Day Trips from Douala. Cameroon

By Lisel Doreste

Cameroon is an inexpensive and accessible country with friendly people and much to explore.

Douala, a city near the country’s coast, is a great gateway to secluded spots less than a day’s drive away. Car services are inexpensive, and most come with drivers. Toyota Land Cruisers, seating six people, cost about $100 a day.

The drive toward Mt. Cameroon, an active volcano, is green and lush. In approximately an hour you reach the small seaside town of Limbe. Here you can hire a boat to the outlying islands, dive, fish, or hire a guide to take you up the volcano. The Atlantic Beach Hotel cooks up some great local seafood at a fair price and offers many different types of rooms to choose from ranging between $20-$40 a night.

Heading south through the jungle, about an hour and a half from Limbe, you come to another beach village called Kribi, with little hideaway huts for rent along the water. The Auberge Tara Plage charges about $10 a night for a hut that sleeps two to three. The staff will cook a feast of seafood dishes if you decide to stay.

They can also arrange for a boat ride down the river and deeper into the jungle. Depending on the number of people in your group, this should cost just a few dollars each. It’s worth it to experience the sounds and colors of the jungle as you float silently down the wide, murky river. Breathtaking waterfalls are nearby and can be worked into your tour.

Contacts: Auvergne Auto, 011-237-42-94-55; Atlantic Beach Hotel, 011-237-33-32-23 or 011-237-33-26-89; Auberge Tara Plage, 011-237-46-20-83.

LISEL DORESTE is a flight attendant for a charter airline outu of New York and a freelance writer and photographer.