Holidays in Cameroon

Understanding Cameroon

Cameroon is a diverse and multi ethnic country Western tourism is rare; most of the country's tourists come from Europe predominantly Belgium

History

The territory of present day Cameroon was first settled during the Neolithic period Portuguese sailors reached the coast in 1472 Over the following few centuries, European interests regularised trade with the coastal peoples, and Christian missionaries pushed inland In the early 19th century, Modibo Adama led Fulani soldiers on a jihad in the north against non-Muslim and partially Muslim peoples and established the Adamawa Emirate Settled peoples who fled the Fulani caused a major redistribution of population

The German Empire claimed the territory as the colony of Kamerun in 1884 and began a steady push inland With the defeat of Germany in World War I, Kamerun became a League of Nations mandate territory and was split into French Cameroun and British Cameroons in 1919 The French carefully integrated the economy of Cameroun with that of France and improved the infrastructure with capital investments, skilled workers, and continued forced labour

The British administered their territory from neighbouring Nigeria Natives complained that this made them a neglected "colony of a colony" The League of Nations mandates were converted into United Nations Trusteeships in 1946, and the question of independence became a pressing issue in French Cameroun France outlawed the most radical political party, the Union des Populations du Cameroun UPC, on 13 July 1955 This prompted a long guerrilla war In British Cameroons, the question was whether to reunify with French Cameroun or join Nigeria

On 1 January 1960, French Cameroun gained independence from France under President Ahmadou Ahidjo, and on 1 October 1961, the formerly British Southern Cameroons united with its neighbour to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon

People

Climate

Varies with terrain, from tropical along the coast to semiarid and hot in the north 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

Talking in Cameroon

French and English are the official languages in Cameroon although there are over 276 recognized languages in Cameroon

The Northwest and Southwest provinces are anglophone 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

Buying stuff in Cameroon

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

Food and eating in Cameroon

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

Drinking in Cameroon

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 15l 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

Accommodation in Cameroon

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

Working in Cameroon

Volunteer opportunities

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Cities in Cameroon