Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
| Departure date | Duration | Prices Start from | Tour Expert | Max Group Size | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/02/20 | 12 Days | $6,852 ex. flights | Joan Riera | 8 | AVAILABLE | Reserve your place |
Explore this remarkable and diverse country. Spend time at the heart of one of Africa’s last feudal kingdoms, experiencing the centuries-old Nguon Festival. Head deep into the forest to meet Baka hunter-gathers, before spotting rescued primates and experiencing Cameroonian beach life at Kribi.
Begin in Douala, meeting your guide, Bamileke – a specialist in western Cameroonian culture – before journeying north through Cameroon’s highlands and into the Bamoun Kingdom. Here, witness the 500-year-old Nguon Festival. This royal event is of huge importance to the region and celebrates the cultures and traditions of the Bamoun people, lasting several days.
Spend two full days immersed in the festival, witnessing the festivities and learning about Bamoun culture. Admire the frenetic dances, the elaborate costumes and the age-old rituals that are all part of this mesmerising cultural celebration.
Afterwards, leave the temperate highlands behind for the lowland rainforests near the Dja Reserve. Here, meet the iconic Baka people, whose traditional hunter-gathering way of life survives. Camp beside a remote Baka community and spend time exploring the forest – their home, larder and medicine cabinet – in their company.
1 855 2037885
An anthropologist specialising in African cultures, Joan Riera splits his time between West Africa and Europe. His travels have taken him across the continent, from Benin and Cameroon to Angola and South Sudan. A Catalan who grew up in Africa, he has spent much of his life studying various African cultures.
He is fluent in several languages, having written several travel guides in Spanish whilst also studying anthropology and sociology in London for several years.
Visit the 500-year-old royal Nguon Festival, which only happens every two years.
Spend time with the iconic Baka people, deep within the Central African rainforest.
Explore Cameroon’s highlands, forests and coastline.
Spot rescued Central African chimpanzees on the islands of Pongo Songo.
Begin your journey into the Cameroonian highlands. Stop at the spectacular Ekom Falls, which featured in the 1984 film about Tarzan, “Lord Greystoke”.
Continue to Melong, known as the “coffee capital of Cameroon” and situated in an area that is covered with rich, volcanic soil. This hilly region is the territory of two powerful tribal groups – the Bamileke and the Bamoun. Their rich cultural heritage and chiefdom-based political systems still survive.
Stop at the town of Bandjoun, capital of the largest chiefdom in the Bamileke Kingdom. Here, discover great traditional architecture in the royal court, as well as unique beaded elephant masks.
Descend into this unique celebration, admiring some of the country’s finest masks and intense dances. With your local guide specialising in Bamoun culture, gain a unique insight into these elaborate rituals and celebrations.
The Nguon Festival is over 600 years old and celebrates the rich and vibrant Bamoun culture. It lasts for seven days, with each day heralding different dances, ceremonies and feasts. The celebrants fill the streets of Foumban, as the whole city is taken over by Nguon fever. Fantastic costumes and elaborate hats decorate the crowds, whilst musicians from nearby villages provide a soundtrack to the lively celebration.
The Baka are an ethnic group of hunter-gatherers who inhabit the rainforests of Central Africa. Renowned for their small stature, they are semi-nomadic, traditionally camping in the forest.
Whilst you are with them, gain an insight into how the forest provides for them. Join them on walks, foraging for food, barks, mushrooms and honey or see how a Baka hut is traditionally constructed from natural materials.
Experience the rich culture of the Baka, in the form of music, dancing and polyphonic singing. These performances often involve fire dances and can call upon the spirit of the forest, the “Ejengi”.
Continue west past German colonial towns, founded by missionaries, and take to the river by motorised pirogue, heading deep into this remote coastal region. On the Sanaga River, discover the Pongo Songo Primate Sanctuary, where rescued chimpanzees inhabit islands in the centre of the river.
Finish beside the beach in Kribi and have time to visit the nearby Batanga village of Lobe. Meet the chief, try some of the freshly fried fish and discover the beautiful Lobe Falls, which flow directly into the sea.
Travelling on your own? Our group tours are perfect for solo travellers, as travelling as part of an organised group in faraway places provides security and peace of mind. We handle all of the arrangements for you and there will be a local tour guide on hand throughout to provide advice and help if needed, as well as the expertise of a Tour expert.
To allow flexibility, our group tours do not include international flights as standard. We can arrange international flights on your behalf and the above is an indication of the cost, based on return flights departing from London. All international flights from the UK are ATOL protected.
We have been running insightful and groundbreaking group tours since our inception in 1989. We have worked with institutions such as the British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum and run wildlife tours in conjunction with conservation agencies such as Fauna & Flora International, Wildlife Conservation Society, the Orangutan Foundation, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Jane Goodall Institute.
Our average group size is typically eight to ten people, smaller than other group tours typically offered – a factor which many of our clients appreciate. Travelling as part of a smaller group provides a more intimate, personalised and relaxed atmosphere.
We have developed an enviable pool of expertise from which to choose our tour experts, who we carefully select based on their knowledge, companionship and personality. Often, these experts can use their influence to facilitate private access to sites not typically open to the public.
Steppes Travellers are like-minded people – interesting, interested and curious. Our group tours aim to create an easy and informal atmosphere – we have a lot of fun on our tours and many friendships have been formed.
Our tours are well-priced to ensure you get real value for money. We include gratuities on the majority of our tours and do not pass on currency surcharges. We strive to look after single travellers as well as we can, keeping single supplements to a minimum.
When you travel on one of our group tours, you will be looked after by our local agents and your tour expert with the back-up of our 24-hour emergency number and duty manager. All our holidays are fully bonded and protected – our ATOL number is ATOL 6495.
For further information about any of these tours please call 1 855 2037885
| Departure date | Duration | Prices Start from | Tour Expert | Max Group Size | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/02/20 | 12 Days | $6,852 ex. flights | Joan Riera | 8 | AVAILABLE | Reserve your place |
Our travel experts have a wealth of first-hand knowledge, so if you have any questions about this expert-led group tour, please get in touch. They would love to help. We hope you can join us on this tour.
01285 601 784Expert-Led Group Tours
With an average group size of just eight to ten people our group tour itineraries enable you to travel to some of the most intriguing regions of the world in the company of experts guides in the field and, of course, with likeminded people.
Our knowledge and expertise sets us apart. So too our curiosity. A curiosity of the world and of you, and your passions. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
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