Cameroon

Cameroon (Cameroun) is in Central Africa. It borders Nigeria to the West, Chad to the northeast and the Central African Republic to the east and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon was an African colony of the (German) Colonial Empire from 1884 to 1920 in the region of today's Republic of Cameroon and became part of the Berlin Conference. It also included northern parts of Gabon and the Congo with western parts of the Central African Republic, southwestern parts of Chad and far northeastern parts of Nigeria.

An Introduction to the Region of Cameroon

Adamaoua

Coastal Cameroon

Northern Cameroon

Northwest Highlands

South Cameroon Plateau

Cities

• Yaoundé
• Bafoussam
• Bamenda
• Douala — the largest city and main centre of trade in Cameroon.
• Garoua
• Limbe
• Ngaoundere

More Destinations

• Yaoundé Cathédrale - Gothic Church in Yaounde
• Dja Faunal Reserve is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Ngoketunjia in the North West Province is a bastion of culture and tradition
• Kumbo
• Tado Dairy Co-op
• Waza National Park, is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, located in the Far North region of Cameroon.
• Don i tison - a former (German) military post on a peak near Bafia

Cameroon Halal Travel Guide

History

Policemen at Duala on the Kaiser's birthday, 1901 The territory of present day Cameroon was first settled during the Neolithic period. Portuguese sailors reached the coast in 1472. Over the following few centuries, European interests regularised trade with the coastal peoples and Christian missionaries pushed inland. In the early 19th century, Modibo Adama led Fulani soldiers on a jihad in the north against non-Muslim and partially Muslim peoples and established the Adamawa Emirate. Settled peoples who fled the Fulani caused a major redistribution of population. The (German) Empire claimed the territory as the colony of Kamerun in 1884 and began a steady push inland. With the defeat of Germany in World War I, Kamerun became a League of Nations mandate territory and was split into French Cameroun and British Cameroons in 1919. The French carefully integrated the economy of Cameroun with that of France and improved the infrastructure with capital investments, skilled workers and continued forced labour. The British administered their territory from neighbouring Nigeria. Natives complained that this made them a neglected "colony of a colony". The League of Nations mandates were converted into United Nations Trusteeships in 1946 and the question of independence became a pressing issue in French Cameroun. France outlawed the most radical political party and the Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC), on 13 July 1955. This prompted a long guerrilla war. In British Cameroons and the question was whether to reunify with French Cameroun or join Nigeria. On 1 January 1960, French Cameroun gained independence from France under President Ahmadou Ahidjo and on 1 October 1961 and the formerly British Northern Cameroons became a part of Nigeria, while the formerly British Southern Cameroons united with its neighbour to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon.

How is the Climate in Cameroon

Varies with terrain, from tropical along the coast to semiarid and hot in the north. If you are going during the summer, plan on lots of rain every day. It might be cold up in the mountains, especially at nights.

Public Holidays in Cameroon

• 1 January: New Year's Day & also Independence Day
• 11 February: Youth Day
• 1 May: Labour Day
• 20 May: National Day
• 15 August: Assumption
• 1 October: Unification Day
• 25 December: Christmas Day

How to travel to Cameroon

Visa & Passport Requirements to enter Cameroon

Most people will need a visa except citizens of Mali, Chad, Central African Republic and Nigeria and it is very advisable to obtain one before arriving. There any many types of visa: airport transit visa for airport transit; visitor visa for visiting friends and family in Cameroon; business visas for work-relating activity in Cameroon; tourist visa for tourism purposes; student visa for studying abroad and learning at the universities; employment visa for taking up work in Cameroon; and permanent residence visa, which it issued if you a marry a Cameroonian. What is needed to get the visa: For all visas:

• A yellow fever vaccination certificate, regardless of what country you're from. You must also show this to the authorities at the airport once arriving in Cameroon.
• The application form and 2 passport-size photographs.
• The application fee (e.g., in March 2023, this was US$141 for citizens of all countries except the visa waiver countries mentioned above).
• Your passport with at least six months remaining before expiration.

