Cameroon Things to Do Tips by janiebaxter Top 5 Page for this destination

Waza National Park

In the far North, Waza is close to the borders of Chad and Nigeria. The vegetation is sparse and dry with a few waterholes which makes game viewing easy. It is renowned for its large herds of elephant but unfortunately we didn’t see any at all!
There are plenty of giraffes and antelope and many interesting birds. We were also lucky enough to see lions and we came across the remains of a kill. On the way into the park from the main road we saw a Patas monkey, which I have never seen before and never saw again once we were in the park.
To get to Waza we flew from Douala to Maroua and met our guide and driver with 4WD at the airport. From Maroua we drove to Waza which took about 2 hours with stops. We stayed in the Campement de Waza which is a small lodge - very comfortable small rondavel roooms with en suite facilities and a good restaurant.
We collected our guide each day from the park headquarters and he looked out for game. He had excellent eyesight for game spotting and although he didn't speak English he was a great guide, very friendly and always laughing.

Royal Palaces

Cameroon is full of Royal families, particularly in the West and Northwest areas, where the main tribes are the Bamileke and the Bamoun. These are called chiefdoms or locally “Fondoms” and are still immensely important in society. The Fons or chiefs still have many wives and many many children so the Royal families get very large. Many of the Royal families still live in the old Palaces which are extended and modernised to accommodate them. Most of the Royal Families make income by opening their palaces to tourists both from foreign countries, the African diaspora and from domestic visitors within Cameroon – the Fons and their cultural history are very popular with Cameroonians.
The Royal Palaces are well worth visiting. They are all different and unique and you are often shown around by a member of the family – in Bafut one of the kings wives was our tour guide and the Princes showed us traditional music and dancing. Most of the palaces also have a museum and the museum in Bafut Palace was originally the author Gerald Durrell’s house. Many of the dynasties go back hundreds of years and the original Palace in Bafut is over 500 years old.
Other good Palaces to visit are -
Babungo – the Fons here have a long tradition of wood carving.
Baham – this Palace compound has an unusual layout and the buildings have unique pointed roofs.
Foumban – the Palace here is built like a French chateau and unlike any of the other Palaces.

Flower Nurseries

Driving from Limbe to Bafoussam you pass many small flower nurseries who sell their plants direct to passers by at the side of the road. There are some really beautiful plants grown here.
Cameroon exports flowers to Europe, which are grown in larger commercial nurseries.

Stay in Limbe not Douala

Limbe is 74km from Douala and is situated on the coast with Mount Cameroon close by. It is a really good place to stay and unwind after your flight and is much nicer than staying in Douala. The hotel Seme Beach is a great hotel right on the beach.
There are many attraction is Limbe. Besides Mount Cameroon and the beach there are the Botanical Gardens, "Down Beach" fishing village, and the wildlife centre where you can see and learn about the many primates in Cameroon, some of them critically endangered and extremely rare.

Visit the Location for the Greystoke Tarzan Film

The 1984 film Greystoke – The Legend of Tarzan starring Christopher Lambert was filmed in Cameroon and you can visit Ekom Falls which was featured in the film. This is a spectacular waterfall not only because of its size and volume of water but because of its stunning surroundings. It is surrounded by dramatic slopes of lush green rainforest. There is a good vantage point where you can take photographs and then you can walk down a very steep slippery slope to get lower down and a little closer, but you cannot get right up to the falls which adds to the magnificence.
The drive along the road to the falls is equally stunning with views of massive green rainforest slopes all along the way. I could picture the opening sequence of the film where the camera pans up into the forest as I was driving along.
Only one thing missing – Jane was there but Tarzan wasn’t!

Address: Approx 30km South of Bafoussam near Bafang.

Directions: From Douala take the N3 then N5 towards Loum. It is best to go with a guide who knows where Ekom Falls is as the road is very small and winding through hills and villages and in parts almost impassable unless you have a 4WD.

Markets

As in most of West Africa the markets are fabulously colourful and really interesting to walk around. In smaller towns or rural areas the markets are held every few days not on a regular day every week so it is a good idea to check beforehand if you intend to visit a market. In some of the larger cities the markets are permanent with a central covered area. All markets are organised into product areas so you will find all the fruit and vegetables in one area with tomatoes all together, all the fabrics in another area, spices in another and so on. As Cameroon is so diverse, the markets in each area of the country vary greatly in style and produce so even if you have visited one in the South it is worth having a look at a Central of Northern one. And of course they are great for people watching!
My favourite markets are -
Bamenda. A large permanent town market with a central covered area and stalls around the outside. If you walk around the outside area you can see the ladies havibg their hair done (but they don't like to be photographed)
Bafut. A small rural market held every few days on a piece of ground near the palace. This one has a hut in the centre for members of the secret society to meet.
Foumban. Another town market, opposite the palace, but different to Bamenda. The women here wear lots of make up and very colourful sequinned scarves.