Yaoundé

Understand

A city of 2 million inhabitants, Yaoundé is the centre of political power in the country. The city is in the Centre province, and stretches along the small river Mfoundi, which flows through the city from north to south. At about 700 m above sea level, it is surrounded by hills, swamplands and small streams, on the homeland of the Ewondo and Eton peoples, though nowadays it's home to people from all over the country. Downtown is rather small and comprises some highrises around Boulevard du 20 mai and the Quartier des ministères. The rest of the city is made up of a sprawl of small houses, including both businesses and homes. The main artery is the axe présidentielle leading from the presidential palace in Etoudi to the airport. Yaoundé is well suited for travellers who are used to travelling in Africa. On the other hand if you don't have much experience with this part of the world, you may want to have a guide. Aside of hotels and restaurants, tourist infrastructure is rather sparse, though locals are in general friendly and helpful. Most people are Francophone, but many (especially younger people) also speak English (they may deny it, but their English is still normally better than many native English speakers' French).

History In the 19th century, Cameroon was a German colony, and Yaoundé was founded as a base for the ivory trade by the explorer and officer Richard Kund in 1889, and a few years later a military garrison was established there. It was an important military foothold for the Germans until World War I when Yaoundé was invaded by Belgian troops. After the war, it became the capital of French Cameroon, and has been a seat of government ever since. The city now has a more civilian character: civilian institutions were established and Yaoundé started growing quickly. In 1939, the city had about 9,000 inhabitants, and when French and British Cameroon were united into an independent country, two decades later, the number had grown tenfold. As the national capital, it's home to national institutions, as well as the Bank of Central African States, and as such, a notable business travel destination. While Yaoundé is not exactly a tourist hotspot, it does have a few attractions and serves as a gateway to the rest of Cameroon.

Climate

Yaoundé features a tropical climate with steady temperatures throughout the year. But, mainly due to the altitude, temperatures are not quite as hot as you would expect for a city located near the equator, with daytime temperatures usually staying below +30°C. The dry season is from December to March, followed by

Getting there

By plane 1 Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport (Aéroport international de Yaoundé-Nsimalen, NSI IATA), Nsimalen (27 km south of Yaoundé). Many of the visitors enter through the international airport. From outside Africa, there are flights from Brussels, Istanbul and Paris. In addition you can fly in from Addis Ababa, Casablanca, Nairobi and airports in nearby countries. While most flights descend in Douala, these flights frequently continue on to Yaounde and do not require passengers to disembark. A taxi ride to the airport costs about FCFA 6000, but it can be negotiated down to FCFA 4500 (rates are negotiated before the ride). Alternately, one could get off in Douala and take one of the numerous bus or train services to reach Yaounde (a 3-4 hour ride). Domestic airlines regularly fly Douala-Yaoundé.

By train Passenger services are operated by Camrail. There are several daily services from Douala, modern Intercity trains take 3 hr 45 min to complete the journey. An overnight train from Ngaoundéré with couchettes and sleeper cars runs daily. There are also much slower Omnibus trains several times per week, serving rural communities along the line. Yaoundé station, known as 2 Gare-voyageur de Yaoundé is located just north of the city centre. Train travel is an experience in itself, like is often the case in developing countries. The trains travel quite slowly, hence you can see more of the landscapes. You get to meet fellow travellers and vendors boarding the train at stops. On the other hand, if you want to travel more comfortably and quicker, opt for bus or plane. The trains might not be air conditioned, are often delayed (one reason is that freight trains have priority and passenger trains often need to wait at stations) and train accidents are sadly all too common. Ticket scalpers and petty thieves are other things you need to be aware of.

By car There are paved roads to Ebolowa, Ayos, Bafia, Bamenda, Bafoussam, Eseka and Edéa/Douala. The rest of the region is connected by tracks usable around the year.