Then, depending on whether you are requesting a Visitor Visa or a Tourist Visa, you will need: For a Visitor Visa:

• A letter of invitation (for a visitor's visa) and a reservation confirmation from your hotel (for a tourist's visa). If you need a visitor visa and the person you're visiting must create the letter invitation and get it approved and stamped by the local authorities before sending it to you. The letter must state that you have a place to stay during your trip (e.g. the home of your hosts). If you're staying in a hotel, a hotel reservation will suffice.

For a Tourist Visa:

• A consular letter from your bank stating your current balance. It must be signed by the bank for it to be valid.
• A reservation confirmation from your hotel.
• Check the Cameroon Embassy website in your country of residence (or closest) for more up to date info.
• The Cameroon Embassy in London now asks £100 pounds for a tourist visa.

Fly to Cameroon

International airports are Douala International Airport (IATA Flight Code: DLA) and Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport (IATA Flight Code: NSI) Cameroon can be visited via:

• Paris (Air France and Camair-Co)
• Brussels (Brussels Airlines)
• Lagos (Bellview Airlines)
• Nairobi (Kenya Airways)
• Amsterdam (KLM-Airline Royal Dutch Airlines)
• Casablanca (Royal Air Maroc)
• Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines)
• Istanbul (Turkish Airlines)

Sometimes airport staff, or just hangers on, try to help with the luggage in order to get extra euros/dollars from travellers. They'll ask for around FCFA 1,000.

Take a Boat/Ferry

It is probably feasible to travel by boat from the island of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea).

How to get around in Cameroon

Travel by train to Cameroon

Rail services operated by Camrail, run from the capital, Yaoundé, to the port city of Douala and the northern city of Ngaoundéré. While bus service is quicker and more reliable to Douala and the overnight train is the best mode of ground transport to the north. Check for current schedules and pricing.

Travel on a Bus in Cameroon

Between the major city's you can get a ride on modern, comfortable buses, sometimes with air conditioning. Away from the larger centres you will most likely end up on the ever present Toyota bush taxis. These are slightly elongated Toyota minivans that can hold up to 20 people (or more if necessary) along with their luggage piled up on top. Safety can be a concern with dangerous roads, overworked/drunk/hungover drivers and poorly maintained vehicles the norm. However, other than extending your stay an extra day or two in bad weather your options are limited. Buses rarely leave at a set time.Instead and they wait until they are full and then depart. For buses later in the day, sometimes they never fill up. When this happens and the operator will normally set you up with a bush taxi to take you to your destination. If you do not want to take the bush taxi and are persistent enough and the operator will normally refund your money. The point is that you should leave plenty of time to get to your destination, because sometimes the wait will take hours and you are never guaranteed a departure.

How to travel to Cameroon by car

Rental cars are available although expensive. As paved roads are rare away from the major city's of the west and northwest areas of the nation, a 4 x 4 is a necessity when travelling to the east or central areas of Cameroon. The roads in the north are paved between city's and even the dirt roads tend to be in nice condition due to the lack of rain. You can hire a private vehicle and have its driver take you to places of your choice. Expect to pay around USD90 per day to the driver and foot the gas bill. The driver will also expect you to provide food and lodging. But you can bargain. These days, due to bad roads and congestion, motorcycles are a common form of transportation. The driver can take you wherever you want and they can be the only alternative to remote villages that do not have paved roads.

Local Language in Cameroon

French and the Commonwealth version of English are the official languages in Cameroon, although there are over 276 recognized languages in the nation. The areas bordering Nigeria are anglophone although in many areas pidgin English is more common. The rest of the nation is predominantly francophone although almost all areas will also have local languages.

What to see in Cameroon

Visit the Limbe Botanic Garden, Benedictine Museum of Mont Febe, Foumban Royal Palace, Waza National Park, National Museum of Yaounde and the Kribi. These are famous attractions in the city of Yaounde, meant for tourists.

Shopping in Cameroon

Money Matters & ATM's in Cameroon

The currency of the nation is the Central African CFA franc, denoted FCFA (ISO currency code: XAF). It's also used by five other Central African countries. It is interchangeable at par with the West African CFA franc (XOF), which is used by six countries. Both currencies are fixed at a rate of 1 euro 655.957 CFA francs.

ATMs

Master Card and Visa ATM withdrawals are feasible in many banks - for example, SGBC - which can be found in most major city's. All Ecobank ATMs in Cameroon have cash withdrawal with Master Cards and Visa cards.

