March 28th, 2016 by Rachel | Tags: Peace Corps, Travel | No Comments »
Over one week ago, I traveled to the southern part of the Southwest region to see another part of Cameroon. Alex and I explored Limbe, one of the two well-known beaches in Cameroon, and also Buea, the capital of the Southwest region.
Some Peace Corps Volunteers say they prefer Kribi, Cameroon’s other well-known beach, because it is prettier. While I can understand their perspective as there oil drills presented very visibly on the ocean which disturbs the beautiful view of the beach, I believe no one can compare Limbe and Kribi because both beaches are simply different. Limbe is still so beautiful with many mountains surrounding the ocean. One can get wonderful and tasty grilled fish by the water. Alex and I visited a restaurant called Down Under, a to-go place for grilled fish that is located right on the beach, and shared a giant grilled fish, which tasted very good. Visiting the beach is not the only highlight of Limbe. The town also has a Wildlife Center where one can see various animals from different parts of Cameroon including gorillas, chimpanzees, and monkeys. All of the animals were rescued from danger and specialists are taking a good care of them. At the Wildlife Center, they have a restaurant called Arne’s that sells western food such as hamburgers, grilled cheese, and pizzas. Then there is also a Botanical Gardens which looks like a beautiful and well-maintained park.
I was in awe by how clean and more modern Limbe is compared to other cities and towns of Cameroon. The roads looked shiny and new. The landscape were clearly well maintained. It was clear that a lot of effort and thoughts have been put into the landscape because the bushes and grasses were well trimmed. In other parts of Cameroon, maintaining the landscapes is a clearly forgotten thought. The buildings appeared to be better built and maintained too.
After visiting Limbe, Alex and I went to Buea, which is located about 30 minutes from Limbe. As we drove to Buea, I could see that growing coffee is a big part of the southern part of Southwest region. One we arrived in Buea, I was once again amazed by the quality of the landscape. The roads were well paved. The buildings appeared to be a little more modern than what I have seen in other parts of Cameroon. Alex and I saw some German buildings that were built by the Germans when they colonized all of the country from 1884 to 1916. Buea was the capital of the country the Germans colonized it.
While in Buea, we also visited a restaurant, Lya Buea, that was recently built by a friend of Alex who is a Cameroonian but born and raised in London. Alex met the friend while studying French in France right before joining the Peace Corps. We enjoyed incredible food for both lunch and dinner at the restaurant. We tasted traditional Cameroonian beef and pork skewers, chicken with peanut sauce, banana split with ice cream, and salad. The restaurant is located right by University of Buea.
Sunset at Limbe Beach
Gorillas at Wildlife Center in Limbe
Chimpanzees at Wildlife Center in Limbe
Botanical Garden at Limbe
Botanical Garden at Limbe
Grilled fish
Limbe Beach
Road to Buea from Limbe
Road to Buea from Limbe
Beef Skewers from Lya Buea, a restaurant founded by a Cameroonian born and raised in London
An old German building built by Germans when they were colonizing Cameroon
Buea and Limbe are about six to eight hours drive by bus from Yaounde. The length of the ride is largely dependent on the traffic in Douala, the largest city in Cameroon. When Alex and I went to Limbe, we sat in the traffic in Douala for three hours. There is absolutely no way to be able to go around Douala. The bus tickets cost about 6000 CFA to 10000 depending on which bus we take.
