The Volcanic Suite
62 m² · Forest terrace · Private plunge pool
Est. 1963 · 1,200 m · Buea, Cameroon
The Mountain Breathes Here
A private volcanic sanctuary of twenty-four suites on the green lower slopes of Mount Fako — reached by the Buea road, by helicopter from Douala, or on foot, if you insist.
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The House
Carved from volcanic stone, wrapped in cloud forest.
Set on the eastern shoulder of Mount Fako — the highest peak in West Africa at 4,040 metres — Fako has sheltered climbers, cocoa planters, writers and the quietly fortunate since the year of the great eruption. Its walls are basalt from the 1959 flow, its floors are iroko, and its fire has not been allowed to go out since the harmattan of 1968.
There are no televisions. There is a library of 2,400 volumes on West African history and botany, a cellar of 6,000 bottles, and a staff of sixty-eight drawn from the Bakweri villages of the mountain's lower slopes.
Discover the estate →0Suites & Chalets
0Restaurants
0Cellar Thousands
0Staff in Residence
Accommodation
Rooms facing the crater
Panorama Loft
78 m² · Double-height glass · Suspended bed
Chalet Fako
210 m² · Standalone · Outdoor spring-fed pool
“The last house on the mountain where silence is served at the correct temperature.â€
Africa's 50 Best · Hotels & Retreats
The Table
Three kitchens. One volcano.
Our flagship dining room holds a single seating per evening and a small, careful larder. Below it, a wood-fired grill feeds the fireside lounge until the small hours, and a nine-seat counter serves whatever the forest and the sea gave us that morning — ndolé, eru, grilled bar, the lot.
Explore dining →
Home / Suites
Suites & Chalets
Twenty-four rooms, no two alike. Every one faces the mountain; every one has a fireplace that works.
From 220,000 FCFA / night
Forest Room
Iroko panelling, a cast-iron stove, and a window seat deep enough to sleep in. The room our returning guests ask for by number.
Reserve →
From 380,000 FCFA / night
Panorama Loft
A mezzanine bed suspended over the forest, seven metres of unbroken glass, and a bathtub positioned for the sunrise over the caldera.
Reserve →
From 520,000 FCFA / night
Volcanic Suite
Corner suite with a private cedar sauna, an outdoor plunge bath fed by mountain spring water, and a butler who appears at the ring of a brass bell.
Reserve →
From 680,000 FCFA / night
Fako Summit Suite
The highest room in the house. A wraparound terrace, a telescope aimed at the caldera, and a dining table for six should the mood take you.
Reserve →
From 195,000 FCFA / night
Cocoa Room
Set low in the western wing, looking into the old cocoa trees planted by our great-grandfathers. The quietest room we have, and the warmest.
Reserve →
From 2,100,000 FCFA / night
Chalet Fako
A standalone chalet at the tree line with four bedrooms, a cellar, a private chef, and an outdoor thermal pool heated to 38° year-round.
Reserve →All rates in Central African CFA francs (FCFA) and include breakfast, the volcanic baths, and the mountain shuttle. Minimum stay of two nights applies between November and February.
Check AvailabilityHome / Dining
The Table
Three kitchens, one cellar, and a single principle: everything comes from within ninety kilometres of the mountain.
Africa's 50 Best
Sawa
Fourteen tables, one seating, seven or eleven courses. Chef Nadège Mbappé cooks what the mountain and the sea offer — bushmeat from the eastern slopes, river prawns from the Wouri estuary, plantains from the family farm at Ekona, cocoa from our own groves.
Dinner begins at 19:30 and ends when it ends. Jackets are appreciated, phones are not.
Open Wednesday – Sunday · 19:30
Wood & Ember
The Ember Room
Everything passes through fire. Whole aged beef, mountain goat, river bar wrapped in plantain leaf. Served on the terrace or in the great hall, from noon until two in the morning.
No reservation required for guests of the house. A glass of something cold is placed in your hand upon arrival.
