Limbe is one of Cameroon’s Atlantic coast cities. It’s famous for its black sand beaches due to the volcanic soil from West Africa’s tallest volcanic mountain-mount Cameroon.
Besides the large shoreline which served as port for some of the earliest colonizers to enter the country, Limbe is a herbarium and houses diverse plant species.
For animal lovers, the best place to go is the Limbe Wildlife Centre. They rescue and rehabilitate primates, such as lowland gorillas.
Historically, Limbe was called “Victoria” under the British administration. Strangely, it wasn’t considered a part of the previous German colony, Kamerun.
In an agreement, on May 7, 1886 Great Britain and Germany agreed to exchange Victoria and its vicinity for German rights at the Forcados River in Nigeria and St. Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
However, on March 28, 1887 Victoria and its vicinity became a part of the German administration.
According to church history, it was also at this time that the Swiss Presbyterian missionaries bought the land from the Baptist Missionary Society in 1887.
By 1915, Victoria became a British territory again.
After independence in 1982, the first President – Ahmadou Ahidjo renamed the city as “Limbe”.
Sadly, records have this city as the home for the devastating transatlantic slave trade. The neighbourhood called Bimbia still contains ancient proof of slavery. It has been restored for tourists, as a way to aid understanding about the hostile past.
My father’s village, now a big neighbourhood – Botaland is located in this city. I have been there countless times. However, will list just a few things to do below.
Eat BBQ fish at the Limbe main public beach
Unlike many countries where people go to the beach to swim, Cameroonians go to eat. Presumably, many Cameroonians cannot swim. Except for those who live at the edge of the ocean like in my village, I know many people go to the beachside just to relax on the cemented benches, and discuss with friends and family. You can even watch footballers playing beside the beach.
Though people go to eat, they typically only eat BBQ fish, commonly referred to as“roasted fish”. It has a way of quenching our raging taste buds. This fish is sold as a whole with all the bones, and served with spicy chilly sauce. That means, we enjoy chewing the bones and sucking the juice of the head part.
As compliments, some people eat the fish with BBQ or fried plantain -a fruit that looks like bananas. Others prefer bobolo or meondo, – local ground fermented cassava.
The taste for is smoky, succulent and delicious. As extras, some people will sprinkle chopped onions, carrots or mayonnaise.
Known in French as Poisson Braisé, this common delicacy is widely loved in Cameroon. It’s guaranteed to eat freshly harvested fish from the ocean. But you can buy refrigerated BBQ fish at every street corner around the country.
If you like other seafood, crabs and shrimps are all BBQed too, though I like to buy it fresh and boil it at home.
Please go to Precious (a Cameroonian food blogger) if you want to see the recipe of how to BBQ fish, using Cameroonian ingredients.
Relax with fresh air at the Limbe Botanic Garden
Limbe Botanic Garden or Limbe Botanical Gardens (LBG) is one of Cameroon’s finest green places.
Historically, it was created in 1892, during the German colonial dispensation. Though it was done with an agronomic intent, it has now become one of the main recreational and tourist attractions of the southwest region.
In 1892, Paul Rudolph Preuss, and his German team, started growing this garden. Records say it was a trial garden. The main motive was to make it a centre for experimentation and acclimatisation of useful tropical species. They include; rubber, coffee, cocoa, oil palm, banana, teak, and sugar cane, destined for Kamerun and other German colonies.
According to Wikipedia, in its heyday, it was considered one of the most important tropical botanical gardens in the world.
To show its importance, in 1920 the British administration took over the garden. This was done in unison with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which provided advice and training.
What is the history of this garden?
From 1932 and until 1958, the Cameroon government sent staff to administer the garden. Since 1961, the government still manages the place, though I think they can do.
In 1988 a partnership concluded with the United Kingdom allowed its renovation and development. Currently, the botanical garden is a conservation, education, science, tourism and leisure hotspot.
