While Cameroon is not the largest country in Africa, in some ways it's as large as Africa itself. Known as "Africa in miniature" it features French and English speaking portions, Muslim and Christian dominated regions, the tallest mountain in West Africa and terrain that includes rain forest, desert plains, mountains and high plateau.
Understand
Cameroon is a diverse and multi ethnic country. Western tourism is rare; most of the country's tourists come from Europe (predominantly Belgium).
Climate
If you are going during the summer, plan on lots of rain every day.
It might be cold up in the mountains, especially at nights.
Holidays
January 1 New Year's Day
January 1 Independence Day
February 11 Youth Day
May 1 Labor Day
May 20 National Day
August 15 Assumption
October 1 Unification Day
December 25 Christmas Day
Climate
If you are going during the summer, plan on lots of rain every day.
It might be cold up in the mountains, especially at nights.
Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines)
Sometimes airport staff try to help with the luggage in
order to get extra euros/dollars from travellers.
There is also an official airport tax (10.000 CFA) for outgoing flights.
By boat
It is probably possible to travel by boat from the island of Bioko(Equatorial Guinea).
Traveling around
Tour Operators in Cameroon:
BERUDEP Is a local organization that offer volunteer opportunity for responsible travellers. They do have very experienced guides and can arrange for CAR RENTAL at a local price.
Heritage Tours Cameroon Heritage Tours offers experienced guides and activities that range from eco-tourism to safari-tourism to cultural tourism and to volunteer activities and homestays. Heritage Tours can arrange tours through Cameroon’s equatorial rainforests in search of the pygmies and gorillas, through the plantations and cultural manifestations of Cameroon diverse ethnic groups to the north to explore Cameroon pristine Safari parks. Heritage Tours offers free tourist information: Heritage Tours holds a database of local information with up to date prices, opening and closing times, seasonal activities etc.
Equatorial Tours -Cameroonian based enterprise
By plane
The quickest and safest way to the north is by air. However, Cameroon Airlines has not been operating on those routes since early 2008 and Elysian Airlines is expensive and flies only to Garoua and Maroua.
By train
Train service, Camrail , exists from the capital, Yaoundé, to the port city of Douala and the northern city of Ngaoundéré. While bus service is quicker and more reliable to Douala, the overnight train is the best mode of ground transport to the north. Check for current schedules and pricing.
By bus
Between the major cities you can get a ride on modern, comfortable buses, sometimes with Air Conditioning. Away from the larger centres you will most likely end up on the ever present Toyota bush taxis. These are slightly elongated Toyota minivans that can hold up to 20 people (or more if necessary) along with their luggage piled up on top. Safety can be a concern with dangerous roads, overworked/drunk/hungover drivers and poorly maintained vehicles the norm. However, other than extending your stay an extra day or 2 in bad weather your options are limited.
Note that buses rarely leave at a set time. Instead, they wait until they are full and then depart. For buses later in the day, sometimes they never fill up. When this happens, the operator will normally set you up with a bush taxi to take you to your destination. If you do not want to take the bush taxi and are persistent enough, the operator will normally refund your money. The point is that you should leave plenty of time to get to your destination, because sometimes the wait will take hours and you are never guaranteed a departure.
By car
Rental cars are available although very expensive. As paved roads are rare away from the major cities of the west and northwest areas of the country, a 4 x 4 is a necessity when travelling to the east or central areas of Cameroon. The roads in the north are paved between cities and even the dirt roads tend to be in decent condition due to the lack of rain.
Eat
There are plenty of good restaurants:
Bonapriso quarter: Sorento, Bistrot Latin, Peche Mignon, Oriental Garden (chinese), Alladin (lebanese), Paradise (nice English bar), Piccolla Venezia (italian), Ovalie (classy, expensive), Le Bouchon Lyonaise (French), Le BOJ (French), Le Cabanon
Bonanjo quarter: Chez Wou (chinese), La Cigalle
Akwa quarter: Le Senat (great jazz in the evening), White House (local), Mediterrannee (greek, good pizzas), La Fourchette (French), Le Foyer du Marin aka German Seamen's Club (german)
by the waterfront: Le Mangrove (fresh fish & prawns), Le Dernier Comptoire Colonial (last sclaves trading post)
If you are on a very low budget, try Chez Kali in Bonapriso (towards the Energy Club - fitness). Safe food at very low price.
