Introduction

Outside of Cameroon's swelling and modernised cities, rainforests stretch from the Atlantic Ocean, giving way to savannah and semi-desert in the north. Elephants and bongos congregate by the hundreds in some of Africa's best wildlife parks, and beachcombers laze on long, isolated beaches.

In addition to its French and British colonial past, there are over 130 ethnic groups in the country speaking dozens of languages. Islam and Christianity compete for souls, as do an array of traditional animist beliefs. Cameroon has its problems and can be a challenge, but it's worth it.

Warning

Theft and banditry are common irritants for travellers in Cameroon, especially in the in the Adamaoua, North and Far North provinces. Occasionally violent car hijackings can occur in Douala, Yaounde and Kribi. Poorer neighbourhoods, such as Yaounde's La Briquetterie and Mokolo, should be avoided.

The border with Congo is subject to closure. Overland journeys should be driven in convoy and conducted in daylight hours only. Border areas along the Central African Republic and the Nigerian Bakassi Peninsula region should be avoided.

When to Go

The best time to visit Cameroon is during the cooler, drier months of November to February. The caveat is the harmattan - the winds that blow sand south from the Sahara and turn skies sandy grey from December to February. On bad days, visibility can be reduced to 1km or even less, delaying or cancelling flights and spoiling views. As bad as this sounds, the May to November rainy season turns Cameroon into a sea of mud and makes travel even more difficult than the harmattan.

Events

After New Year's Day, the first major event of the year is the Mt Cameroon Race, held in late January. This 27km (17mi) race up and down the 3000m (10,000ft) mountain is Africa's toughest. The Muslim Feast of Ramadan, which changes dates from year to year, signals the end of a month of daily fasts and is celebrated all over Cameroon, most notably in Foumban, where horse races, processions and dances are part of the festivities. Muslims in northern and western Cameroon also celebrate Tabaski in February or March, when celebrations include a parade of marabouts (wise men and fortune-tellers). The country's major non-religious holiday is the Cameroon National Festival, held on 20 May. The best place to witness it is Maroua. Horses race through the streets of Kumbo, a town in western Cameroon, during Nso Cultural Week, held in mid-November.

The value of the US dollar in Cameroon has more than doubled since the CFA franc was devalued in 1994, but Cameroon is still not a budget destination. Travellers staying in first-class accommodation and dining out on European cuisine should expect to pay US$150-200 a day or more. Travellers on a moderate budget who grab the occasional beef brochette from a street vendor and take minivans instead of Peugeot station wagons can keep their costs down to US$50-100 a day. By sticking to simple African dishes (preferably from street vendors), drinking water (soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are expensive) and hiring rooms with bucket showers, travellers on a small budget can get by on between US$25-50 a day .

Big-city banks offer the best exchange rates, followed by the airport banks in Douala and Yaoundé. Taxi drivers usually accept US dollars or euros, but not always at the best rates. American Express is the most widely accepted credit card, followed by Diners Club and Visa; the first two are easiest to use for cash advances at local offices. Traveller's cheques denominated in euros are a far better way of getting cash in Yaoundé and Douala, but can be harder to change elsewhere.

Cameroonians aren't in the habit of tipping, but they do expect cadeaux from the wealthy, and as foreign travellers tend to look rich to the locals, they're usually expected to give cadeaux. Plan to tip 10% at better restaurants in Douala and Yaoundé, but check first to see if service has been included in your bill.

Once a sleepy colonial capital, Yaoundé is now a bustling urban centre of meandering streets and undulating hills, offering an unusually cool climate, excellent museums and really good grilled chicken. Ave Kennedy is the main commercial corridor. At its northern end are the Place Kennedy and the Centre Artisinal, a giant tent filled with local artisans and their handicrafts. The lively African quarters of Messa, Mokolo and Briqueterie, a few kilometres north-west of downtown, are where you'll find many of the city's unlicensed chicken houses, serving the best grilled chicken this side of the Côte d'Ivoire.

A few kilometres north of the city centre is the Benedictine Monastery's Musée d'Art Cameroonais, a highlight of any visit to the capital. Despite its small size, it's got one of the best collections of Cameroonian art in the world, including masks, bowls and Bamoun bronze pipes. Even the monastery's chapel is decorated with a beautiful array of local textiles and crafts. The monastery is near the foot of Mt Fébé and is accessible by bus or taxi from downtown.

