Cameroon (French: Cameroun) is a country in Africa that was created in 1961 by merging the French Cameroun and the British Cameroons. Cameroon borders Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. The capital of Cameroon is Yaoundé. A number of large cities in Cameroon are: Kribi, Douala, Bafoussam, Garoua and Maroua. See shoefrantics for Africa overview.
Cameroon is known for its varied nature and rich animal world. Cameroon has 7 National Parks where you will encounter caves, rainforests, rocks, waterfalls and many different animals. Some animals that live in Cameroon are elephants, giraffes, lions, crocodiles, hippos and chimpanzees. Cameroon’s biggest attraction is Mount Cameroon. This is a volcano of about 4000 meters high. Many different plants and trees grow on and around this volcano and there are many animal species. At the bottom of this volcano, on the coast, you will find mangrove forests, swamps and narrow sandy beaches. In the north of the country you will also find several desert plains. Cameroonian cuisine is known for its grilled chicken and hot sauces.
Where is Cameroon?
Travel information of Cameroon
Official name: Republic of Cameroon
Continent: Africa
Area: 475,442 km²
Capital: Yaoundé
Country code: CM, CMR
Population: 27,744,989 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 4,040 m (Mount Cameroon)
Distance (Amsterdam – Yaoundé): 5,409 km
Flight time: approximately 8 hours
Travel advice
Current status: All travel to certain areas in Cameroon is discouraged.
Current color code: Yellow, orange and red.
Due to this status, a partially negative travel advice is in effect for Cameroon.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Cameroon that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Cameroon, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
At the moment there are no travel organizations that offer travel to Cameroon. If you want to put together your own trip or are looking for separate travel components such as hotels, airline tickets and a rental car, please visit our travel offer page.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Cameroon?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Cameroon at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Cameroon has a tropical climate. Temperatures are around 25 to 40 degrees all year round.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Cameroon can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Cameroon can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February and December are the best months to travel to Cameroon. This avoids the prolonged rainy season.
Language
French and English are both an official language in Cameroon.
Would you like to translate from or into French and/or English free of charge? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months when applying for a visa.
A visa is required. You can apply for this in person at the Embassy of Cameroon in The Hague.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Dutch embassy in Benin (also for Cameroon): netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulate in Cameroon: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Cameroon in the Netherlands: cameroon-embassy.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Cameroon, it is mandatory to get vaccinated against yellow fever.
In addition, there are one or more vaccinations that are recommended.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria
Malaria occurs in Cameroon. Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Cameroon, payment is made with the CFA franc (XAF).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Cameroon can be found on our ATMs page. However, these do not accept Dutch bank cards.
Price level
Prices in Cameroon are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -45% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (66% cheaper), food (40% cheaper), imported beer in catering (60% cheaper), cigarettes (78% cheaper) and public transport (86% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Cameroon it is customary to give a tip of approximately 5-10%.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 1 hour earlier in Cameroon.
During our winter time there is no time difference.
Cameroon has no difference between winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Cameroon can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Cameroon you have to drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Cameroon.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Cameroon.
Electricity
In Cameroon you can use a Dutch flat plug.
A round plug must have a recess for the grounding pin present in the socket. You need a travel plug if your plug does not have such a recess.
More information about electricity in Cameroon can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 117
– Fire: 118
– Ambulance: 119
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Cameroon can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Cameroon can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Cameroon end with.cm. Cameroon’s official
website: prc.cm.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Cameroon is 00237 or +237.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Cameroon? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Cameroon.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos from Cameroon.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Cameroon.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Cameroon can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Cameroon, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Cameroon?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Cameroon. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Cameroon can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Cameroon can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Cameroon? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, perfume and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Cameroon.
– Alcohol: Buy from the age of 21, drink from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.8.
– Tobacco: Unknown
– Smoking ban: No
– Homosexuality: Not allowed. Prison sentence up to 10 years.
Did you know that…
…Cameroon has been in German, English and French hands?
…In 1986 about 1,700 people were killed in a Limnic eruption in Cameroon?
…Only 79% of children in Cameroon are registered at birth?
…About half of the children under the age of 14 are involved in child labour?
…More than 230 different peoples live in Cameroon?
…Football is the most important sport in Cameroon?