Mont Febe, Hilton Hotel and hotel le depute in Yaounde, Atlantic Beach Hotel, Mirama hotel, Guest House hotel and Park hotel in Limbe, 3813 in Tiko, Miss Bright in Buea and Meridien hotel Douala.
Drink
Always check “best before” when buying a bottle - some drinks are way out of date.
Avoid drinking tap water, even in restaurants. Bottled water can be found most anywhere at reasonable prices. Expect to pay 400 cfa for 1.5l in the major cities, more in more remote areas.
Coca-Cola is available everywhere. For something different try one of the flavourful TOP sodas. They are much sweeter than most European or North American sodas but they are very tasty.
Cameroon is rich with choice when it comes to good beer due to its past as a German and later French colony. Bottled Guinness can be found everywhere although in the heat, try one of the excellent lighter beers such as Castel, Beaufort, Mützig, Isenbeck, Satzenbrau or 33. These are inexpensive and excellent in the heat. Castel Milk Stout is an excellent choice for those who like darker beer. Outside of the cities you will sometimes be hard pressed to find them chilled (due to a lack of electricity).
Sleep
Hotels in the major cities will range from 6000 cfa up to and in excess of 50 000 cfa. Clean and safe rooms can usually be found for under 11 000 cfa.
In more rural areas prices vary wildly depending on demand and local economy. It is not uncommon to find comfortable accommodations for 2000-3000 cfa per night.
Camping:
Unless you are with a guide on a trek it is not recommended that you camp due to security concerns.
Buy
Local handicraft in Marche de Fleurs (Douala - Bonapriso quarter)
Fresh fish and prawns in Youppe village close to Douala (early morning)
ATM's - Visa ATM withdrawals are possible in many banks - for example, SGBC - which can be found in most major cities. ATMs to the Mastercard/Maestro/Cirrus network are nonexistent. Cash advances are NOT available as of December 2007.
Talk
French and English are the official languages in Cameroon although there are over 276 recognized languages in Cameroon.
The Northwest and Southwest provinces are English speaking although in some areas pidgin English is more common. The rest of the country is predominantly francophone although almost all areas will also have local languages.
Stay healthy
Yellow Fever certificates are required for travel to Cameroon.
Malaria is common, especially in the central and southern parts of the country. The risk is much lower in the mountains of the Northwest Province and the arid areas on the Extreme North. Prophylactics are recommended because of the severity of some strains of malaria in the country.
Other tropical diseases are also common, including dysentery, bilharzia, hepatitis, and giardia occur. There are occasional outbreaks of cholera in Yaounde and Douala, but rarely affect travelers.
There are several good quality hospitals in the country. Most are located in Douala or Yaounde, but Kumbo has two very good private hospitals as well.
Safety
Violence is rare, but just be smart about wearing any jewelry or anything else that would make you stand apart from the rest. Take a taxi after dark if you're unsure of the area.
Costs
Unless you are in stores and restaurants, you must bargain for everything. Offer 20-50% of the first price requested.
Schools and Universities
Douala
American School of Douala
Lycee Joss
College Libermann
College Alfred Saker
Lycee Dominique Savio
University of Douala
Yaounde
The American School of Yaounde
College Vogt
Rain Forest International School
University of Yaounde
Sacred Heart College Dla
Buea
Baptist High School, Great Soppo
Bishop Rogan College
Saint Joseph's College (SJC) Sasse
University of Buea
Limbe
Saker Baptist College
Bamenda
Our Lady of Lordes,
PCHS Bamenda,
GBHS Bamenda,
GTHS Bamenda,
GTTC Bamenda
To make local and international calls you need to buy a pre-paid SIM
card. Check if your cell phone has a compatible GSM standard (Africa/Europe) - if not, in addition to a SIM card
you probably need to buy a new phone. "MTN" and "Orange" are two
major telephone companies in Cameroon.
