Check the weather city by city, starting with Yaoundé.
Cameroon is nicknamed 'Africa in miniature': Sahara desert in the north with Lake Chad, savannah, dense Congo Basin rainforest (home to gorillas and chimpanzees), an Atlantic coastline with Mount Cameroon (4,095m, an active volcano), and the cultural diversity of 300 ethnic groups. Douala its metropolis, Kribi and its beaches, and the North with the Kirdi people and Fulani sultanates.
Waza National Park is Cameroon's most accessible and wildlife-rich park: elephants (the country's largest population), lions, giraffes, ostriches and roan antelopes in a spectacular Sahelian savannah. Best during the dry season (November–April) when animals gather around waterholes.
Highlights : Waza safari — elephants, giraffes and lions in the dry season, Maroua Sultanate — palace of the Fulani sultan, Mandara Mountains and perched Kirdi villages.
Mount Cameroon (4,095m) is the highest peak in West and Central Africa: an active volcano (last erupted in 2012) whose three-day ascent crosses every vegetation zone, from rainforest to recent lava flows. The town of Buea is the starting base. Limbe, on the coast, rounds out the trip with its black volcanic sand beaches.
Highlights : Mount Cameroon ascent (3 days, guide required), Limbe's black sand beaches, Limbe Wildlife Centre — rescued chimpanzees and gorillas, Tole tea plantation.
Kribi is Cameroon's finest seaside resort town: white sand beaches lined with palm trees, with rainforest as a backdrop. The Lobé Falls are unique in the world: a river that plunges directly into the Atlantic Ocean from a rocky cliff. Nearby: the Baka Pygmies and primary forest.
Highlights : Lobé Falls — waterfalls plunging directly into the ocean, Kribi beaches — white sand and palm trees, Meeting the Baka Pygmies (forest).
The traditional chiefdoms of western Cameroon are among the most vibrant in Africa: the Bafut chiefdom's palace with its Abakwa dances, the Ndop weavers, and the Bamoun Sultan's palace in Foumban with its 2,000-piece museum tracing the history of the Bamoun kingdom. Western Cameroon is also a spectacular farming region with mountain landscapes.
Highlights : Bamoun Sultan's Palace in Foumban + museum, Foumban market — bronzes, masks and fabrics.
Cameroon is affordable, but national parks and guided tours represent a significant expense. Douala is the most expensive city. Cameroonian cuisine is excellent and cheap in local restaurants.