By bus The Douala-Yaoundé trunk road route is extremely congested, with a number of official and unofficial check points along the route and should be avoided at night when accidents are very common. Road traffic is in general unsafe compared to first-world countries. Bus traffic is unregulated and individual bus companies are often short-lived; ask locals at the station which company has the best safety reputation at the moment. It's really worth getting the 'prestige' service if you're coming from Douala. If for no other reason than th

Getting around

By bus Public city buses are operated by Stecy. As of July 2018 there's a total of 13 lines, most of which radiating out from the centre along the main streets. The company operates two lines to the airport as well, taking different routes but both going to the central post office. To see the network maps, go to Stecy's website and scroll down. Bus trips are paid for using "Tap & Go" magnetic cards, just like in many public transport systems in the world. You can buy and reload the cards at newsstands and other points of sale. When boarding the bus, you pay for the ride by holding the card against the orange ticket machine next to the driver.

By taxi Shared taxis, known by their yellow colour, are plentiful and the way to go. They will slow down for you, but you should flag anyway, to call your destination, and beep to say yes. There are no meters, fares are negotiated. The price is normally FCFA 250, unless you're travelling a long way, or if you're not going far, you can try calling "cent francs" and your destination. In some cases you may be asked how much you'll pay "paye combien?" just say 300 francs (in French) and you'll probably be fine. You can also say "depot" if you want the taxi to yourself. This will cost you more, probably around FCFA 1000; negotiate before hand You can also rent by the hour, around FCFA 2500 or 3000 per hour. Negotiate before hand, and don't pay more than FCFA 3000. If a taxi doesn't stop for you, it's probably because they are taking someone who has hired the whole taxi. Taxis are normally only four passengers, but some drivers will fit up to six (four in the back, two in the front). Trust your own judgement about getting into a taxi with sketchy looking passengers. The driver should have a license to operate hanging from the rear-view mirror, you could try to check that the photo matches. Ride-hailing app Yango is available.

By moto taxi Motos (motorbike taxis) also exist. At the outskirts of the city they are sometimes the only available form of public transport. They take one or two passengers and often drive carelessly, so you should try to avoid using them. Perhaps surprisingly, moto taxis are restricted operate only in their own district, so they are suitable just for short trips.

By foot Watch your step when walking; hazards include potholes, missing manhole covers and mud puddles. Also, you will encounter street vendors who have their merchandise spread over the pavement.

By bike With a hilly geography, no biking infrastructure, bad roads and little respect from cars, biking is in general dangerous i

See

The city's not really set up for tourists, but some fun things to see are the Mvog Betsi Zoo (primates and lions, with a kid's playground), the Mokolo Market (very big and in-your-face), Mont Febe, or maybe the swimming pools of some of the hotels — see Buy and Do sections below. The city centre houses government offices, some hotels, and the central market. The Bastos quartier, with most homes owned by Cameroonians, is home to foreign embassies and the expatriate European community (drawn mainly from the diplomatic corps). The presidential palace and compound is in the Etoudi neighborhood. Boulevard du 20 mai, the main boulevard of the city stretching from northwest to southeast, is bustling with life. In the northwestern end you can see some of the biggest landmarks in Yaoundé including the Hilton Hotel, BEAC building and several government buildings. In the southeastern end, you can see the Central Post and the Telecommunications Building. The markets (listed in Buy below) are in additions to places for shopping, also attractions in their own right. Also found in Yaoundé are:

1 Cathédrale Notre Dame des Victoires, Rond Point de la Poste. The seat of the Archdiocese of Yaoundé, built in 1951 and consecrated four years later. Nevertheless it is still reportedly under construction. With a cross-shaped interior, this cathedral has room for about 5,000 worshippers. 2 Mary Queen of the Apostles Basilica (Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apôtres). Built on the site of the first missionary church in Cameroon, it was consecrated in 2006, hence quite a modern building. The basilica is built in several architectonic styles inspired by art from the different ethnic groups in the country. The roof is supported by 12 pillars, symbolising the 12 apostles. 3 Cameroon Art Museum (Musée d´Art Camerounais). Located in a former Benedictine monastery. The three exhibition rooms presents traditional art such as masks, bronze and woodwork. 4 National Museum, Quartier du lac. Located in the former presidential palace, built during the French colonial period. This museum presents both traditional and modern aspects of Cameroon. You can see traditional art and clothing, as well as archaeological discoveries from different parts of the country. Then there's an exhibition of the independence period (the last 50 years) with photos of notable events and people as well as national emblems. 5 Afhemi Museum (Blackitude Museum), Derrière le Boulevard du 20 Mai. A museum showing traditional art from western and northwestern Cameroon; one of the highlights is the collections of the former