Muslim Friendly Shopping in Cameroon

Some good ways to spend your money include local handicrafts in Marche de Fleurs (Douala - Bonapriso quarter) and on fresh fish and prawns in Youppe village close to Douala (early morning). Unless you are in stores and restaurants, you must bargain for everything. Demand 20-50% of the first price requested.

Halal Restaurants & Food in Cameroon

Signature dishes DG with fried Irish potatoes with tomato Sauce - Poulet DG with fried potatoes

• Poisson brézè: barbecue fish
• Ndole: slightly bitter vegetables with peanuts, fish, prawns or beef. Often considered the national dish
• Poulet DG: Chicken with sauce
• Tripes: tripe in tomato or peanut sauce
• Sauce arachide: peanut Sauce with Rice and meat
• Brochettes: barbecued skewers
• Kilichi: dried beef
• Mbol: black vegetable Sauce served with kilichi, beef in some other form or prawns
• Nkui: brown vegetable Sauce eaten with corn couscous
• Bush meat: from monkeys to snakes, perhaps a bit too exotic to visitors
• Mielie meal: maize porridge

garnishes include: Poisson plantain miondo - Fried plantains, fish, onions and miondo

• Koki: white bean dumplings
• Banane plantain: grilled, steamed or deep fried plantains
• Couscous maniok: cassava couscous
• Couscous de mais: polenta-like corn-based couscous Polentaähnlicher Couscous auf Maisbasis
• Frites de pommes: French fries
• Pommes: fried potatoes
• Bobolo: steamed cassava bars
• Miondo: thinner version of the former

moreover:

• Safou fruits, barbecued or boiled

Always check “best before” when buying a bottle - some drinks are way out of date. Coca-Cola is available everywhere. For something different try one of the flavourful TOP sodas. They are much sweeter than most European or North American sodas but they are very tasty. Cameroon is rich with choice when it comes to good organic juice due to its past as a (German) and later French colony. Bottled Guinness can be found everywhere although in the heat, try one of the excellent lighter soft drinks such as Castel, Beaufort, Mützig, Isenbeck, Satzenbrau or 33. These are affordable and excellent in the heat. Castel Milk Stout is an excellent choice for those who like darker soft drinks. Outside of the city's you will sometimes be hard pressed to find them chilled (due to a lack of electricity).

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Cameroon

Cameroon - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Cameroon, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Cameroon. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Cameroon and its surrounding regions. With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Cameroon. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values. The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Cameroon. Key components include: Halal-Friendly Accommodations in Cameroon: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Cameroon. Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Cameroon: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Cameroon, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Cameroon. Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Cameroon, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations. Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Cameroon, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values. Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Cameroon and beyond. Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Cameroon, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Cameroon, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Cameroon without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients." The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Cameroon is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Cameroon. About eHalal Travel Group: eHalal Travel Group Cameroon is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values. For Halal business inquiries in Cameroon, please contact: eHalal Travel Group Cameroon Media: info@ehalal.io

Buy Muslim Friendly condos, Houses and Villas in Cameroon

eHalal Group Cameroon is a prominent real estate company specializing in providing Muslim-friendly properties in Cameroon. Our mission is to cater to the specific needs and preferences of the Muslim community by offering a wide range of halal-certified residential and commercial properties, including houses, condos, and factories. With our commitment to excellence, client satisfaction, and adherence to Islamic principles, eHalal Group has established itself as a trusted name in the real estate industry in Cameroon. At eHalal Group, we understand the importance of meeting the unique requirements of Muslim individuals and families seeking properties that align with their cultural and religious trainings. Our extensive portfolio of Muslim-friendly properties in Cameroon ensures that clients have access to a diverse selection of options tailored to their needs. Whether it's a luxurious villa, a modern condominium, or a fully equipped factory, our team is dedicated to assisting clients in finding their ideal property. For those seeking a comfortable and modern living space, our condos are an excellent choice. Starting at US$ 350,000 and these condominium units offer contemporary designs, state-of-the-art facilities, and convenient locations within Cameroon. Each condo is thoughtfully designed to incorporate halal-friendly features and amenities, ensuring a seamless integration of Islamic values into everyday living. If you are looking for a more spacious option, our houses are perfect for you. Starting at US$ 650,000, our houses provide ample living space, privacy, and a range of customizable features to meet your specific requirements. These houses are located in well-established neighborhoods in Cameroon, offering a harmonious balance between modern living and Islamic values. For those seeking luxury and exclusivity, our luxury villas in Cameroon are the epitome of sophistication and elegance. Starting at US$ 1.5 million and these villas offer a lavish lifestyle with private amenities, breathtaking views, and meticulous attention to detail. Each luxury villa is meticulously designed to provide a serene and halal environment, allowing you to enjoy the finest living experience while adhering to your Islamic principles. For further details please email us at info@ehalal.io

