https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/travel-safety/africa/cameroonCameroonhttps://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/travel-safety/africa/cameroon/cash-and-health-in-cameroonHere are a few things you should know about health, money and etiquette in Cameroon.2019-12-18T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/travel-safety/africa/cameroon/cash-and-health-in-cameroonhttps://www.worldnomads.com<h2>Cash and currency in Cameroon</h2> <p>You would be wise to only use cash in Cameroon - the Central African Franc (FCFA) is the only form of payment in much of the country.</p> <p>Credit cards are accepted in some establishments, but fraud is endemic.</p> <p>Counterfeit currency is a growing problem.</p> <p>Make sure you always have lots of small bills as many vendors, market stalls and taxi drivers will never have enough change, even for fairly small bills.</p> <h2>Photography etiquette in Cameroon</h2> <p>While photography is not officially forbidden, security officials are sensitive about photographs taken of government buildings, military installations, and other public facilities, many of which are unmarked. Photography of these subjects may result in seizure of photographic equipment by Cameroonian authorities.</p> <p>Due to the threat of harassment and the lack of signs designating sites prohibited for photography, and the fact that some Cameroonians object to having their picture taken, photography should be limited to private homes and among friends.</p> <p>You should seek proper permission before taking a photograph of a specific subject or location.</p> <h2>Travel health tips</h2> <p>Malaria is a serious problem in Cameroon and is resistant to the anti-malarial drug chloroquine. Instead try: mefloquine, doxycycline, or atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone) as prophylaxis to reduce this risk.</p> <p>Chistosomiasis in endemic in Cameroon. Avoid exposure to fresh water.</p> <p>The cholera outbreak is ongoing and health authorities continue to issue warning notices across the country. In 2010 cholera claimed more than 500 lives with over 7,800 confirmed cases. There are regular cholera outbreaks between the months of December and June with Douala city, Littoral province and the West and South West provinces the areas most usually affected.</p> <p>You should drink or use only boiled (for at least three minutes) or bottled water and avoid ice in drinks. If you suffer from diarrhoea during a visit to Cameroon you should seek immediate medical attention.</p> <p>Medical facilities in Cameroon are extremely limited. Emergency care and hospitalization for major illnesses and surgery are hampered by the lack of trained specialists, outdated diagnostic equipment and poor sanitation. Medical services in outlying areas may be completely nonexistent. Doctors and hospitals often require immediate payment for health services in cash and require family members or friends to locate and purchase any medical supplies they will need. Pharmacies in larger towns are well stocked, but in other areas many medicines are unavailable. You should carry your own supply of needed prescription and anticipated over-the-counter medicines.</p> <h2>Vaccinations for travelers to Cameroon</h2> <p>You should consider the following vaccinations before travelling:</p> <ul> <li>Hepatitis A &amp; B</li> <li>Typhoid</li> <li>Meningococcus</li> <li>Rabies</li> <li>Yellow Fever (vaccination certificate required for entry into Cameroon)</li> <li>Revaccination / booster shots for Measles, Mumps and Rubella and Tetanus-Diptheria</li> </ul>Getty Images/ 11173317851 Getty Images Bonadikombo, Cameroonhttps://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/travel-safety/africa/cameroon/is-it-safe-to-travel-in-cameroonOur travel safety expert shares his top tips on road safety, health concerns, bribery, civil unrest, crime, politics, and corruption in Cameroon.2019-10-08T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/travel-safety/africa/cameroon/is-it-safe-to-travel-in-cameroonhttps://www.worldnomads.com<p>Cameroon is sometimes known as Miniature Africa &ndash; a sample of all that Africa has to offer in one bite sized piece. Be it different cultures or languages, beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests or savannah, Cameroon has a little bit of all of it.</p> <p>Unfortunately it also presents a pretty fair sample of all the hazards facing travelers in West Africa.