The countries of Chad, Gabon, Nigeria, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of the Congo border Cameroon. Due to the political and social unrest in these neighboring countries, local tourism in Cameroon dwindles and the tourism industry struggles to prosper.
Yaoundé, the capital is situated on seven hills and offers visitors a unique insight into the diverse culture of this African country. Tourists should attempt to visit at least some of the local attractions.
Afhemi Museum in Yaoundé Cameroon
Officially opened in October 1999 more than 2000 artifacts, traditional art objects, antiquities, and paintings are on display inside the Afhemi museum. The African Arts/Handicraft and Environmental Management Institute (AFHEMI) ensures the preservation of African culture and arts through collecting specimens, documenting it and exhibiting the collections to the public.
The museum offers artifacts as old as 900 years and includes ritual and ceremonial masks, statues, royal beds, utensils, and a rich collection of traditionally hand-woven fabric. Tourists can also buy traditional Kini-Yen Design clothing at the museum.
Musee d'Art Cameroonais in the Benedictine Monastery
The Benedictine Monastery was built in 1967 and today traditional textiles and crafts decorate the chapel. The museum further offers an impressive display of masks, bowls and Bamoun bronze pipes.
National Museum of Yaoundé
Situated in the former ministerial residence on the road leading to the Yaoundé Central Hospital, the National Museum of Yaoundé is the most popular of the museums in Yaoundé. Displays of Camerounese Art, including paintings, archaeological sculptures and traditional artifacts and even some art objects of prehistoric times of Africa, draw hundreds of visitors every year.
Markets, Palaces and a Zoo in Yaoundé
The indoor market at Mokolo provides visitors to Cameroon with the opportunity to do shopping for everyday and luxury items while tourists can buy traditional art and craft at the National Crafts Market. The markets in Cameroon all have a traditional African flavor.
Other popular tourist destinations in Yaoundé are the small zoo at the Mvog- Betsi neighborhood and a walk through the Etoudi neighborhood will render sights of the presidential palace and grounds.
Tips for Traveling to Cameroon
- Cameroon offers visitors coastlines, deserts, mountains, rain forests and savanna and is an "Africa in miniature" according to De Lancey, Mark W and Mark Dike De Lancey in Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon, The Scarecrow Press, 2000. Tourists should therefore bring suitable clothing for all seasons.
- The country has a high risk of infectious deceases like malaria, yellow fever, bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever and tourists should take precautionary medicine and measures.
- There are 24 major African language groups, but English and French are the official languages.
- Fixed line telephones are available but the equipment is generally old and the connections with many parts of the country are unreliable.
- Petty criminals frequent the streets and according to the CIA - The World Fact Book, trafficking in humans, both for the purpose of forced labor and and sex - rings are still rife in the country.
- Cash is the accepted method of payment and few places accept any other method of payment,
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