A few kilometres west of downtown is the Quartier Melen, home to the Musée d'Art Nègre. The museum's collection includes Bamoun pipes from north-west Cameroon, Baoulé textiles from Côte d'Ivoire and Congolese-Zaïrian masks, as well as pieces from Algeria and Ethiopia. Melen is also home to the Paroisse de N'Djong Melen, a church whose open-air Sunday mass you shouldn't miss. For over two hours, a priest recites the mass in Ewondo to the accompaniment of African drumming, dancing and singing.

Yaoundé is in the south-western corner of the country, about 200km (124mi) from both the Atlantic Ocean and the southern border.

Just an hour north-west of Douala, Buea offers a refreshingly cool climate. The town has a long history of short-lived glory. It became the capital of the German protectorate in 1901, basking in the limelight for all of eight years. Shortly after independence, Buea became the capital of Western Cameroon - a distinction that was to last barely 11 years before the federation was made a republic and Yaoundé the sole capital. Today it's a sleepy place best known as the stopping off point for Mt Cameroon. The town's main sight is the Mountain Hotel, which has a rustic English charm. It's a great place to wash down the atmosphere with a cold drink.Bush taxis run regularly between Buea and Douala.

Douala has done a lot to earn the sobriquet 'armpit of Africa' - dull architecture, stifling humidity, crime and economic chaos. So why go? The main reason is that it's a good base for exploring much more interesting places nearby. Kribi, Limbe and Mt Cameroon are all within a few hours' journey. Given that Douala is also Cameroon's main hub for air travel, you'll probably end up spending some time in the city.

Douala does have a couple of interesting sights of its own, including the landmark Hôtel Akwa Palace, located in the heart of town, a few hundred metres south-east of the shore of the Wouri River. It's the perfect spot to hang out on the terrace with a morning coffee and croissant, sizing up your fellow travellers. A kilometre to the south-west is the Musée de Douala, located in the hôtel de ville (the town hall). Though disorganised and filled with mostly mediocre Bamoun and Bamiléké pieces, the museum's free and by studying its exhibits you'll be better able to judge the craftwork for sale on the streets.

The best place for artifacts is the Artisianal Camerounais, an open-air crafts market located about halfway between the Akwa Palace and the town hall.

Douala is located in the middle of Cameroon's Atlantic coast, a few kilometres inland on the southern shore of the Wouri River. It's 200km (124mi) west of Yaoundé, accessible by air, train, bus and bush taxi.

Though slightly touristy, Foumban is one of Cameroon's major attractions and an important centre of traditional African art. Its jewel is the Palais Royal, the seat of power of the Bamoun people. The ruler of the Bamoun is known as the sultan, and the Bamoun can trace the lineage of their sultan back to 1394. The palace, completed in 1917, resembles a medieval chateau. It houses the Sultan's Museum, which contains a multitude of royal gowns, arms, musical instruments, statues, jewellery, masks and colourful bead-covered thrones carved in the shapes of the men who sat on them.

A few hundred metres south of the palace is the Musée des Arts et des Traditions Bamoun. This extensive collection has exhibits on Bamoun history and art, including cooking implements, musical instruments, pipes, statues, masks, gongs and an ornately carved xylophone. The road that connects the two museums is the Rue des Artisans, home to sculptors, basket makers, weavers and embroiderers, and one of the best places in Central Africa to buy wood carvings. Foumban is about 250km (155mi) north-west of Yaoundé and accessible by a combination of bus and bush taxi.

Buea is the stepping off point for the invigorating 3000m (10,000ft) climb up Mt Cameroon. On the mountain, you'll pass through dense tropical forests and sub-alpine meadows. It's a fairly easy climb, about 27km (17mi) round trip, and though you can make it in one day if you're in good shape, most people take two days and stay overnight in cabins, most of which are located above the 2000m (6600ft) mark. Bear in mind that, while it can be 20°C (68°F) at the foot of the mountain, it can be below freezing at the summit, so dress and pack accordingly.

