I have travelled to Cameroon 3x and have never used a travel agency to travel within the country in the past...and all went relatively well. This time we booked a trip to Korup Park through the Lifafa travel agency in Buea, South West Province, Cameroon/Cameroun (near the Mt. Cameroon ecotourism office which is much better known). Without all the details, beware of what you pay for. We paid a hefty sum for a guided tour through the park and were abandoned at the entrance by our tour guide from Lifafa. Needless to say, after 2 days of running through the forest and not taking the time to observe any nature to speak of, drinking stream water (no porter, no food until the next day) and eating minimally, we left the park having seen nothing, met up with our guide at midnight after we were all asleep, waited for him again in vain at the new rendez-vous point the next morning, got to play our...
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The Disappearing Rainforest
by janiebaxter
Cameroon is mainly made up of Rainforest in the South. I was shocked to see how much of it was stacked up at the Port in Douala ready to be shipped. I don't know whether it is grown sustainably or not but there was an awful lot of timber there.............I couldn't get out of the car and take a proper photo as one of the workers was shoutig at me not to photograph it.
Don't take pictures of official buildings
by Bernd_L
Taking pictures of official buildings or staff (government, military, police) but also of buildings of strategic importance (like bridges, ports, airports and so on) is strictly forbidden.When I took a picture of a monument in Yaounde someone tried to interrupt me. At first I didn't understand. Later I was told that a high rise building behind the square houses offices of several ministries. So if the police were around it could have got me into trouble.
Corruption and police road checks in Cameroon
by tom_chapman991
Cameroon is a beautiful country but as with many developing countries there is widespread corruption. I had my fair share of experiences with authorities / corrupt officials whilst in Cameroon. In particular when travelling anywhere you will come across the numerous police road checks. These are in place to check the safety of vehicles, monitor lorry cargoes etc. In the main you should have no problem at all as police are advised to leave tourists alone. However, every now and again you will find an over zealous officer who is looking to get some quick cash out of tourists. Usually this will be the price of beer. These encounters are usually good humoured. Remember to remain calm and pleasant. Cooperate as far as possible but stand your ground. The usual tactic is to discredit your documents i.e claiming that you do not have the proper stamps in your passport. Stick with your story and...
No Change
by Over60
Most everyone who has travelled in less developed countries is familiar with this problem, but Cameroon must be the "we don't have any change" capital of the world. You can hear this refrain from taxi drivers, restaurants, stands, and even good sized hotels. It occurs not just when you present a relatively large notes--like the ones that always seem to come out of ATM's, but also with middle size bills (e.g. the 5,000 franc note, which is worth about 10USD). If you insist that you have nothing smaller, many prople will try to accomodate you by going to adjacent stores or acquaintances in search of change, but you can end up standing around a very long time waiting for them to return. Asking the ATM for odd amounts or asking for smaller bills when you first exchange currency or cash traveller's checks can help, but in the end, I always seemed to run out of coins and small bank notes....
Don't travel at night
by lovin_it
Do not travel after dark if you want to avoid theives and pick pockets. Thieves tend to hang around bus stations and taxi ranks after dark. You will generally be O.K inside the stations themselves but beware when you leave. To avoid this problem only travel in daylight. If you are travelling by night bus and arrive early in the morning, stay inside the bus station until the sun comes up.This poblem is mostly a problem in the big cities (Douala, Yaounde, Bamenda)
Water and GI issues
by IngaRita
Don't drink the water. Either filter it (drops, filter, tablets...) or drink Tangue (bottle water). Follow the simple rules of cook it, peel it...or don't eat it. I had not a one GI issue and i have a very weak stomach. i had more issues in Guatemala. Bring pepto tablets and take 2 if you feel something's going on down there.
Always clean your drinking water.
by Wafro
When you’re trekking in the rainforests for several days it isn’t always possible to carry a lot of drinking water.So be sure you’ve got disinfectations tablets or a water filter to clean your water when you’re using the rivers.
Elephant charges
by Wafro
When you're traveling in the forests and you're lucky to encounter a forest elephant.But the elephant isn't happy with your presence, than the roots of these trees can offer you protection, if he attacks you.
Beware of pickpockets
by Bernd_L
Cameroon is a poor country and a tourist who can afford to spend money only to visit a foreign country is a millionaire in the eyes of the locals. Many of them do not know how to make a decent living. So be not surprised if they are uninhibited in stealing.Use common sense if you walk in the cities. Avoid crowds if possible. Don't wear jewelry or expensive watches or cameras. Don't wear rucksacks on your back where you can't see what happens. And take along only as much money as you need.
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