You can find Internet access all over the place, but the speed might be slow.
National post service is considered to be unreliable.
Cameroon Tourism (Montréal) -Tourism office in North America.
It is disrespectful to shake hands with your left hand. Use only your right. If you have something in your right hand or your right hand is dirty or wet, it is polite to extend your wrist for the person to shake with his right hand. Should both of your right hands be occupied, it is polite to touch wrists.
Contact & location
Be the first one to add a review
The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
Some photos courtesy of:
, . The photos provided by Flickr, Panoramio are under the copyright of their owners.
This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at View full credits
RoundtheworldTamara, R. Quinn, Jani Patokallio, Tamara Palamakumbura, Tim Sandell, Colin Jensen, David, Nick Roux, Stephen Atkins, Ryan Holliday, Chris Hall, Michele Ann Jenkins, jan and Yann Forget, ChubbyWimbus, Tatatabot, Inas, Arthur Danilov, Superrod29, Sahmeditor, Episteme, Jake73, Pashley, Janki, Jonboy, InterLangBot, Bijee and CIAWorldFactbook2002
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at View full credits
Cameroon is in West Africa. It borders Nigeria to the west, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south.
While Cameroon is not the largest country in Africa, in some ways it's as large as Africa itself. Known as "Africa in miniature" it features French and English speaking portions, Muslim and Christian dominated regions, the tallest mountain in West Africa and terrain that includes rain forest, desert plains, mountains and high plateau.
Understand
Cameroon is a diverse and multi ethnic country. Western tourism is rare; most of the country's tourists come from Europe (predominantly Belgium).
Climate
If you are going during the summer, plan on lots of rain every day. It might be cold up in the mountains, especially at nights.
Holidays
January 1 New Year's Day January 1 Independence Day February 11 Youth Day May 1 Labor Day May 20 National Day August 15 Assumption October 1 Unification Day December 25 Christmas Day
Climate
If you are going during the summer, plan on lots of rain every day. It might be cold up in the mountains, especially at nights.
Cities
Yaounde
Douala
Bamenda
Bafoussam
Garoua
Maroua
Ngaoundere
Buea
Kribi
Ebolowa
Other destinations
Dja Faunal Reserve is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Beaches, waterfalls and golf course (9 holes) in Kribi.
Beaches, botanical garden and zoo in Limbe.
18-hole golf courses in Yaounde and Tiko.
King or Sultan Palaces in Foumban, Bafut, Bafoussam.
Mt. Cameroon, the highest mountain in West Africa
Ngoketunjia in the North West Province is a bastion of culture and tradition
Getting there
Apply for a visa and complete vaccinations early.
By plane
Cameroon can be reached via:
Paris (Air France)
Brussels (Brussels Airlines)
Zurich (Swiss)
Lagos (Virgin Nigeria and Bellview Airlines)
Nairobi (Kenya Airways)
Amsterdam (KLM Royal Dutch Airlines)
Casablanca (Royal Air Maroc)
Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines) Sometimes airport staff try to help with the luggage in order to get extra euros/dollars from travellers.
There is also an official airport tax (10.000 CFA) for outgoing flights.
By boat
It is probably possible to travel by boat from the island of Bioko(Equatorial Guinea).
Traveling around
Tour Operators in Cameroon:
BERUDEP Is a local organization that offer volunteer opportunity for responsible travellers. They do have very experienced guides and can arrange for CAR RENTAL at a local price.
Heritage Tours Cameroon Heritage Tours offers experienced guides and activities that range from eco-tourism to safari-tourism to cultural tourism and to volunteer activities and homestays. Heritage Tours can arrange tours through Cameroon’s equatorial rainforests in search of the pygmies and gorillas, through the plantations and cultural manifestations of Cameroon diverse ethnic groups to the north to explore Cameroon pristine Safari parks. Heritage Tours offers free tourist information: Heritage Tours holds a database of local information with up to date prices, opening and closing times, seasonal activities etc.