Waza has some of Central Africa's best wildlife, though its scrubby, flat terrain isn't particularly scenic. The major attraction is the hundreds of pachyderms that congregate at Mare aux Eléphants, the main watering hole. Visitors are also likely to spot lions, giraffes, hippos, antelope, kob, baboons and monkeys. The park's many species of birdlife include hornbills, ostriches, crested cranes, herons and storks. The best time of year to see animals is from March to May, which unfortunately is also the hottest season. Driving to the main watering hole takes at least three hours from the entrance at the north-western edge of the park, a few kilometres south-west of the village of Waza. Waza is in the far north of Cameroon, just a few kilometres from the borders of Nigeria (west) and Chad (east). The best way to get there is to take the train from Douala or Yaoundé to N'Gaoundéré (about 18 and 12 hours, respectively) and either take a rental car or bush taxi the rest of the way. Sleeping in the park is forbidden, but you can camp at the park entrance or stay in Waza.

White sand beaches make Kribi Cameroon's best seaside resort. Aside from some restaurants and a disco, there's little to do in town, but there are some inviting fishing villages nearby with excellent fresh seafood. If you make it during the dry periods of mid-October to November or March to May you'll miss the rain and the crowds of expats from Douala. The best nearby villages are Eboundja (20km/12mi south) and Londji (24km/15mi north); the latter is spread around an immense bay with pristine sand and palm trees. Neither place has amenities, but they're great for lying back and enjoying some grilled fish and palm wine with the locals. Kribi is about two hours south of Douala by bush taxi.

Capital of the Wandala people, Mora has one of the best markets in Cameroon. You'll see the entire gamut of people from this region, most dressed to the nines, including Islamic plains people and Kirdi animists. Items for sale include painted gourds, leather goods, jewellery, grisgris (necklace charms), millet, vegetables, and a separate section for trading animals, particularly donkeys. Mora is in the far northern part of the country, about 30km (19mi) from the Nigerian border. Bush taxis from N'Gaoundéré take the better part of a day.

Cameroon's newest national park is home to Africa's oldest and most biologically diverse rainforest. The park hosts an amazing variety of primates, birds, trees and other plants, including dozens of recently discovered species of fauna and flora. Butterflies flit in the slanting shafts of light and monkeys scurry in the branches above. With 100% humidity and waist-high pools to ford, travellers should dress for extreme wet. The park is in the westernmost corner of the country, along the Nigerian border near the town of Mundemba, which is about 150km (93mi) north-west of Douala. It's accessible by bush taxi.

Activities

The best prospects for hiking in Cameroon are the northern area between the towns of Rumsiki and Mora and the eastern area around Bamenda. Mt Cameroon offers excellent rock climbing, an hour's drive west of Douala. There's also good climbing in Mindif, a park south of the northern town of Maroua, where few have succeeded in mastering a huge rock known as 'le Dent de Mindif'. There's good sunbathing and swimming at the beaches near the southern coastal town Kribi.

Cycling is a good way to travel in rural areas, and it's a great way to meet the locals. Soccer and basketball are immensely popular, and village pick-up games aren't hard to find, especially if you bring your own ball. Jogging is mainly an expat sport, and the notorious Hash House Harriers have been running around Cameroon for decades. Should you fall in with a Hash, be prepared for the heavy drinking that invariably follows every run. Yaoundé, Douala, Bamenda and Garoua all have Hash groups; ask around the expat community for the starting point of runs since they change each week.

History

Little is known about Cameroon before 1472 when the Portuguese arrived shouting 'Camarões, camarões!' in amazement at the many giant shrimp - hence the country's name. For the next 400 years, southern Cameroon's history, like that of the rest of West Africa's Atlantic seaboard, revolved around the slave trade. Northern Cameroon, by contrast, was a battleground for various empires, notably the Kanem-Bornu in Chad. When the Germans arrived in the late 19th century, 'feudal' northern Cameroon was under the control of the Fulani empire in Sokoto (Nigeria).

Despite an invitation from a Douala chief to set up a protectorate over the area in the 1850s, Great Britain dillied and dallied for decades and finally lost to the Germans in 1884, intent on forging their own African empire, who beat them to an agreement by five days. The Germans were active colonisers, building schools, railways and plantations. But German rule was harsh: at one plantation a fifth of the labourers died in a single year from overwork.

After WWI Cameroon received new overlords courtesy of the League of Nations, which gave the French a mandate over 80% of the territory, and the British control of two separate areas, one in the south-western highlands (Southern Cameroons) and the other in the north (Northern Cameroons, now part of Nigeria). As a result, a single nation was divided into three parts governed by two colonial powers - hardly a situation conducive to later unification. What was worse, the British neglected their territories and instead lavished attention on their administrative capital in Nigeria. Within a few years the Brits sold their Cameroons holdings back to the Germans, who didn't last much longer - the outbreak of WWII saw them repatriated and stripped of their land by the Allies.