Do

Events and festivals 1 Salon Promote, Palais des Congrès. Central Africa's biggest industry and artisany fair, taking place every third year. Not only big companies are here, but also small local businesses. In addition there are cultural events with concerts and central African food. next event 16-24 February 2019. Journée de la femme. Women's Day takes place on 08 March every year. There are parades and parties around the city. Unlike other days of the year, men stay home cooking and cleaning on this day. (updated Mar 2025) 20 mai. 20 May is the national day of Cameroon. In the morning there is a military parade, where also other uniformed services and civilians participate. Later in the day there are celebrations around the city. YAFE. A yearly fair along the Boulevard du 20 mai taking place the second week in December every year. Eid al Fitr. The Muslim community celebrates the end of Ramadan.

Invitations to local ceremonies Locals are very hospitable and it's not rare that foreigners are invited to weddings, funérailles (celebrated between December and March to commemorate the dead) and similar events. These are usually amazing cultural experiences, giving a unique insight into the local culture, including food, music and dance.

Activities Mont Fébé has a wonderful golf course. Access is through Bastos and Carrefour du Palais des Congrès. There are several swimming pools in Yaoundé. The water is usually of bad quality, so to prevent infections you should use ear plugs or a tight swimming cap to prevent water from entering your ears. Hotel Mont Fébé, Hotel des Députés and Hilton, all listed in Sleep below, have swimming pools. Other swimming pools include:

2 Club Noah, in Manguier. The club of the tennis player and singer Yannick Noah. It has a beautiful mid-sized pool and 4 tennis courts (3 full size and 1 half-size) in a park-like environment. (updated Jun 2022) 3 Club France, in Efoulan. Big, clean pool and a smaller one for children. Has a tennis ground as well. 4 Hotel Franco, in Djoungolo, next to the DGSN (police HQ).

Buy

Money ATMs are the cheapest way for getting money from abroad. If you need FCFA, there are a handful of ATMs at banks around the city, as well as one in the Hilton in the center of Yaounde. The ATM at the Hilton is the only one that accepts MasterCard. You should travel with another type of card if possible, Visa Electron is the one widest accepted. At the end and the beginning of the month, be prepared for long queues (up to 50 m). At large banks near Hotel de Ville and Hilton you can exchange money. There are also many people on the street who will change money, e.g. at the airport, outside the Hilton, and at the Casino supermarket. Money changers on the street can be recognized by seeing them rub their thumb and middle finger together at you (not a rude gesture, just a sign). They will generally accept euros but some may also accept dollars. Know the conversion rate before you go in case you need to haggle, but the group of people who change money outside the Casino give a good rate without haggling (FCFA 650 per euro, vs. a FCFA 656 per euro official rate). The euro is by far the best hard currency to bring, with the US dollar as a distant second. Swiss francs can be exchanged at Marché Central, other currencies rarely anywhere. Money transfer services like Western Union, MoneyGram, or Express Union International are another way for getting funds. Traveller's cheques on the other hand are hard to exchange, and you can expect exorbinant extra charges for that service. If you're staying a longer time in the country, you may want to open a local bank account. The procedure takes one or two hours and you need to bring your residence permit or passport. Pick one of the bigger banks.

Markets These are some of the bigger markets in the Yaoundé. In addition to these, small markets can be found all over the city.