</p> <p>Like most countries in West Africa, Cameroon's road networks, both paved and unpaved, are poorly maintained, poorly lit and unsafe to drive. During the rainy season, many roads are barely passable, even with four-wheel-drive vehicles.</p> <ul> <li><a href="#road-hazards-and-laws">Road hazards and laws</a></li> <li><a href="#bandits-and-bribes">Bandits and bribes</a></li> <li><a href="#getting-out">Getting out</a></li> <li><a href="#politics">Political situation in Cameroon</a></li> <li><a href="#crime">Cameroon crime rates</a></li> <li><a href="#lake">The poisonous Lake Nyos</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="road-hazards-and-laws">1. Road hazards and laws</h2> <p>There are few road and traffic signs; speed limits are neither posted nor enforced and buses and logging trucks travel at excessive speed creating a constant threat to other road traffic.</p> <p>Other common road hazards include (but are not limited to):</p> <ul> <li>Poorly-maintained vehicles (no lights, brake lights or hazard lights)</li> <li>Unskilled, aggressive and intoxicated drivers</li> <li>A total disregard to all road rules by all drivers</li> <li>Livestock and pedestrians on roads, especially at night.</li> </ul> <p>Local law states that vehicles involved in an accident should not be moved until the police arrive and a police report can be made. However, if an accident results in injury, be aware that a "village justice" mentality may develop. If an angry crowd forms, drive directly to your Embassy or another location where you can receive assistance.</p> <h2 id="bandits-and-bribes">2. Bandits and bribes</h2> <p>Bandit attacks and car accidents are most common outside major towns, especially in the regions bordering Chad and the Central African Republic, but occur in all areas of the country.</p> <p>Armed bandits have erected road barricades on major routes that link rural towns to provincial headquarters, and have taken as many as 100 cars in a single attack. To curb banditry, security personnel may request persons to show their passport, residence card, driver's license, and/or vehicle registration at random checkpoints. Certified copies of these important documents should be kept in a secure location separate from the originals.</p> <p>Security personnel have been known to ask for bribes but normally allow expatriate travellers to continue after delaying them for a period of time</p> <p>Visitors who are not in possession of a valid passport and a visa may experience difficulties at police roadblocks or other security checkpoints. It is not uncommon for a uniformed member of the security forces to stop motorists on the pretext of a minor or non-existent violation of vehicle regulations in order to extort small bribes.</p> <p>You are encouraged <a href="/travel-safety/worldwide/corrupt-police">not to pay bribes</a>, and to request that police officers provide a citation to be paid at the local court.</p> <h2 id="getting-out">3. Getting&nbsp;around safely</h2> <p>Overland travel out of Cameroon can be difficult. Travel by road north of Maroua is dangerous because of carjackers. Gendarmerie (rural police) detachments are posted along the road between Maroua and the Chadian border.</p> <p>The US State Department has issued a Do Not Travel warning for&nbsp;<a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/cameroon-travel-advisory.html">certain regions</a> due to the threat of kidnapping, carjacking, and armed clashes between separatists and government forces. Travelers on roads near the borders with the Central African Republic, Nigeria, and Chad should ensure that they have adequate vehicle fuel, cooking fuel, food, and water for several days, as well as a reliable means of communication, such as a satellite or cell phone, or radio.</p> <p>In Cameroon's worst train disaster to date, an overloaded passenger train derailed in 2016, killing more than 70 people. While some parts of the Cameroonian railroads are being overhauled, much of the track and many of the trains remain in poor condition.</p> <p>Piracy off the coast remains a problem&nbsp;&ndash; if you are caught in such an attack, you should comply immediately with any demands made by the aggressors and avoid any action that could be interpreted as an attempt to escape.</p> <h2 id="politics">4. Political situation in Cameroon</h2> <p>Africa in Miniature is also a pretty apt description for the political situation in Cameroon. Like many of its neighbors, it can be unstable at best.