Africa In Miniature

They call Cameroon  ‘Africa in miniature’ as it has the best parts of the continent wrapped wonderfully within invisible borders.

 

Mountains, beaches, deserts, virgin rainforest, savanna, pygmies, wildlife (including gorillas) and national parks.

It was my first foray into central Africa and vastly different to previous experiences in the East, south and north.

 

Cameroon feels like the heart of the continent — African realness in your face!

 

Corruption is rife, there are people everywhere and during the course of a single bus trip, I witnessed the chaos of big cities, but also absolute virgin rainforest.

The Cameroon Sheep  is a hair breed, meaning they have no wool, but thick, tight hair, with an extra undercoat during winter months. This winter coat is shed automatically once spring arrives. They are best known for their unique brown colour, with a black head, belly and legs. Females do not have horns, while rams have spiral horns, with a thick mane and throat ruff (almost like a beard!). A ewe can raise up to two lamb crops each year and the breed are a very prolific one. They reach sexual maturity at an early age, meaning they will have more lambs in the long run. The breed has thrived in the harsh conditions of Western Africa, due to their pest resistance and ability to withstand high temperatures. Having hair instead of wool enables the breed to thrive in the African sun. They are also unfussy grazers and eat anything from grasses to leaves. https://www.thatsfarming.com/news/weird-sheep-cameroon



Typically, I take travel advice with a pinch of salt.

 

Trouble is always in the next town or a few days before, but never where I am.

 

However, not knowing what to expect from Cameroon I listened to more advice than usual.

 

What happened was I got off the plane fearful for my safety.

 

It took me about half a day to realise that I had nothing to fear.

 

So despite us taking taxis, local buses, arriving after dark, trusting people we met and drinking in local bars, we encountered no trouble at all.

Cameroon, often referred to as the heart of Africa, is a buzzing country with life and soul in abundance. The large and industrious cities here are complemented by vast areas of mountains, rainforest and beaches. The terrain here is as varied as the language with over 230 local languages complementing the English and French speaking regions. West Africa may not be known for beautiful cities but Cameroon’s capital Yaounde certainly is one. The city is immaculately planned to be spread over seven hills meaning that the numerous buildings in the city are separated by stretches of lush green and rising terrain. https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-cameroon/


That’s not to say Cameroon isn’t without areas to avoid. Boko Haram is no joke which is why we avoided the far north.

 

The Anglophones in the Southwest were in dispute with the Francophones resulting in gunfire and death, so we avoided these areas until we knew more, turns out it was fine.

 

Cameroonians pay no notice to foreigners and generally we were left to our own devices.

Now if you’re travelling to Cameroon to get off the beaten track, it’s your lucky day.

 

If you’re hoping to follow the backpacker trail then you’re in for a shock.

 

I can count of one hand the number of times we met white backpackers who weren’t missionaries. Cameroon is tough travel in the sense that it takes a long time to get anywhere.
 

Roads are unpaved and public buses are a real adventure.

Don’t believe me?

 

Here is a photo of what we looked like after a 13 hour bus ride!

You should bring enough cash to last your trip and preferably Euros, not USD.

 

There are cash points in the larger cities but don’t rely on these to be working or have money inside them.

 

Yes, you’ll end up carrying a wad of cash but it is what it is.

I changed my money on the black market in Douala which usually I avoid.

 

A French local took me to money changers on the street and got a rate much better than banks.

 

My advice is ask your hotel reception to call a taxi, explain you want to change money, they will drive you there and back and you never have to leave the car.

 

You will only get CFA 10,000 notes from these chaps.

 

Failing this, hotels will change your Euros.

Bills smaller than CFA 10,000 are a constant battle in Cameroon, no-one has change including banks.
 

Shops and supermarkets will look at you with a blank expression when you hand over a large note.
 

I’ve been turned down for a sale because I didn’t have any change so guard smaller bills with your life!

The majority of Cameroonians speak French with the exception of the Anglophone areas in the Southwest.

