The premier travel companion for any traveller or holiday maker in book form; the website with the same name provides valuable information about anywhere and almost anything travel. The site is extremely easy to navigate and provides information from every country on where to stay, what to do, how to get there, and what its going to cost you. The site also provides areas for writing your own travel blogs, reviews and advice.

Probably one of the best travel sites on the net today and yet surprisingly relatively unknown. Airtreks is an online travel agency specializing in round the world trips and fares. The site lets you visually plan your route and provides you with a price estimate of your planned trip. They will also provide you with an alternate route adding in cities or replacing cities they think would be more financially viable for you. Trips can be planned all by air or alternatively, you can add in destinations that suit you for travelling overland. This site is great in the fact that you don't have to move from your computer to have a whole round the world trip planned, paid for and your tickets sent.

The only place you need for finding and booking all hostels and budget hotels around the world. With over 17,000 listed, you are sure to find a place that suits your needs. The site reviews and rates each hostel and hotel according to real travellers advice and provide a forum for all users. Most hostels will require a deposit using a credit card for the booking but you only pay in full once at your accommodation. They also offer the alternative of paying using PayPal which is great.

A great site for finding affordable flights, hotels, cruises and tours. They have fantastic package deals on offer also and provide destination reviews and guides which are okay, but nothing compared to Lonely Planet's advice. Essentially whatever you are looking for, Travelocity will find you the best price for most services on the days you are looking for. Quick and easy.

Very similar site to the above mentioned Travelocity. Provides all of the same services but is worth comparing with Travelocity's prices as sometimes one or the other can give you a better deal for the same service. Also gives handy travel alerts and advice.

These guys give travellers the opportunity to try something a little different offering off-the-beaten-track tours and adventures. From Himalayan treks and hikes to a trip to one of the Polar Regions, whatever crazy trip you are looking for, World Expeditions is sure to have it. The down side to this site is that they don't provide transport to the trip starting point or from the trip end point.

The best site for independent travel insurance and advice. World Nomads provides a range of insurance options for whatever type of trip you are planning. Their packages are very affordable and coverage is for pretty much every possible insurance claim situation. They offer, like most travel sites, a forum area for travellers wanting to share experiences and also provide an online travel equipment site.

It is a country that has been blessed with many tourist attractions, its ministry of tourism was created in the 1970's to encourage investment in this sector. Tourist attractions include amongst others; wildlife parks, highlands, lakes, Mankon Fondom (kingdom) and museums.

Despite government's efforts over the past decade to boost the sector, its growth has been hampered by poor infrastructure and mis-administration. However, this has not deterred foreigners from visiting the country's attractions.

Tourists Climbing Mount Cameroon

One of the main sites that attracts many foreigners and nationals alike is "Mount Cameroon" also known as "Mount Fako". It is situated in Buea, in the Fako division of the South West province of the country.

It measures 4100 kilometres, the highest point in Central Africa and the second highest point in Africa after Mount Kilamanjaro in Kenya. The mountain rises from the coast through tropical rainforest to a bare summit which is cold, windy and occasionally brushed with snow.

The Mount Cameroon forests are under threat from uncontrolled forest exploitation and encroachment for agricultural production. A population of approximately 350,000 people live within its immediate vicinity, around half of this population live in the urban settlements of Limbe and Buea.

The Bakweri, Bomboko and Balundu people traditionally live on and around the mountain, together with the coastal Bimbia clans; the livelihoods of these people are directly or indirectly supplemented through the harvesting of the forests resources such as timber and non-timber products such as removing bark for medicines, gathering wild vegetables, collecting rattans for making furniture and hunting.

The mountain has erupted six times in the previous century, the latest recorded eruption was in March/ April 1999. During the eruption, the lava flow destroyed farmlands in localities found on the slope of the mountain such as Bakingili, Batoke and Upper farms.

In local folklore the God of the mountain is known as Efasah Moto, it's believed to be composed of two halves, i.e. man and stone; it is also believed that it takes care of people by providing them with water, shelter and food during their journey up and down the mountain. Visitors are allowed to harvest what they can consume while on the mountain but are not allowed to take away anything provided by Efasah Moto. Belief in the God provides an interesting cultural link to ecotourism and sustainable use of resources.

Apart from individuals or groups who go for excursions on the mountain, there is an annual international race that is organised by the Government known as the "Mount Cameroon Race of Hope". The initiative was started in 1995 by the company that brews Guinness.

The race usually brings together hundreds of athletes with scores of them coming from abroad. The starting point of the race is the Molyko Omnisport stadium and participants pass through upper farms, huts 1,2 & 3 before reaching the summit and returning back to the starting point. Participants are divided into male and female categories, they are then further sub-divided into professionals, youths, and amateurs.

The first winner of the male category usually takes just over four hours to complete the race while that for the female category usually takes around 4 hours and 30 minutes. Prize money is in the region of two thousand pounds.