When looking at Africa it is easy to try and lump them all together or assume that neighbouring countries will be quite similar to each other. This may be true of a few countries in West Africa or even some of the larger countries in Southern Africa, however Cameroon stands out as being quite unique country on the African continent. Some people even call it African in miniature due to its diversity in peoples, climates and landscapes. Read through this blog and hopefully you’ll have your interest peaked enough to join us on one of our Cameroon group tours in 2026.
Geography and Landscape
Firstly, Cameroon has a huge variety of landscape from beaches on the Atlantic coast, dense jungles in the south, hot arid regions in the north and even mountainous regions. Cameroon is even home to one of the world’s largest volcanoes called Mount Cameroon, which stands at an amazing 4040 metres above sea level (13,250 ft). This makes it the 4
th
largest mountain in all of Africa.
No other country in the rest of Africa provides such variation in its landscapes. Most countries in West Africa are fairly flat and much smaller in size than Cameroon, further their landscapes are all fairly similar from Nigeria across to Ghana. If you head south the landscapes are also pretty similar between Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Congos. This really does make Cameroon standout as having a little slice of everything.
Cultural and Linguistic Diversity
Due to its numerous landscapes and position on the continent, Cameroon has a huge number of different ethnic groups and is one of the most linguistically diverse countries not just in Africa, but in the whole world. There are an estimated more than 250 ethnic groups speaking over 230 different languages. Some estimates even put the number of languages spoke at over 600!
While other countries in Africa can also be rich in ethnic groups and languages, few can match the sheer number that Cameroon has. Other countries nearby to Cameroon such as Togo, Benin and Ghana are largely dominated by a single group, such demographics are hard to come by in Cameroon and you will find big cities such as Douala a mixture of all the different ethnic groups in the country.
Colonial History
Cameroon is also quite unique in its colonial history having been under control from several different European nations overtime. Neighbouring countries in the region usually were colonised by one power (usually Britain or France) whereas Cameroon changed hands several times. Cameroon began as a German colony, however after WW1 Cameroon was portioned between Britain in the north (bordering the British colony of Nigeria) and the French in the south (bordering French Equatorial Africa such as Congo-Brazzaville).
Other countries in Africa have not experience such a shift between powers such as Cameroon did. This partition has also led Cameroon to becoming a dual language country with the northern border region speaking English and the rest of the country speaking French. This linguistic divide has also led to some unique challenges for Cameroon, and has unfortunately evolved into a civil conflict between anglophone and francophone regions, which is still ongoing to this day.
Bilingual Nation
Cameroon’s bilingual setting is definitely unique in Africa and has led to the government trying to push for people to speak both English and French. The reality is that there are not many people that speak both in the country. Many people will speak multiple languages, however they are usually a mix of a local language and one of the European languages. French is by far the most dominant means of communication across the majority of the country. English is dominant along the northern border with Nigeria and as you head far into the northeast near the border with Chad, you will even begin to hear more Arabic than other languages.
Interestingly, a new form of pidgin has also emerged in urban centres known locally as
Camfranglais
and is a mixture of French and English pidgin.
Tourism Infrastructure and Challenges
Cameroon while an amazing destination to visit, has very little tourism infrastructure which can make travel in the country a little difficult. Further if you don’t speak French, then getting around the country can be tricky. A new visa on arrival system has also been rolled out which does require a letter of invitation however is much easier to obtain now that the previous visa system.
This does mean however, that if you do decide to visit Cameroon you will likely have quite a raw and unfiltered experience in the country. This is definitely a contrast to travelling somewhere such as Côte D’Ivoire, Senegal, Kenya or another African country with high numbers of tourists. People in Cameroon are fun and friendly and most of the country is safe to travel as long as you take the necessary precautions.
Some challenges you may come across are that roads in some areas can be quite bad leading to long travel times, traffic in big cities can also be very chaotic and tricky to navigate. It is also adviseable to not travel to the border areas near Nigeria due to the ongoing conflict, and also due to the presence of the group Boko Haram in the very north of the country. These areas though are very easy to avoid and you can very much have a safe trip in other parts of the country such as in Foumbam, Douala and Yaoundé.
Final Thoughts: Should You Visit Cameroon?
We absolutely think so! Cameroon is truly a gem in Africa with amazing, people, food, landscapes and so much more. If you want to explore a destination that is not over tourist that can give you a snapshot of Africa’s diversity in so many different ways then Cameroon should absolutely be on your list. Not too mention, we think Cameroon has some of the best BBQ in all of Africa.
Want to know what it’s like to see one of Cameroon’s many local festivals?
Have a read here
about our recent trip to visit the Kack Festival.
If this has grabbed your interest and your now ready to explore Cameroon then check out our
Cameroon group tour
departure dates here. Or for further information on travel to Cameroon you can check out our
destination Guide
.
To sign up to one of our Cameroon group tours, send us an email to
[email protected]
.
