Yaounde

Yaounde is the capital of Cameroon.

[edit] Understand

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

There are daily flights from most major European destinations, like Paris, London, Belgium, and Amsterdam. While most flights descend in Douala, these flights frequently continue on to Yaounde and do not require passengers to disembark. 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).

[edit] By train

Trains are usually used to move cargo from the southern provinces to the northern provinces. There are passenger services that run daily from Yaounde to the Adamawa province.

[edit] By car

[edit] By bus

It's really worth getting the 'prestige' service if you're coming from Douala. If for no other reason than the seatbealts, it's worth the splurge, but take a jumper incase they crank the air-con.

[edit] By boat

[edit] Get around

City busses do exist, but shared taxis are the way to go. They will slow down for you to call your destination, and beep to say yes. The price is fixed at 200CFA, unless you're travelling a long way, or if you're not going far, you can try calling "cent francs" and your destination.

[edit][add listing] 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.
The city centre houses government offices, some hotels, and the central market. The Bastos neighbourhood, 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.
Also found in Yaoundé are:

• The Cathédrale Notre Dame des Victoires, the seat of the Archdiocese of Yaoundé
• The Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apôtres, built on the site of the first missionary church in Cameroon
• The Cameroon Art Museum (located in a former Benedictine monastery)
• The Cameroon National Museum (located in the former presidential palace)
• The Afhemi Museum
• The Palais du Sport

There is a small zoo in the Mvog-Betsi neighbourhood. Yaoundé has a small assortment of nightclubs and restaurants.

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Learn

[edit] Work

If you're volunteering with an NGO, make sure that you've verified its credibility with an independent source. A good way can be to look at the NGO's partner organisations; if it has any big ones (ie. UN etc.), they will probably have checked it out. It is sad to see eager and well intentioned volunteers have their time and money wasted (and their benevolent zeal diminished!).

[edit][add listing] Buy

If you need CFA, there are a handful of ATMs at banks around the city, as well as one in the Hilton in the center of Yaounde. 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 (650 CFA per Euro, vs. a 656 CFA per Euro official rate).

[edit][add listing] Eat

There is a Casino (a large French supermarket chain) next to the Notre Dame cathedral in the center of town where you can buy typical European brand-name foods.

[edit] Budget

Street stalls are everywhere, but a nice place to go is Nlongkak round about. Here there's a bit of a variety, and plenty of places to get a beer. A plate of beans should cost between 200-500CFA, an omlet around 500 (or 1000 if in a resturant with chips), and a plate of spagetti maybe 500CFA. Prices may vary considerably depending on the honesty of your vendor.

[edit] Mid-range

[edit] Splurge

• Cafe Yaoundé, Hippodrome. Pricey (3000-7000 ish) food. Seems to be catering to the expat crowd with a focus on European style cuisine. Nice ambiance with patio seating in a lush garden area. One of the best restaurants in Yaounde  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

foyer international de l'eglise presbyterienne
Hotel Ideal
Double rooms W/ shower are 6,000 CFA($12-$15) Double rooms W/ Tele and shower are 8,000 CFA($16-$20) Suites dble are 15,000 CFA($20-$30) It's on Carrefour Nlongkak, Phone # 22 20 98 52.

[edit] Mid-range

[edit] Splurge

Hilton Yaounde, Boulevard du 20 Mai, Yaounde, Cameroon 11852, ☎ 237-2-223-3646 (fax: 237-2-222-3210),

[edit] Contact

[edit] Stay safe

Taxi sharing can be risky, even for Cameroonians, and you may wind up with your cell phone and wallet stolen. It is recommended to hire a private taxi recommended by your hotel or a friend.

[edit] Cope

[edit] Embasies and High Commissions

• Canada, The High Commission of Canada P.O. Box 572 Yaoundé, Cameroon (The High Commission of Canada Immeuble STC-TOM, Place de l’Hôtel de Ville Yaoundé, Cameroon), ☎ (+237) 22 23 23 11, [1]. 08:00 – 12:30 and 13:30 – 17:00.  edit

• United States, Avenue Rosa Parks P.O. Box 817 Yaounde Cameroon, ☎ (237) 2220-1500 (fax: (237) 2220-1500x4531), [2]. Monday to Thursday: 07:30 to 17:00 Friday: 07:30 to 12:30.  edit