Today the garden, covers 250 hectares (620 acres), has no more than 48 hectares (120 acres) stretching a few kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean.
Historians say this is the second oldest in Africa. They add, it is home to unique spices and fruits; cinnamon, nutmeg, mango, ancient cycads and an unnamed tree that locals describe as ‘African Viagra’.
With a small entrance fee, both Cameroonians and tourists can explore the gigantic tree species/plants. It is free to take pictures and enjoy a quiet walk in nature. Though, there can be a lot of mosquitoes in the evening hours especially during the rainy season, I recommend wearing long clothes or spraying anti-mosquitoe sprays.
In 2014, I remember dancing and singing with ecstasy at the theatre area because one of the world’s best Gospel musician – Don Moen was having a concert there. I had been listening to his music since the early 2000s. It was a joyful day to worship God live with him and his amazing, skilled band.
Related articles: Things to do in other countries
Shop at the beach market
Beach Markets around the world are generally the one-stop shop for fresh seafood, directly from the ocean, lake, river etc
Limbe is no exception, with fish markets littered on every corner of the extensive ocean. Here, you can discuss directly with the fishermen on their wooden canoes and buy as much as your budget can handle. The prices are very cheap because these men don’t want to take the fish to their homes.
Some people buy it, go to the vendors who BBQ and watch them grill it in minutes. This could cost only $2-3 for a big fish.
If you come after midday, when typically the fishermen are done selling, you can buy from retailers on an open area. As expected, the prices will be higher.
One thing is guaranteed, you will see varieties of sea fish, crabs, shrimps, sea snails, and smoked fish. Cameroonians do not eat other seafood like octopus, squid and a host of famous delicacies in Asia. Many people, if not everyone, doesn’t eat raw fish/ seafood.
On a different part of this area, there are small souvenirs shops packed with Cameroonian clothes, jewellery, wooden arts items and a host of memorable gifts.
Take a walk around the historic city
The disctioanry defines to take a walk as to wander round a town or city, especially when looking for work or having nowhere to stay.
Many times, I wander just to exercise my legs. A way to explore the ancient colonial city is to walk. There are tarred streets around the main road where you can stroll to admire the city. On one of my many trips, I saw very old churches. Despite the fact that a lot of modern renovations have been done in recent years, several of them date back to the colonial era.
As earlier mentioned, Limbe remains one of Cameroon’s colonial cities that is why there are still a few colonial monuments. One of the most celebrated British Missionaries, Alfred Saker has a large monument with a sculpted face. He was the head of the Baptist Missionary Society and was reputed for establishing churches in Southern Cameroons. WIthin his reign in 1844-1876, he succeeded to collaborate with the then natives of the Sawa ethnic group to translate the Bible into the Duala language.
In honor of him, the Baptist church built a large secondary and high school in Limbe but named it after him. Several years till date, every one in the southwest region knows the famous Saker Baptist College.
Urban development has led to a lot of changes in the city, but it is not uncommon to still see a few colonial buildings. It is a wonder to me how those structures were built to resist the severe weather changes over these many decades.
Some are government offices. Regardless of the negative effects of colonization, I think we benefited from unique buildings. The architecture and designs are ancient, but the materials used were high quality.
Go horse riding
Horse riders can develop better reflexes and a sense of balance. They build on their coordination as they use their entire body to guide and propel the horse forward.
Reports say riding also offers cardio benefits. For example, liftiing the saddles onto the back of a horse, mucking stalls, moving hay bales, etc., builds muscles and physical strength. These are some of the benefits for a horse owner
Horse riding is a common beach exercise in Limbe. For less than a dollar, anyone can borrow a horse and enjoy a few minutes of fresh air as the horse runs down the black sandy beach. They are trained to see people daily so its unlikely they can resist strangers.
Typically, the rider walks or runs alongside while controling it.
For many its a worthy experience as their friends, parners or family members take pictures of them either scared or laughing.