1 Briquetterie. In the Muslim quarter you can find a multitude of shops. Prices depend not only on the quality of the goods but also on your bargaining skills. 2 Marché Mfoundi, near Rond Point de la Poste. The city's biggest grocery market, where you can find colourful foodstuff and exotic spices. 3 Marché Mokolo, in Quartier Messa. At the main market you can find everything you can expect at an African market; food, household appliances, music, clothes, shoes and whatnot. In the Briquetterie you can find wonderful African clothes that you can buy off the rack or tailor-made (takes at least 3-4 days). 4 Marché des Artisans, at Rondpoint de l'intendence. Local art market (primarily art by the Bamoun people) like wooden marks, terracotta mask

Eat

Yaoundé's restaurants mainly offer local and French cuisine. There are also some Chinese and North African restaurants. Toilets in restaurants are usually dirty, so if possible go to the toilet elsewhere, before or after you go to the restaurant. Good markets for food shopping are Mfoudi and Mkolo, listed above. At markets food are always not sold by kilogrammes or litres. It may be a good idea to hire a porter who can also help out with your shopping and protect you from pickpockets. Packed food is available at supermarkets. Bakeries are often the only places open on public holidays. A good (but not cheap for the sweet things) place is Le Moulin de France, just off the main drag near Casino in the centre.

Budget

Street stalls are everywhere, but a nice place to go is Nlongkak roundabout. Here there's a bit of a variety, and plenty of places to get a beer. A plate of beans should cost FCFA 200-500, an omelet around FCFA 500 (or 1000 if in a restaurant with chips), and a plate of spaghetti maybe FCFA 500. Prices may vary considerably depending on the honesty of your vendor. Prices for street vendors shouldn't vary too much for many items. E.g. Three or four bananas or a grilled corn (maize) cob should be FCFA 100, anywhere in the city.

1 Le St Tropez. A great place in Bastos is "Saint Tropez", meals are around 2000-2500, see the menu. Drinks are reasonably priced. Just off the main road, if you are coming from the centre, after the big T-junction (down which you will find the Meuomi Palace Hotel) take the first left. Given that it's popular, it can sometimes be hard to find a table. 2 Snack Sanza (Quartier Elig Essono, near the hotels La Girade and Tango). Next to the night club with the same name. Serves skewers, fish and french fries. Calm and class ambiance. Guarded parking. 3 La maison blanche, Rue Rudolf Abessolo (Quartier Mvog Ada). Near the La Caveau nightclub, this restaurant specialises in barbecued fish. Fresh products at a moderate price. FCFA 2000-4500. 4 Espresso House, Carrefour Bastos. Aside of Hilton, the only place in town to offer real Nespresso. It's also the best Internet café in Yaoundé. 5 Snack Time, in Bastos near Carrefour Bastos. Pizza and Lebanese cuisine.

Mid-range Some of the Chinese restaurants in Bastos have good mid-range options. 6 Istanbul Turkish Restaurant. A Turkish restaurant in Bastos. No alcohol, but good food; Turkish and Mediterranean dishes. FCFA 2000-5000. (updated Jan 2018) 7 La Salsa (Quartier Bastos). European restaurant serving pizza and steaks among other things. Has received favourable reviews.

Drink & nightlife

Yaoundé doesn't have a very lively nightlife, though there are still a couple of options. Concerts with African music often take place in night clubs — ask locals.

1 Sanza Night club (Quartier Elig Essono). Classy place, though there's usually very little going on in the early week. Guarded parking. Free entry. Drinks FCFA 5000. 2 Black&White (Quartier Bastos). Free entry. Drinks from FCFA 5000. 3 Panoramique bar. Nice bar on top of the Hilton hotel. One of the few places where you can listen to music when having a drink. Happy hour every afternoon. FCFA 5000. 4 Parallèle Club, in Mballa 2. A "cabaret", in other words a restaurant with live music. Popular with expats. 5 Safari, Ave Winston Churchill (in Quartier Hippodrome). A classic disco. Hilton. Hilton has a night club as well. 6 Katios, near Marché Central. Disco.

