Cameroon Ngondo Festival of the Sawa Douala
The Ngondo festival is gathering the Sawa people each year on the Wouri river banks in Douala. This festival of all the Sawa people was restored in 1991.For the majority of the Sawa, an ethnic group composed of various coastal people of Cameroon
The Ngondo Festival takes place in the first two weeks of December in Douala and show cases the culture of the Sawa, the country's coastal dwellers. Song, dance and canoe races illuminate the banks of the River Wouri, where a yearly message is passed from the ancestors to the present day inhabitants.
Day 1: Arrival at the Douala International airport reception by the Global Bush Team and transfer to the hotel. Brief description of the Ngondo festival and Cameroon, by the tour guide.
Day 2: 01 December 2011 to Date: 04 December 2011 after breakfast, at the hotel and drive straight to Ngondo venue at river Wouri bay. These days are full of grand annual ritual and feast celebration mythological warriors, legends, traditions and the pride of the coastal people! Passions and emotions run high. During this event the news of Symbol’s safe return in combination with these monumental festivities forces Symbol’s father (a wealthy and important man) into a fierce and emotional dance. Using his mind, body and spirit Symbol’s father is transported to a place beyond himself. He collapses & breaths his last earthly breath. Close of the day drive to the hotel Overnight and dinner in the hotel.
Day 6: 05 December 2011 to 11 December 2011 breakfast, at the hotel and drive straight to Ngondo venue located at the river Wouri Bay. The most highlighted feature of the festival is the ceremony of jengu cult is a water spirit and deity in the traditional beliefs of the Sawa. It is believed that it cures disease and act as intermediaries between worshippers and the world of spirits. And also the collection of the ancestor's message by a diver, from the bottom of the river, contained in a calabash. This is considered as one of the most important festivals for Sawa chiefs to petition these spirits for prophecies and warnings and to communicate those messages to a gathered assembly. The event that lasts a few weeks hosts many cultural activities accompanying the discernment process of the festival. You may be getting the opportunity of joining various cultural activities of a semi-marathon traditional wrestling competitions, trade fair, cinematographic projections, art exhibitions, choral singing, round table conferences, a trade fair, a canoe race, and a Miss Ngondo pageant in this event. Sawan people have special place for Jengu in their heart as they believe it to be the water spirit. Close of the day drive to the hotel Overnight and dinner in the hotel.
The takers of flights to Douala take keen interest in all the performances held here. They also like the traditional ballet dance competition as well as a fashion parade with Sawa traditional regalia. But the most interesting thing about this event that makes it different from all other events is to watch performers as a messenger sent by the Sawa Chiefs to the Sawa gods, said to be living in River Wouri, dives and disappears into the big river. He stays under water for over an hour and emerges with his body and the traditional attire and baskets as dry as if they had not gotten in touch with water
Day 12: Drive to the airport and transfer.
Note: Trip itinerary and other arrangements can be changed as desired.
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Cameroon has one of the most diverse ranges of plant and animal species of any country in the world. However many people are not aware of how special the flora and fauna of this country is nor are many people aware of how rapidly much of it is being lost for ever.
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