Zwinkels Tours Trekkers Camp Bello

 

Overwhelming nature and stunning biodiversity are but a few of the factors that make Cameroon an attractive holiday destination. By virtue of being somewhat of the beaten track, Cameroon offers an authentic African experience unmatched by more popular African destinations. Cameroon's North-West Region is among the most authentic and spectacular regions anywhere in Africa. Its landscape varies between rolling hills and rugged mountains, whilst traditional tribal and feudal societies remain in existence to the present day. Not to be missed is the famous Ring Road, an old German military road that cuts through some of the most spectacular natural scenery of Cameroon.

Zwinkels Trekkers Camp Pavilion

A few years ago, Zwinkels Tours commenced construction of the Zwinkels Trekkers Camp, aiming to provide lodging to tourists longing to get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life in the city. The camp is located at a mere 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Bamenda in the tiny village of Aboh, near Lake Oku in the Belo subdivision.

Zwinkels Trekkers Camp lavatory facilities

The camp has been built to facilitate easy access to Lake Oku with its beautiful untouched nature and wildlife. Another option open to our customers would be trekking in the Mbingo Hills and get acquainted with the daily life of the inhabitants of its villages. It is also possible go horseback riding accompanied by local Fulani riders.

Two boukarous of the Zwinkels Trekkers Camp Expenses

BUNGALOW: FCFA 40.000.—per night (EUR 60.97)

Price includes:

BOUKAROU: FCFA 30.000.—per night (EUR 45,73)

Price includes:

TENT: FCFA 20.000 per person per night (EUR 30.48)

Price includes:

Prices includes 3 hours of electricity (7:30 till 9:30 PM):

Food expenses (per person):

Price does not include:

Excursions:

Guided trekking:

FCFA 2.500 per person FCFA 5.000 daily fee for the guide

Horseback riding with the Fulani:

FCFA 17.500 per day FCFA 5.000 guide fee FCFA 3.000 groom fee

A EXAMPLE OF A THREE DAYS TREKKING PROGRAMME IN THE BELO MOUNTAINS AROUND THE “ZWINKELS TOURS TREKKERS CAMP” IN THE ABOH VILLAGE.

DAY: 1

Early breakfast at the Zwinkels Trekkers Camp in the Aboh village. Departure for lake Oku through the Ijim/Kilum Mountain forest reserve, which harbours a great variety of tree species and birds, especially the famous, colourful Bannerman’s Touraco, whose sound has been imitated by the villagers in one of the instruments used in their traditional music, called the “Njang”. The red feather from this bird is used to differentiate titled men, by sticking it on the typical caps of the Tikar chiefdoms in the North West Province.

Guide and Camp Head Zwinkels Trekkers Camp

Lake Oku

The trek continues on a hilly landscape with a radiant panorama of the spectacular green hills and valleys, farm lands with food crops like maize, beans, potatoes, pumpkin etc. portraying the occupation of the people, which is farming. Out of the Kom village into the forest around Lake Oku one can see Indian bamboos, giant tropical trees with bee hives hanging in the branches, and indication of bee farming. The dark green lake can be seen from this point surrounded by thick ever green forest as well as part of the 3011m high Mt Oku. At the shore, one is welcomed by little ducks, believed to be the gods of the lake, fleeing to the middle of the lake. This lake is on the boundary between Kom and Oku village and is greatly exploited by the Oku villagers. Like other Africans, ancestral worship is held in high esteem in their tradition, the Oku Fon and the villagers use this lake annually for sacrificial rituals as they believe their ancestors reside in the lake. Water from this lake is believed to be medicinal as well as the herbs growing near the shore. They are usually picked by traditional doctors. The shore is a good spot for a picnic lunch. Return to Zwinkels Trekker’s camp site. Dinner and overnight in tents.

Return to Zwinkels Trekker’s camp site. Dinner and overnight in tents.

DAY: 2

Breakfast at Zwinkels Trekkers Camp. You can choose from today’s option:

Return to Zwinkels Trekkers Camp after the day’s activities. After dinner a local dance will be organised around a camp fire. Dinner and overnight in tents.

DAY: 3

Early breakfast at Zwinkels Trekkers Camp.

The quiet surroundings at Zwinkels Trekkers Camp

Departure for Mbingo by car to the starting point of the trek, which will lead us through the highly captivating mountainous scenery with numerous waterfalls and caves hidden in the hills. At the starting point is a spectacular view of the Mbingo Baptist hospital built by missionaries in 1957. The fairly steep climb begins and progresses along with a view of the radiant hills with wonderful shapes, flowers like the red flag bush, the sound of birds chipping, little streams, cattle and Fulani “Borroro” settlements with their very friendly people.

Picnic lunch at one of the Fulani settlements. Visit to the 25m high water fall along the way as the path descends into the Kom village settlement full of compounds with hectares of Robusta coffee which is the main cash crop of the village. Most compounds have more than one house, signifying the number of wives in each compound. You now come to the main road. Here your transport is waiting for the drive back to Zwinkels Trekkers Camp. Dinner and overnight in tents.

Return to Bamenda next morning.

This trek can be extended with more days, for instance: Day 4

Breakfast at the Zwinkels Trekkers Camp. Departure for trek in the hills north east of the camp. The trek progresses through the Kom (Aboh) village settlement with friendly people and through farm lands with food crops like corn, beans, potatoes, cocoyams and plantain trees. Out of the village settlements we go into the hills passing through grazing land (sheep and goats). Beneath the green hills a fairly steep climb begins up to the slope of the hills with an over view of Zwinkels Trekkers’ Camp and the Mbingo hills.

On the hilltop a small part of the Ndawara Tea Estate can be seen in the distance, and a waterfall from lake Oku. Walk on the hill to a spot considered by most villagers as the “witches land”. The hill itself is covered with very low grass but just on this particular spot the grass has grown high and thick. Because the people do not understand why at the same place some grass is short and some has grown high, this spot has been considered a place visited by witches. The villagers, apart from traditional doctors, dread this place, and consider anyone that goes there as having mystical powers. A nice picnic lunch could be taken on this particular spot while you rest and breathe the fresh air from the hills and also feast your eyes with the beautiful landscape around it. The trek continues with the descend back to the Zwinkels Trekkers’ Camp. Dinner and overnight in the Camp.

Day 5

Early breakfast at Zwinkels Trekkers Camp and departure by car to St Bede’s college in Ashing village where the trek begins. As you climb along, view the dynamic scenery that gets more and more beautiful as one climbs higher. Gradually, we walk out of Ashing village and arrive now in the Fuli village settlement where you find at the bottom of the hill different pits from which stones are being dug. These stones are nicely parked beside the road and sold to be used for construction of houses. Further along on the slope of the hill you come across a small hut. The hut was built by a German missionary and in front are small benches where he teaches the Bible to the villagers every Sunday afternoon. Around this hut farming is carried out and food crop cultivation is done like in all other Kom villages. This Fuli hill is a historical place for the Catholic Christians in the village. On the hill top a wooden cross has been planted, and represents the place where Jesus Christ was crucified. It is built with stones from the stone pits and on two sides two iron poles are signifying where the two criminals were crucified alongside Christ on Mt Calvary. Commonly it is called Mt Calvary. Once a year in the month of April during lent season in the Catholic Church, Christians climb this hill in remembrance of the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. From this point one can have a wide view of Njinikom village which is the home of a Famous Cameroonian politician called Ngam Jua. View the St Bede’s college and Belo town. Return to where the trek started and return by car to Zwinkels Trekkers’ Camp. Dinner and overnight in the Camp.

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Photos