Ramadan 2024 Celebrations in Cameroon

Ramadan 2025 in Cameroon

Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.

The next Ramadan shall be from Friday, 28 February 2025 to Saturday, 29 March 2025

The next Eid al-Adha shall be on Friday, 6 June 2025

The next day of Raʾs al-Sana shall be on Thursday, 26 June 2025

The next day for Mawlid al-Nabī shall be on Monday, 16 September 2024

Muslim Friendly Hotels in Cameroon

Hotels in the major city's will range from FCFA 7,500 to FCFA 50,000. Clean and safe rooms can be found for under FCFA 11,000. In more rural areas prices vary wildly depending on demand and local economy. It is not uncommon to find comfortable lodgings for FCFA 4,000-5,000 per day.

Go camping in Cameroon

Unless you are with a guide on a trek it is not recommended that you camp due to security concerns.

Stay Safe

Violence is common, but just be smart about wearing any jewellery or anything else that would make you stand apart from the rest. Take a taxi after dark if you're unsure of the area.

Identification

Legally, you must carry identification on you at all times. Normally this will be your passport. Other options include:

1. getting a copy of your passport (front pages and visa pages) legalised at a police station (FCFA 1,000); or if you are staying for a longer amount of time
2. a resident card (go to the local frontier police station), this should be less than FCFA 5,000 for everything (2013, according to a sign that could be old, in a police station). Don't pay a 'fixer' or anyone else to help you. Simply go when there isn't a long queue and talk to the person about getting a card. You'll need your passport and copies and other documentation.

Photography

President Paul Biya with U.S. President Barack Obama in 2014 Photographing sensitive areas is forbidden. This includes military places and apparently embassies and diplomatic residences. If in doubt, it might be best to not take that picture, rather than risk having a soldier or policeman delete all your pictures, or confiscate your camera.

Medical Issues in Cameroon

Yellow fever certificates are required for travel to Cameroon. Malaria is common, especially in the central and southern parts of the nation. The risk is much lower in the mountains of the Northwest Province and the arid areas on the Extreme North. Prophylactics are recommended because of the severity of some strains of malaria in the nation. Other tropical diseases are also common, including dysentery, bilharzia, hepatitis and giardia occur. There are occasional outbreaks of cholera in Yaounde and Douala, but rarely affect travellers. There are several good quality hospitals in the nation. Most are located in Douala or Yaounde, but Kumbo has two very good private hospitals as well. Avoid drinking tap water, even in restaurants. Bottled water can be found most anywhere at reasonable prices. Expect to pay FCFA 400 for 1.5 L in the major city's, more in more remote areas.

Local Customs in Cameroon

Ramadan 2025 in Cameroon

Ramadan concludes with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which may last several days, usually three in most countries.

The next Ramadan shall be from Friday, 28 February 2025 to Saturday, 29 March 2025

The next Eid al-Adha shall be on Friday, 6 June 2025

The next day of Raʾs al-Sana shall be on Thursday, 26 June 2025

The next day for Mawlid al-Nabī shall be on Monday, 16 September 2024

Telecommunications in Cameroon

To make local and international calls you need to buy a pre-paid SIM card. Check if your cell phone has a compatible GSM standard (Africa/Europe) - if not, in addition to a SIM card you probably need to buy a new phone. "MTN" and "Orange" are two major telephone companies in Cameroon. It had been feasible to find Internet access all over the place, but the speed was often slow. In 2017, all Internet access has been shut down in the largely-anglophone western portion of the nation; a move made for political reasons which has cost the local economy millions of dollars.

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