst on that subject, Cassava -which is the traditional Cameroonian foodsold almost everywhere on the streets –looked too good to turn down and I thenfound myself with daily lunch time crav-ings after the first taste. One of the

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