Equatorial Tours -Cameroonian based enterprise
By plane
The quickest and safest way to the north is by air. However, Cameroon Airlines has not been operating on those routes since early 2008 and Elysian Airlines is expensive and flies only to Garoua and Maroua.
By train
Train service, Camrail , exists from the capital, Yaoundé, to the port city of Douala and the northern city of Ngaoundéré. While bus service is quicker and more reliable to Douala, the overnight train is the best mode of ground transport to the north. Check for current schedules and pricing.
By bus
Between the major cities you can get a ride on modern, comfortable buses, sometimes with Air Conditioning. Away from the larger centres you will most likely end up on the ever present Toyota bush taxis. These are slightly elongated Toyota minivans that can hold up to 20 people (or more if necessary) along with their luggage piled up on top. Safety can be a concern with dangerous roads, overworked/drunk/hungover drivers and poorly maintained vehicles the norm. However, other than extending your stay an extra day or 2 in bad weather your options are limited.
Note that buses rarely leave at a set time. Instead, they wait until they are full and then depart. For buses later in the day, sometimes they never fill up. When this happens, the operator will normally set you up with a bush taxi to take you to your destination. If you do not want to take the bush taxi and are persistent enough, the operator will normally refund your money. The point is that you should leave plenty of time to get to your destination, because sometimes the wait will take hours and you are never guaranteed a departure.
By car
Rental cars are available although very expensive. As paved roads are rare away from the major cities of the west and northwest areas of the country, a 4 x 4 is a necessity when travelling to the east or central areas of Cameroon. The roads in the north are paved between cities and even the dirt roads tend to be in decent condition due to the lack of rain.
Eat
There are plenty of good restaurants:
Bonapriso quarter: Sorento, Bistrot Latin, Peche Mignon, Oriental Garden (chinese), Alladin (lebanese), Paradise (nice English bar), Piccolla Venezia (italian), Ovalie (classy, expensive), Le Bouchon Lyonaise (French), Le BOJ (French), Le Cabanon
Bonanjo quarter: Chez Wou (chinese), La Cigalle
Akwa quarter: Le Senat (great jazz in the evening), White House (local), Mediterrannee (greek, good pizzas), La Fourchette (French), Le Foyer du Marin aka German Seamen's Club (german)
by the waterfront: Le Mangrove (fresh fish & prawns), Le Dernier Comptoire Colonial (last sclaves trading post)
If you are on a very low budget, try Chez Kali in Bonapriso (towards the Energy Club - fitness). Safe food at very low price. Mont Febe, Hilton Hotel and hotel le depute in Yaounde, Atlantic Beach Hotel, Mirama hotel, Guest House hotel and Park hotel in Limbe, 3813 in Tiko, Miss Bright in Buea and Meridien hotel Douala.
Drink
Always check “best before” when buying a bottle - some drinks are way out of date.
Avoid drinking tap water, even in restaurants. Bottled water can be found most anywhere at reasonable prices. Expect to pay 400 cfa for 1.5l in the major cities, more in more remote areas.
Coca-Cola is available everywhere. For something different try one of the flavourful TOP sodas. They are much sweeter than most European or North American sodas but they are very tasty.
Cameroon is rich with choice when it comes to good beer due to its past as a German and later French colony. Bottled Guinness can be found everywhere although in the heat, try one of the excellent lighter beers such as Castel, Beaufort, Mützig, Isenbeck, Satzenbrau or 33. These are inexpensive and excellent in the heat. Castel Milk Stout is an excellent choice for those who like darker beer. Outside of the cities you will sometimes be hard pressed to find them chilled (due to a lack of electricity).
Sleep
Hotels in the major cities will range from 6000 cfa up to and in excess of 50 000 cfa. Clean and safe rooms can usually be found for under 11 000 cfa.