By contrast, the French improved the railway (with forced labour, forbidden by their mandate), developed cocoa and palm-oil plantations and exported timber, increasing the value of trade fivefold in its portion of the country between the world wars. After WWII, new political parties formed in French Cameroon, pressing for independence. A northern-based party, the Union Camerounaise, gained control of the national assembly, aggravating the resentment of southerners. Following independence in 1960, that ill will blossomed into a full-scale rebellion that took five battalions of French troops and a squadron of fighter planes eight months to put down. Thousands were ruthlessly killed and a state of emergency was declared that lasted two decades. The Union Camerounaise held onto power and its leader, Ahmadou Ahidjo, a northerner and ardent Muslim, became president.

In 1961, Northern Cameroons voted to become part of Nigeria; the south opted for federation with French Cameroon, forming a single republic 11 years later. Ahidjo was re-elected as president unopposed in 1975, continuing an exceedingly brutal and autocratic reign, filling jails with tens of thousands of political prisoners and censoring the press. Ahidjo's positive contribution was to invest wisely in agriculture, education, health care and roads, while resisting the temptation to borrow heavily and build expensive show projects. As a result, school enrollment reached 70% and farms produced enough food to keep the country self-sufficient and export a wide range of commodities. At the height of his power and success, Ahidjo unexpectedly announced his resignation in 1982. His hand-picked successor was Prime Minister Paul Biya, a southerner and a Christian who immediately set about removing Ahidjo's northern cronies, known as the 'barons'. By 1984, the barons had had enough and staged a coup that was such a surprise it almost succeeded. But Biya quickly regained control and was re-elected unopposed in 1988.

Cameroon made international headlines in 1986, when a toxic cloud erupted from a remote volcanic lake in the western mountains, asphyxiating nearly 2000 people in their sleep. Experts have said the phenomenon could reoccur at any time. In 1990, furious with Biya's inept handling of the economy, Cameroonians began openly accusing the government of corruption and formed a new party, the Social Democratic Front (SDF). The government's murderous attempt to wipe out the new threat backfired, and in less than a year there were 30 political parties and nearly a dozen independent newspapers. After Biya refused to call a constitutional convention in 1991, strikes brought the country to a standstill.

Biya eventually capitulated, calling the first multi-party elections in over 30 years. Various opposition parties took 52% of the vote and a new prime minister, Simon Achidi Achu, formed a coalition government in 1992. Later that year, Biya narrowly won re-election as president, defeating scattered and unprepared opposition. Biya's victory prompted accusations of electoral fraud from international observers and set off widespread rioting in western Cameroon.

The government devalued the CFA franc in 1994, raising exports but sending public-sector salaries plunging 70%. Soon after the National Assembly (dominated by the Union Camerounaise) extended the presidential term from five years to seven, Biya won re-election again in 1997, this time unopposed but with less than a third of voters bothering to turn out.

In 2002, the International Court of Justice ruled in favour of Cameroon in its territorial disputes with Nigeria. These long-simmering disputes - particularly that over the Bakassi peninsula - are strategically important to both countries as they include oil-rich territories. Nigeria refuses to accept the decision, and while negotiations continue under the auspices of the UN the region is the scene of occasional flare-ups of violence.

Culture

Cameroon's split Anglo-French personality is further complicated by its bewildering array of African ethnic groups and languages. Of over 130 ethnic groups, however, there are 5 major ones: Bamiléké and Bamoun in the west, Fulani and Kirdi in the north, and Ewondo around Yaoundé. The Bamiléké are the most populous group in the western highlands and one of the largest communities in Douala, where they have taken control of much of Cameroon's economy. In their rural homeland, there are some 80-odd political units ruled by strongly independent chefferies (chiefs). Within each unit there are numerous secret societies responsible for the preservation of rituals. By contrast, the Bamoun are governed by a single leader called the sultan.

Whereas the south has been in contact with Europe for over 500 years, until the 20th century the north was part of quasi-feudal Muslim Fulani kingdoms centered in Nigeria, and tradition and resistance to outside influence remain strong. This isolation has kept Western-style development to a minimum. Most northerners, however, are neither Fulani nor Muslim but Kirdi, the Fulani word for pagan. The Kirdi are comprised of tribes driven by the Fulani into the inhospitable and isolated rocky areas near the Nigerian border.

