IN THE COUNTRY OF KINGS SCULPTORS AND CRAFTSMEN

Certain destinations mark for ever travelers. For its fantastic landscape, its secular traditions, the dynamism, the hospitality and the charm of his populations, western highland Cameroon is undoubtedly a part of it. Historic route, “in the country of Kings Sculptors and craftsmen " is a pretext for a delicious tourist trip on the highlands of west Cameroon. An appropriate opportunity to revisit history of these Kings, renowned for their fitness to transform  wood into  objects; symbols of their life’s philosophy, and which are presented nowadays as the most varied and the most original in Africa. It is also an occasion to discover these lands of contrasts, to touch the sociocultural realities of the peoples Grass fields.

We hear very often that this western part of the country is standardized, that its history is known of all, that all the experiences were already tried. But it is not true.  10 days / 09 nights to look for treasures left by these kings, to understand the useful of these objects, to understand «the shaken history " of the implementation of these kingdoms for several centuries; and also to smell the smells, to taste the flavors of this world as well  intoxicating as fascinating. Then, do not wait any more, escape from your home!

The program

Day 1: Arrival in Douala

Day 2: Douala - Dschang 

Day 3: Dschang - Bamenda

Day 4: Bamenda - Bali Nyonga - Bafut

Day 5: Bamenda - Babanki Tungo - Bamessing - Babungo

Day 6: Bamenda - Laikom - Oku

Day 7: Bamenda - Foumban

Day 8: Foumban - Bandjoun 

Day 9: Bandjoun - Bafoussam

Day 10: Bandjoun - Bafang - Douala

Day 1: Welcome at Douala international airport, transfer in the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Douala-Dschang (204 km)

Departure after breakfast in Dschang.  Dschang is an agricultural and history city.  During the colonial period, the city was considered as capital of Bamilékés country. Installation at hotel Teclaire. Lunch, free time, dinner and overnight.

 

Day 3: Dschang-Bamenda (107 km)
Breakfast and city tour: museum of Civilizations, municipal lake, University, handicraft center. Lunch and departure in Bamenda (the capital of the English-speaking northern region) via Mbouda; arrival and installation to Ayaba Hotel, where you will   have dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Bamenda - Bali- Nyonga - Bafut

Excursion after breakfast in Bali-Nyonga. Contrary to the other kingdoms of grassland, this one owes its existence in the courage and the intelligence of a woman.

Furthermore, this Kingdom is considered as having had conquering sovereigns whose most famous stood out with its imprint evolution of lard sculptural of the region at the end of the Sixth century. Sculptor and Pearl outstanding, it showed the way in the creativity, making more meaning objects d`art which accompany the people Bali in all the stages of his (her) life. Nowadays these objects are in the treasure of the chieftainship.

Continuation on Bafut. Bafut impresses by his landscape «to take the breath away of you ". The royal palace is impressive by its architecture in a very particular style; a real masterpiece, a mixture of the neo-Gothic, modern, and the traditional. At the entry of the royal palace, is the big crowned compartment "Atsum", immense building of bamboo in the conical roof, which constitutes the prototype of houses typically grassland. Return to hotel.

 Day 5: Bamenda - Babanki Tungo - Bamessing – Babungo

After the breakfast, the excursion to Babanki Tungo. It’s a village coiled within volcanic landscapes, with three impressive blocks of stone which overhang the village. This Kingdom has an exceptional plastic production, for an homogeneous style. Its objects in the anthropomorphes or zoomorphic motives are surmounted by a hairstyle and are to be visited in the chieftainship.
Continuation in the Kingdom of Bamessing. It is considered as being the most important center of pottery of the region and Cameroon. Its objects are especially famous for their plastic quality and because of  potters hability and the sharpness(delicacy) of the clay. Lunch and departure in Babungo.

It is situated on Ring Road, leading to the border with Nigeria, and where the Princes and the kings who succeed for already 3 centuries, have the peculiarity to be sculptors. Visit of the village of the sculptors surrounding the chieftainship, visit of the museum collections of which arise from several villages of Ngoketunjia. Return in hotel.

Day 6: Bamenda - Laikom – Oku

 Departure after the breakfast in the kingdom of Kom, one of the biggest of all the region of the Northwest, which, in 13th and 19th century, was situated in the center a  vast network of exchanges (cola nut, fabrics, slaves). This kingdom internationally recognized for the variety and the originality of its works, which are a naturalistic style, testifying the magnificence  monarchic art of Kom and which reminds  Egyptian art. Some of his(her,its) treasures of which " Afo-a- kom " (the things of kom), were plundered by the colonists and retroceded later to the legitimate owners, because not allowing the new buyer  to make good use.

Continuation in the kingdom of Oku. Situated at the foot of the Mount which bears the same name, this Kingdom is constituted by 34 villages, having each an upper leader(head), every under the orders d`un Fon. The big chieftainship and its treasures, landscapes with surprising beauty, the lifestyle of the populations, the crater lake are so many curiosities which make of this Kingdom the Mecca of tourism. Return has l`hôtel, lunch, free time, dinner and at overnight.

Day 7: Bamenda - Foumban (142 km)

Last city tour with the visit of Handicraft center, departure for Foumban via Bangourain, Koupa Matapit and it on a secondary road. Installation in the Domain of Petpenoun to have dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Foumban - Bandjoun (67 km)

Visit of the city of Foumban, capital of the department of Noun and people Bamoun, country of transition between Adamaoua and the country Bamiléké, between the plain of Mbam and the Tray Bamiléké. The visit of the royal palace allows the discovery of one of the most important collections of objects of western highland, with more than 10.000 objects. In the "street of craftsmen" various craftsmen assert their creative genius: casters, basket makers, weavers, embroiderers, sculptors … each let speak the imagination for the preparation of tools  and reflecting the symbol of art and the culture of the people pa-mom. Return, lunch, visit of the Domain and the departure for Bandjoun. Installation in the Climatic Center to have dinner and overnight. .

Day 9: Bandjoun – Bafoussam

Excursion after the breakfast in the chieftainship Bandjoun. Under the reign of the great warrior, King Kamga  1st  the kingdom succeeded in getting rid of oppressor Bamoun.  He is the promoter of the wood carvings which decorate the girders of doors of compartments and posts of the chieftainship. The chieftainship and more exactly the nemo compartment (symbol of unity of the people), impress by the architecture. Return in hotel, lunch, visit of the city of Bafoussam, his handicraft center; return, dinner and overnight.

Day 10: Bandjoun- Bafang - Douala (237 km)

Departure after breakfast in direction of Bafang via Baham, Batie. Visit of the royal palace, the falls of Mouankeu, impressive body of water which breaks out on rocks in sunken, so forming a cloud difficult to dissipate. Once there, the show is simply magic. The occasion to know and to learn more about the traditional methods of extraction of palm oil can be offered. Lunch and continuation on Douala, transfer at the airport and end of the circuit.