</p> <p>Conflict between armed separatists and government forces have been a danger on and off since 2016. Use your common sense and avoid any demonstrations or rallies as these can quickly turn violent.</p> <p>Most of Cameroon's border areas are unstable and unsafe. Avoid traveling overland to neighboring Central African Republic as conflicts between insurgents and government security forces have spilled across the border into Cameroon, affecting the Adamawa and East Provinces.</p> <p>Cameroon assumed control of the Bakassi peninsula in August 2008.&nbsp;An armed dispute over this territory is ongoing. You should avoid this area altogether.</p> <p>If you intend to visit the Lake Chad area in the Far North Province you should report to the local authorities (the Prefet or Sous-Prefet) on arrival. The local authorities advise visitors to engage a reliable guide, such as those offered by the larger hotels in Maroua.</p> <h2 id="crime">5. Cameroon crime rates</h2> <p>Like many of its neighbors, crime is a serious problem throughout Cameroon. Having said that if you are sensible, i.e. don't flash your cash around, avoid dangerous areas and be a bit inconspicuous you should have a trouble-free stay.</p> <p>Muggings and robberies have been reported in Douala, Yaound,&nbsp;Kribi&nbsp;and other major towns. Avoid isolated or poorer areas of town (notably in Yaound, La Briquetterie and Mokolo), take personal security precautions and maintain a high level of vigilance in public places.</p> <p>There have been attacks in Yaound where gangs of armed men have held up tourists near to where they are staying. Western tourists present rich pickings for poor locals, leave your valuables out of sight and try not to attract attention to yourself.</p> <p>Petty theft is common on trains, coaches and in bush taxis.</p> <p>Carjackings and robberies, often armed and accompanied by violent acts have occurred along roads close to Cameroon's eastern border with Central African Republic and Chad, as well as in Douala, Yaound, Kribi, and Maroua.</p> <p>There have been serious incidents of car hijacking and robbery, resulting in deaths, along the Bamenda-Banyo and Bafoussam-Banyo roads in the northwest. Attacks have also occurred on the Bafoussam-Douala and Bafoussam-Yaounde roads.</p> <p>The level of internet crime and scams is escalating rapidly. The scope for fraud is huge encompassing: adoptions, insurance claims, dating, real estate, the provision of domestic services, agricultural products, antiques, and exotic and domesticated animals. If the deal is too good to be true, it generally is.</p> <p>Taxis can be very dangerous. Taxis in Cameroon function more like a bus system, with drivers stopping along the road to pick up additional passengers as long as there is space left in the vehicle (and by space think any spare slither of space). Taxi drivers and accomplices posing as passengers often conspire to commit serious crimes including rape, assaults and robberies. If you must use a taxi, it is better to hire a private taxi, ideally a driver who you know, for your exclusive use for a particular trip, rather than share a taxi. Taxi passengers should be particularly vigilant at night.</p> <h2 id="lake">6. The poisonous Lake Nyos</h2> <p>One thing that Cameroon doesn't share with the rest of West Africa is a poisonous lake.</p> <p>Lake Nyos is a crater lake in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. A natural dam of volcanic rock contains the lake waters and a pocket of magma lies beneath the lake and leaks carbon dioxide into the water, changing it into carbonic acid.</p> <p>In August 1986 possibly triggered by a landslide, Lake Nyos suddenly emitted a large cloud of CO2 which suffocated 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock in nearby towns and villages. To prevent a recurrence, a degassing tube that syphons water from the bottom layers of water to the top allowing the carbon dioxide to leak in safe quantities was installed in 2001.</p> <p>Today, the lake also poses a threat due to its weakening natural wall. A geological tremor could cause this natural dike to give way, allowing water to rush into downstream villages all the way into Nigeria and allowing the carbon dioxide to escape into the atmosphere unchecked.</p>Getty Images/Cagan Hakki Sekercioglu 11128792339 Getty Images Mana River Foot Bridge, entrance to the Korup National Park