Sleep

There are hotels in all price classes in Yaoundé. Save for the hotels in the splurge category, don't expect western standards — matter of fact even warm water isn't available everywhere. Internet speeds are also far below what you might expect. While laundry is available as an official service at upscale hotels, at lower range hotels ask the employees to wash your clothes for a small sum. Clothes that have been dried on a clothing line outdoors have to be ironed afterwards to kill sand flies that the clothes may have caught. Hotel rates can almost always be negotiated, especially if you're staying several nights. Credit cards are not universally accepted, especially not at cheaper places of stay. Those that do usually only accept Visa (Hilton accepts a wider range of cards).

Budget 1 Foyer international de l'eglise presbyterienne, ☏ +2 99 85 23 76. Two private rooms and two dorms accommodating 8 persons each, and you can camp in the garden too. Shared bathroom. Reportedly cheap, but very barebones. (updated Jul 2015) 2 Hotel Jouvance, Monté Jouvance in Biyem Assi. Bathrooms, air conditioning and tv in the rooms. Free wifi, free parking. rates from FCFA 35,000. 3 Safari, near the Nsam bus station, ☏ +237 6 99 31 37 01, [email protected]. rates from FCFA 25,000. Bathrooms and tv in the rooms, wi-fi "available". The hotel has a swimming pool, bar and restaurant. 4 La fraicheur, in Movg Mbi above Carrefour Mvog Mbi, reachable by taxi from Rond Point de la Poste in 5 min. 5 Residence Toundalia, Biyewassi, Biyem-Assi, ☏ +237 699935212. Guest house where you can look out over the city from their highrise balcony. Has wifi, dining, big baths, security. FCFA 6116. (updated Aug 2020)

Mid-range There are many hotels in Bastos for FCFA 20,000-30 000, but you can't expect too much.

6 Hôtel La girafe, Quartier Elig Essono, ☏ +237 222 209 415, [email protected]. Good and clean hotel near the railway station. Simple room with TV, air condition, warm water. Wi-Fi, though it might not be functional. The hotel has a restaurant as well. Single: 25000F, Double: 27000F, Suite: 35000F. Breakfast included. 7 Meumi Palace, in Bastos, ☏ +237 2 22 20 92 11. single rooms FCFA 35,000, doubles FCFA 45,000. 8 Meumi Hotel de Yaounde Cameroon, at Marché Nkol Eton, ☏ +237 6 95 18 42 94. single rooms FCFA 25,000, doubles and suites FCFA 35,000. 9 Hotel Merina, Avenue El Ahmadou Ahidjo (at Marché Central), ☏ +237 2 22 22 21 31. rates from FCFA 42,000. 10 La villa Des Lys, Ave Churchill, ☏ +237 222231033. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. Poolside garden, res

Go next

Nearby 32 Mont Eloumdem. A nice climb and a good view of the city. Budget 4 hours for a visit. 33 Chutes d'eau de Nachtigal (70km northwest). Beautiful waterfalls, or rather rapids on the Sanaga River. You can approach the falls on foot or in a pirogue, depending on the season. Budget a whole day. 34 Mefou National Park (aka Mefou Wildlife Sanctuary or Mfou Reserve) (Parc de la Mefou), in Ekali II village (go south about 32 km on N2 to just past Bikok, then turn east on park entrance road), ☏ +237 6995 84175. 09:00-16:30 daily. Sanctuary for primates. Guided tours and up-close and personal encounters with the baboons, monkeys, chimps, gorillas, etc. FCFA 7500 foreigner adult, FCFA 2500 foreigner child. (updated Aug 2020)

Further away Dja Faunal Reserve — a world heritage listed biosphere reserve, about 150 km southeast as the crow flies. Most likely you need a car to get there. Douala — the largest city and economical centre of Cameroon, accessible by air, car, bus or train.