cameroon

area
population
capital
head of state
official language
currency
exchange rate

(source: lonely planet)

475,440 sq km
14.7 million
yaounde
paul biya
french & english
central african cfa
check out oanda.com
for current exchange rates

this information comes from a visit to the country in august - september 2002. things might have changed since then. these are my personal impressions and it's well possible that other travellers will not share my views.

from abidjan: immeuble 'le general', rue de commerce, le plateau (level 3). a 30 day tourist visa costs cfa 30'000 (one photo) and is issued in 24 hours. you'll have to bring an airline ticket or photocopies of you 'carte gris' (vehicule papers). deposit you passport until 12:30 and pick it up the next morning. (for a small 'fee' it will be issued in about two hours).

getting in and out

from ikom (nigeria) to mamfe, cameroon :
this is the southern bordre between cameroon and nigeria. officers on both sides are very helpful and correct. you can change naira into cfa (and back) at the border, i did it right inside the immigration office !
after the border a narrow dirt track leads into cameroon. it might be impassable during the rainy season, if a truck gets stuck, blocking the way. after the first village inside cameroon, about 15 km after the border, the track gets slightly better. after mamfe a bigger dirt 'road' leads down to kumba where the normal roads continue to douala and limbe. (there are some stunning bridges spanning across beautiful rainforrest valleys).

sokambo, cameroon - pokola, congo: coming from batouri take the piste south towards yokaduma. it might be difficult during the rainy season and there are rainbarriers where you have to stop if the conditions get too bad. after yokaduma you got mambele where you turn left the piste is no longer indicated on the michellin map. after 60 km there is a intersection called 'pk 27' here you take a left. there is one more intersection before sokambo where you have to take a right. at sokambo the officers are very helful. the ferry across to congo costs cfa 5'000/motorbike and 10'000 for a car.

places to stay

in douala : try the foyer de marins, deutsches seemannsheim in center douala (close to the akwa palace). It's better to get a reservation in advance as it's often full. At 10'000 cfa/night it's not exactly a budget place but it's well worth the money with it's pooltable, swimmingpool, beergarden and overall security !.
if it's full and but you want to stay near, the 'lido' next door has big, slightly rundown room for the same price. You can still use the pool and the facilies at the 'foyer'.

other