 

We didn’t speak a lick of French which made things difficult, but we were also pleasently surprised by the number of people who helped us along the way.

 

If you learn the numbers and a few basic French phrases it will stand you in good stead.

There are a number of ways to get around.

 

Some are quite pleasurable and scenic, but others will leave you begging to get off.

 

Keep in mind that if you travel during the rainy season, some roads will be impassable.

 

We travelled in late December and all the roads were fine.

– Shared taxi – This is a great way to get you where you need to go fast, but it won’t be the most comfortable trip of your life.

 

Drivers take a different number of passengers but in my experience, there will be four-five in the backseat, and four including the driver in the front.

 

Taxis won’t leave until full but you can pay more for extra seats.

The world’s biggest frog is found in Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. Named the Goliath frog, it can grow up to be a foot long and weigh up to 8 lb.


– VIP buses – This is perfect to get from point A to B in comfort.

 

Expect to stop many times for toilet breaks, police stops, local salespeople, but also to have preachers screaming at you and people selling toothpaste and magic potions throughout.

Having said this, you will get a whole seat to yourself and generally tickets are cheap and comfortable.
 

Buy your ticket the night before and swap the holding ticket for an actual ticket on the day.

– Local buses – Local buses are cheap and an adventure.

If you don’t have a sense of humour or time up your sleeve, you might want to give these a miss.
 

The order you buy your ticket in dictates your place within the bus (apparently).

 

Most roads aren’t paved, most buses don’t have great suspension, they pack people in, stop often and you’ll end up dirty and dusty.

– Motor-taxis – Great way to get around for shorter journeys (or longer if you have a strong constitution).
 

It’s easy to travel with your backpack and is super cheap (bargain hard).

 

If you’re going to be in a place for a few days and you find a good driver, get his number and call him when you need him as it will save time.

– Private driver – You’ll feel like royalty as you blaze through the countryside in style and comfort.

 

It isn’t cheap and you’ll need to pay for the return journey whether you use it or not.

 

If you’re travelling on unpaved roads, a 4WD is obviously better but a local guy will know if the time of year, weather and road standard will work with a normal car.

 

We travelled east in a car and it was fine, bumpy but fine.

– Police stops and corruption – Throughout the course of a month, we got stopped by the Police about 70-80 times.

 

Generally, they checked our passport and sometimes yellow fever certificate, but there was one guy who demanded bribes and refused to let us rejoin the bus until we paid him.

 

Don’t pay bribes but if things turn nasty, ask for a receipt with his name and stamp on it, that should hopefully deter him.

 

Stay calm throughout, you don’t want to upset Cameroonian Police.

 

You always need to keep your passport handy!

– Unwanted clothes – If you have clothes or things which you’re going to throw away, offer them to a local. Africans have a wonderful gift of re-purposing items that westerners throw away.

– Warm beer – If you plan on drinking beer, you’ll find that the lack of fridges means you’ll be drinking warm beer a lot.

You’ll never get used to it, but you will continue to drink it!

– Food – By the coast you get the most amazing and reasonably priced seafood.

 

In the rest of the country, you’ll find a lack of fresh vegetables and an endless supply of bananas.

 

– Dust – Everything will end up dusty.

 

Just accept it and only take clothes that you don’t mind being ruined.

 

Darker clothes.

leave you looking more respectable than wearing your best tennis whites!

 

– Humidity – Bloody hell it is humid.

 

You’ll be constantly sweating and when it mixes with the dust, it gives you the look of a true adventurer.

Cameroon is huge and there are so many variations to what you can see and do.

 

The ideal is to tick off your main highlights and build a realistic itinerary around them.

 

Our unmissable experiences were to climb Mt Cameroon and see the gorillas in Lobeke National Park.

Travelling from west to east took about five days but can be done quicker with a private driver (this will be costly).
 

We also did the ring road which has some cool rural areas and places of interest, and finished on the beach in Kribi to swim and dine on fresh seafood.


https://thekiwihaslanded.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-travelling-in-cameroon/