Both French and English are official languages, though French is more widely spoken, especially in large, modern cities such as Yaoundé and Douala. About 10% of the country relies primarily on a pidgin English, mainly in the western provinces near Nigeria. Among the many African languages spoken in Cameroon, the five major ones are Bamiléké, Ewondo, Bamoun, Fulfulde and Arabic. Among the country's best-known writers are the novelists Kenjo Jumbam and Mongo Beti, both of whom have written about Cameroon's relationship with its European colonisers.

The music of Cameroon is among the most popular in Africa, especially makossa, a popular dance rhythm you'll hear blaring out of clubs and discos. Makossa is adaptable to a wide variety of instrumentation, from traditional thumb pianos to guitars and synthesizers. Manu Dibango brought the style to international prominence in the early 1970s; now Sam Fan Thomas is the king of makossa. Another popular dance music is bikutsi, typically sung in Ewonde.

Cameroon has some of the best food in Central Africa. Manioc leaves are one of the main ingredients, usually appearing on menus as feuille. Sauces are usually accompanied by rice (riz) or a thick mashed potato-like substance that comes in three main forms: couscous, pâe or fufu, any of which can be made from rice, corn, manioc, plantains or bananas. Street food is typically excellent, consisting mainly of grilled spiced brochettes stuffed into a bread roll with salad and dressing. Yaoundé has particularly good grilled chicken and fish.

Environment

About the size of Spain or California and shaped a bit like a boot, Cameroon is bordered by Nigeria to the north and west, Chad and the Central African Republic to the east, Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Cameroon is one of the most geographically diverse countries in Africa, comprising three major zones: the northern savannah, the southern and eastern rainforests, and the north-western hill region near Nigeria. Rich volcanic soils near the towns of Bafoussam and Bamenda in the west have permitted much higher rural population densities than elsewhere in the country. The west is coffee and cocoa country and home to nearly a quarter of the population. The hot, dry north is home to Lake Chad, the major game reserves, rocky escarpments and the broad Bénoué River.

The country's game reserves teem with elephants, lions, giant eland, bongos, chimpanzees, crocodiles and birds galore. There are a few remaining lowland gorilla families in remote pockets of the underdeveloped south-east.

The variations in rainfall from one region to the next are astounding - from barely enough rain to support agriculture in the extreme north to over 500cm (200in) in the south-west around Mt Cameroon. In the north, the rainy season is from June to September; in the south, light rains in March and April are followed by downpours from May to November. Humidity soars in the south in July and August. The warmest months are March to May, when the average daily high is 30°C (86°F) in Yaoundé Douala is cooler but gets much more rain. During the same period, the north gets up to a scorching 40°C (104°F).

Getting There & Away

Europe has the best air connections with Cameroon with international airports in both Yaoundé and Douala. Travellers from North America will have to connect in Europe or an African hub such as Dakar (Senegal) or Lagos (Nigeria). The only rail connection is from the Central African Republic, which puts you at Belabo, about 200km (124mi) north-east of Yaoundé. There's a departure tax on international flights of around US$15.

Bush taxis and minibuses are the most common way of arriving by land. The most common border crossings for vehicles are Mora from Chad, Mamfé from Nigeria, and Ambam from Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Douala is a popular port with European freighters, and there are boats making daily runs between Oron, Nigeria, and Idenao, near Limbe, in Cameroon. The quickest and most reliable are speedboats, which take about four hours.

Getting Around

The best way of making short trips is by bush taxi or minivan. They're cheap, fast (sometimes a bit too fast) and easy to find. Buses, however, are better for getting between Yaoundé and Douala, Bafoussam, Bemenda, Foumban and Dschang.

If you're travelling to northern Cameroon, consider taking the train. It's cheap, much faster than driving or taking a bush taxi, and fairly comfortable. The Gazelle du Nord runs once a day between Yaoundé and N'Gaoundéré there's also a leg between the capital and Douala. Cameroun Airlines flies between Douala and Yaoundé several times a day, and Unitair flies between those cities and Maroua, Garoua, N'Gaoundéré and several others. Flying is by far the most expensive way of getting around. There's a nominal departure tax on domestic flights.

If the teeth-clenching, knuckle-whitening speeds of bush taxis put you off, car rental is an option. Petrol is cheap but rental fees are quite high. Agencies can be found in Yaoundé, Douala and a few other large cities. You can drive with a valid licence from your home country but it's always best to get an International Driver's Licence. Driving is on the right.