Daily · 12:00 – 02:00
Tasting Menu
A sample of the rainy-season table
Seven courses 95,000 FCFA · Eleven courses 135,000 FCFA · Wine pairing from 65,000 FCFA
“Mbappé cooks like a woman who grew up on this mountain, and knows exactly what it costs.â€
Jeune Afrique · Restaurant Review
Executive Chef
Nadège Mbappé
Born in Douala, raised between the Wouri and the mountain, Mbappé left at seventeen, cooked in Paris, Cape Town and Accra, and returned eleven years later with a following and a stubbornness about sourcing.
She keeps a notebook of every forager, farmer and fisherman within a day's drive. The notebook has 187 names in it. Ninety-four of them appear on this season's menu.
Reserve a table →Home / Spa & Wellness
The Volcanic Baths
Mountain spring water, basalt, cocoa butter and altitude. Four floors of it, cut directly into the rock.
Beneath the House
Water that has been underground for forty years
Our thermal water rises at 41°C from a fault line 900 metres beneath the house. It has travelled through volcanic rock for four decades and arrives carrying eleven minerals and no smell whatsoever.
The baths are open to guests from six in the morning until midnight. Attendants circulate with cold towels, kola tea, and silence.
Treatments
Four hours is the recommended dose
90 minutes
Volcanic Immersion
Fifteen minutes in the 4°C spring plunge, followed by basalt sauna, then a full-body massage with cocoa butter and black pepper oil.
165,000 FCFA
120 minutes
Altitude Descent
For those arriving from sea level. Oxygen therapy, lymphatic drainage, and a slow herbal bath with mountain basil and wild mint.
210,000 FCFA
75 minutes
Basalt Stone Ritual
Heated volcanic stone from the 1959 flow, warm shea butter from our own groves, and thirty minutes of complete stillness afterwards.
145,000 FCFA
60 minutes
Mountain Facial
Formulated for equatorial sun. Yarrow, volcanic clay, and a cold quartz roller to finish.
120,000 FCFA
150 minutes
The Full Silence
Four-handed massage, sound bath, thermal circuit, and a private sleeping alcove for as long as you need it.
310,000 FCFA
45 minutes
Breath & Cold
Guided breathwork with our resident instructor, followed by a supervised cold immersion. Not for the faint-hearted.
85,000 FCFA
The Circuit
How the baths are taken
I
Heat
Twelve minutes in the 41°C thermal pool. No speaking. No timing devices.
II
Steam
Eight minutes in the eucalyptus steam room, cut into the volcanic rock itself.
III
Cold
Thirty seconds in the mountain spring plunge. The attendants will count for you.
IV
Rest
Twenty minutes in the woven-raffia relaxation room, wrapped in cotton, facing the window.
Home / Experiences
The Mountain, Arranged
Our guides have a combined 280 years on Fako's slopes. They will take you precisely as far as you should go.
The Year
When to come
| Season | Conditions | What we recommend |
|---|---|---|
| November – February | Dry, 27°C coast, clearest summit views | The Fako summit, the volcanic baths at night, and the Ember Room until midnight. |
| March – May | First rains, waterfalls at full force | Crater lakes, cocoa and coffee tours, and having the entire spa to yourself. |
| June – August | Cooler, misty, harvest season | Korup and the Dja, the observatory, and long dinners in the great hall. |
| September – October | Heavy rains, dramatic skies | The cellar table, the library, and watching the season turn from the window seat. |
“You do not conquer this mountain. You are permitted to visit it.â€
Emmanuel Ekema · Head Guide, 26 years in residence
Home / Gallery
The House, the Mountain
Photographed over four seasons by our own staff. Click any image to enlarge.
Home / Contact
Reservations
We accept a limited number of guests at any time. Tell us what you have in mind.
Enquiry
Request a stay
Thank you — your enquiry is with us.
A member of our reservations team will write to you within four hours. If your request is urgent, telephone the house directly on +237 6XX XX XX XX.
Details
The House
Address
FAKO
Upper Farms Road, Molyko
Buea, South West Region
Cameroon
Telephone
Arrival
Ninety minutes by car from Douala, or twenty-five minutes by helicopter from Douala International. The Buea mountain shuttle departs the Molyko junction twice daily and takes forty minutes. We will meet you at the gate.
Reception
Staffed twenty-four hours. Check-in from 15:00, check-out until 12:00. Late departures are usually possible — simply ask.