Bamenssing Tour

Bamessing-Nsei is a traditional potter's village. With the pottery center of prescraft the traditional potters are encouraged to carry on with their traditional trade. In order to widen the range of its products, new techniques were introduced such as the potter's wheel, glazing, and wooden kiln firing. Designers from Europe help the potters to develop new and exciting designs.

Since prescraft is committed to a sustainable environment, prespot is keeping up a fuel plantation and running a reforestation program with the farmers in the village area. (Funded by Mission21, Switzerland)

The center consists of the following workforce:

28 Trained potters (piece workers)

8 Workers in Tile and Brick production (contracted laborers)

5 Workers in clay production and reforestation (contracted laborers, including 1 blind worker)

10 Seasonal workers in clay production and reforestation

6 Laborers in administration and organization

30 Home producers (traditional pottery, basket weaving, raffia weaving)

Bamessing is a pottery center, where traditional crafts are made and sold throughout the North West region and the rest of Cameroon. You can spend the morning with a potter to make and keep your own creation and in the afternoon visit the workshop where the professionals work.

There is also a large shop where you can buy their wares, prices range from 500 – 150,000 CFA Note: At the pottery center there is also a small museum and rest house, should you wish to spend the night.

Accessibility & Transport: Bamessing is reached by taking a taxi from Belo via Babanki, or you may reach the town after a homestay in Lower Babanki (see the section on ‘Babanki Tungoh’, above)

Itinerary

Day 1: Douala

On arrival in Douala, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore this lively city. Overnight Aquarius Hotel or similar.

Day 2: Bafoussam

Drive through the rubber, banana, and coffee plantations on the road to Bafoussam. We visit a tropical flower plantation as well as the impressive Ekom Waterfalls. Later we stop at Baham to visit the palace of a traditional Bamileke chief. At the end of the day, we arrive in Bafoussam. Overnight Hotel Altitel or similar.

Day 3: Bamenda

After breakfast we leave for Bamenda, visiting the sacred Mectchie waterfalls en route, where local Bamileke people come to make sacrifices in the hopes that their wishes will be granted. On arrival in Bamenda, we visit the local markets and the chief’s palace at nearby Bafut, where we see traditional dances by the princes and princesses. Overnight Ayaba Hotel or similar.

Day 4: Menchum Falls

We continue on the ‘Ring Road’ to Wum, visiting Menchum Falls along the way. The scenery of this area is quite beautiful, with meadows, mountains, and lakes, punctuated with Fulani herders tending their livestock. At Wum we set off on foot to reach the village of Okpwa, our base for the next two nights. Overnight in tents or a village house.

Day 5: Departure

Tour ends with a transfer to the airport.