"Cameroon - Afrique en miniature" Top 5 Page for this destination Cameroon by Bernd_L

Cameroon Travel Guide: 436 reviews and 749 photos

Cameroon the country in Central Africa at the bend of the continent surprises with a great variety of landscape. It almost has a bit of everything Africa is known for. In the South you'll find tropical rainforest and nice beaches in the coastal region. In the extreme northern part there are deserts where the country meets lake Tschad. And in between you'll find farmland and mountains - including Mt. Cameroon, with 4.095 meters the highest mountain in Western Africa.

With a surface of 475.439 square-kilometers Cameroon is almost as big as Germany, Austria and Switzerland together. But it has only some 16 million inhabitants which belong to a lot of different ethnic groups. The major languages are French and English. But in addition a multitude of more than 200 ethnic languages are spoken by the native population.

Sanaga river at sunset

Situated near the equator Cameroon has a tropical climate. It is warm all year long without any winter. But there are dry and rainy seasons. In the south of the country the rainy seasons are from April to June and from September to November. Rainy season doesn't mean it's raining all day long. Normally you get sunshine as well but if it rains it's pouring like hell and the dirt roads turn into mud. So the best time to visit the country is from December to April when it's dry and not so hot in the northern part of the country.

Cameroon's known history began with the discovery of the coastal region by the Portuguese in the 17th century. Portuguese, English and Dutch traders established business with the local tribes. In 1884 the country became a German colony. The Germans developed the infrastructure and built new towns. But during World War I Germany lost the colony. The territory was divided into two parts. The bigger one became a French, the smaller one an English colony. In 1960 both parts gained their independence and were reunified in 1961.

The capital Yaounde - with the lac central

Although it is wealthier than some of the surrounding countries -due to it's political stability - Cameroon nowadays is a developing country with a lot of problems. The average income is about 600 US$ per year, and the unemployment rate is very high. As there is not much industry most people work in the agricultural sector. Even tourism is no big deal although the country would have to offer a lot. But a lack of infrastructure and comparably high costs keep tourists away. So Cameroon is a country for the individualists among the travellers, this making a trip very interesting on the one hand but also a bit difficult on the other.

For additional information contact:

Ministry of Tourism
B.P. 266
Yaounde, Cameroon
Tel. 00237-222441
Fax. 00237-2221295
www.cameroun-infotourisme.com (in french)

Pros and Cons

Pros:Natural beauty in a lush tropical environment
Cons:Lack of infrastructure and a big deal of poverty
In a nutshell:Nearly all African landscapes in one country

Last visit to Cameroon: Nov 2004
Intro Updated Nov 21, 2004
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Reviews (23)

Bangangte - a rural town Off The Beaten Path (4)

The small town of Bangangte in Western Cameroon is a center of the surrounding farmland. It is situated in a beautiful... more travel advice

Entrance of a chefferie near Bangangte - Cameroon

Chefferie - headquarter of an African... Things to Do (6)

The traditional society of the tribes in Western Cameroon is based on family clans. Several clans together form small... more travel advice

Marche Central in Yaounde Shopping (3)

Marche Central is a large department store where you find all kind of stuff. more travel advice

Farmhouse in Western Cameroon - Cameroon

Farmland in Western Cameroon Off The Beaten Path (4)

The province of Western Cameroon is well known for its good farmland. A good deal of the population tries to make a... more travel advice

Favorites (1)
Always have some small change
Transportation (3)
See All Taxis - the yellow fleet
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Comments (21)

yumyum Feb 16, 2008 at 12:38 AM Report Abuse

Excellent page, Bernd! I passed through parts of Cameroon in 1989 on an overland trip. The small change problem never seems to solved :)
hunterV Jan 1, 2008 at 2:58 AM Report Abuse

Vielen Dank, Bernd, für diese Exotikreise! Das war ein schönes Erlebnis für Dich! Viel Glück uin der Zukunft!
sprdak11 Nov 21, 2006 at 8:47 AM Report Abuse

Interesting travel page about Cameroon. Best wishes.
HORSCHECK Jul 17, 2006 at 1:31 PM Report Abuse

Bernd, fantastic page with brilliant photos and impressive commentaries...I hope you don't mind that I have just informed the police that you have published a photo of a building with ministries offices on your Cameroon page ... *verybigsmile*
tini58de Jun 18, 2006 at 1:27 PM Report Abuse

I just found the Art Market in Yaounde as a featured tip and it really feels like jumping right in and start bargaining!!! Guckt Ihr beiden bitte mal auf die neuesten Karlsruhe meeting Einträge??? Liebe Grüße!
calcaf38 Mar 30, 2006 at 3:55 AM Report Abuse

Hi Bernd: Your Cameroon page taught me a lot about Cameroon. I hope I visit Africa some day, and Cameroon would be a good place to start.
nepalgoods Feb 27, 2006 at 8:36 AM Report Abuse

Very interesting country.
mickeyjane1 Feb 15, 2006 at 4:04 AM Report Abuse

Enjoyed reading about Cameroon on your pages, its a country I didnt know too much about. Good information, thanks.
evaanna Jan 7, 2006 at 3:35 AM Report Abuse

Fascinating country. The museum would definitely be a must-see for me. Some of your warnings could apply to Poland as well.
Wafro Dec 27, 2005 at 7:40 AM Report Abuse

Enjoy the last moments of 2005 and already the best for 2006. Happy travels!!! Great Page BTW.