Cameroon Travel NotesPlanning a first trip to Cameroon
Cameroon is often called "Africa in miniature": rainforest, savannah, volcanic mountains and Atlantic beaches inside a single country. These notes gather the practical points a first-time visitor usually needs before booking.
When to go
The south of the country has a long rainy season, with the heaviest rain roughly between June and October, while the north is hotter and much drier. For most itineraries the period from November to February is the most comfortable: roads are easier, wildlife gathers around water points in the northern parks and the beaches around Kribi are at their best.
Mount Cameroon, the highest peak in West and Central Africa, is usually climbed in the dry season too. The ascent from Buea takes two to three days and requires a registered guide.
Entry formalities and health
Most visitors need a visa, applied for in advance from a Cameroonian embassy or through the official online service, and a passport valid for at least six months. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required on arrival, and malaria prevention is strongly advised everywhere in the country.
Rules change, and the security situation differs a lot from one region to another: always read your own government's current travel advice before planning a route, especially for the Far North and the North-West and South-West regions.
Money
The currency is the Central African CFA franc (XAF), pegged to the euro. Cash is still king outside the big cities, cash machines are found mainly in Douala and Yaoundé, and card payments are accepted in a limited number of hotels.
Languages
French and English are both official languages, with French dominant in most regions and English in the North-West and South-West. Hundreds of local languages are spoken alongside them, and Cameroonian Pidgin English is widely understood.
Getting around
Domestic flights link Douala and Yaoundé with Garoua and Maroua in the north. On the ground, intercity coaches connect the main towns, and the Camrail train runs between Douala, Yaoundé and Ngaoundéré. Distances look short on a map but road travel is slow, so plan generous transit days and avoid driving at night.
Regions travellers visit most
Douala and Yaoundé
The economic capital on the coast and the political capital in the hills: the usual entry points, with markets, museums and lively neighbourhoods.
Kribi and the south coast
Sandy beaches, fresh seafood and the Lobé Falls, where a river drops straight into the Atlantic Ocean.
Mount Cameroon and Limbe
Volcanic black-sand beaches, a botanic garden and a wildlife centre caring for rescued primates, below the slopes of the mountain.
The western highlands
Cooler green hills, traditional chiefdoms and crafts around towns such as Bafoussam and Foumban.
More travel reading
Other travel websites that readers combining trips around Europe and Africa may find useful.
- Le Petit Plongeur, a French guide to scuba diving trips and to the ferry crossings that take divers to Corsica.
- Korsika, a German guide to the ferry routes to Corsica, with tips on crossings, ports and planning a trip to the island.