In more rural areas prices vary wildly depending on demand and local economy. It is not uncommon to find comfortable accommodations for 2000-3000 cfa per night.
Camping:
Unless you are with a guide on a trek it is not recommended that you camp due to security concerns.
Buy
Local handicraft in Marche de Fleurs (Douala - Bonapriso quarter)
Fresh fish and prawns in Youppe village close to Douala (early morning)
ATM's - Visa ATM withdrawals are possible in many banks - for example, SGBC - which can be found in most major cities. ATMs to the Mastercard/Maestro/Cirrus network are nonexistent. Cash advances are NOT available as of December 2007.
Talk
French and English are the official languages in Cameroon although there are over 276 recognized languages in Cameroon.
The Northwest and Southwest provinces are English speaking although in some areas pidgin English is more common. The rest of the country is predominantly francophone although almost all areas will also have local languages.
Stay healthy
Yellow Fever certificates are required for travel to Cameroon.
Malaria is common, especially in the central and southern parts of the country. The risk is much lower in the mountains of the Northwest Province and the arid areas on the Extreme North. Prophylactics are recommended because of the severity of some strains of malaria in the country.
Other tropical diseases are also common, including dysentery, bilharzia, hepatitis, and giardia occur. There are occasional outbreaks of cholera in Yaounde and Douala, but rarely affect travelers.
There are several good quality hospitals in the country. Most are located in Douala or Yaounde, but Kumbo has two very good private hospitals as well.
Safety
Violence is rare, but just be smart about wearing any jewelry or anything else that would make you stand apart from the rest. Take a taxi after dark if you're unsure of the area.
Costs
Unless you are in stores and restaurants, you must bargain for everything. Offer 20-50% of the first price requested.
Schools and Universities
Douala
American School of Douala
Lycee Joss
College Libermann
College Alfred Saker
Lycee Dominique Savio
University of Douala
Yaounde
The American School of Yaounde
College Vogt
Rain Forest International School
University of Yaounde
Sacred Heart College Dla
Buea
Baptist High School, Great Soppo
Bishop Rogan College
Saint Joseph's College (SJC) Sasse
University of Buea
Limbe
Saker Baptist College
Bamenda
Our Lady of Lordes, PCHS Bamenda, GBHS Bamenda, GTHS Bamenda, GTTC Bamenda
Mankon Sacret Heart College, PSS Mankon, LCC Mankon, CCC Mankon
Bafut PSS Bafut
Ngaoundere
University of Ngaoundere
Work
Volunteer opportunities
Contact
To make local and international calls you need to buy a pre-paid SIM card. Check if your cell phone has a compatible GSM standard (Africa/Europe) - if not, in addition to a SIM card you probably need to buy a new phone. "MTN" and "Orange" are two major telephone companies in Cameroon.
You can find Internet access all over the place, but the speed might be slow.
National post service is considered to be unreliable.
It is disrespectful to shake hands with your left hand. Use only your right. If you have something in your right hand or your right hand is dirty or wet, it is polite to extend your wrist for the person to shake with his right hand. Should both of your right hands be occupied, it is polite to touch wrists.
Contact & location
Be the first one to add a review
The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
Jesse Jewell, Hans Kylberg, Elin B, tlongacre, ChippySalsa
Some photos courtesy of:
, 
. The photos provided by Flickr, Panoramio are under the copyright of their owners.
This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at
View full credits
RoundtheworldTamara, R. Quinn, Jani Patokallio, Tamara Palamakumbura, Tim Sandell, Colin Jensen, David, Nick Roux, Stephen Atkins, Ryan Holliday, Chris Hall, Michele Ann Jenkins, jan and Yann Forget, ChubbyWimbus, Tatatabot, Inas, Arthur Danilov, Superrod29, Sahmeditor, Episteme, Jake73, Pashley, Janki, Jonboy, InterLangBot, Bijee and CIAWorldFactbook2002
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at
View full credits