CAMEROON information

CAMEROON (information)

stay: 2004/Jul/27..2004/Oct/5

general view **********************************************

Never believe the people. They lie and betray you for getting money anytime. Even though you call the policeman or fireman, they never come. Sometimes policeman call you for getting money. They can speak French and English and so on. So they choice the language among them which you don't know not to be understood by you.

In this country there are French-town and English-town. Their cultures are different from each other.

Basically the price of things will rise from CAMEROON to the south of Africa.

I got a CAMEROON visa at Lagos (NIGERIA) / $60 or 50 euro or CFA30,000. (refer to 'Nigeria.doc')

climate **********************************************

There were much rain while I had been.

money **********************************************

*$1=CFA500 or less

*ATM for visa are in Douala and Yaounde.

*You can buy US$ and sell T/C, though the rate is bad.

prices **********************************************

hotel: (room) 4000.., (tent) 2000

petrol: (regular) 410..460/L, (high-octane) about 480/L

beer (650ml): (castle, export) 400..450, (muzic) 450..500

stand: (rice with sauce)　250..

mineral water (1.5L): 300..450

Internet: 500/h

food **********************************************

SOYA (beef grilled on skewers);

Please enjoy SOYA! Especially in Douala, there is a SOYA stands village. (refer to 'town')

BEER;

In West Africa, about less than $1/(big bottle). From the centre of Africa to the south the price will rise. And from ANGOLA it becomes about $1/(small bottle). This price is almost the same in South Africa. It just goes down a little in East Africa.

export: You'd better enjoy it in CAMEROON. In GABON it costs about 600..800.

castle: You can find it still in the south & east of Africa. But CAMEROON is cheaper.

muzic: Not sure, but maybe CAMEROON is the last country you can taste it if you go to the south.

accommodation **********************************************

They have enough parking space as long as there's no note in the following. But the security is your own responsibility.

in Ekok

BRUE HOTEL EKOK (N05°48'29.1" E008°51'17.6")

The border officer negotiated hotel fee with the manager and made it free. In this town, there seems to be only this hotel. They said outside was dangerous so I kept my motorcycle inside the building. It was a hard job.

in Manfe

ABUNAW LODGE (N05°45'26.3" E009°18'45.5")

room4000, tent2000 (in the court. You need to negotiate.) / shared shower&toilet, room is clean

You can park your motorcycle in the court, though the entrance is narrow.

in Kumba

WESTERN INN HOTEL (N04°37'54.8" E009°25'58.2")

W5000 (you may discount!)

in Buea

CFA5,000 is the cheapest price in this town.

SPOT INN (along the main street) (N04°09'06.8" E009°17'37.4")

W5000 (you may discount!)

Parlanmenteria Flat (near the foot of the mountain)

room5000 / hot shower with a bath-tub

in Douala

Centre d' Accueil Missionaire (N04°03'16.2" E009°41'49.8")

room7000 / shared toilet&shower, air-con, pool

Hotel Coin de Plasir

? (cheap)

If I remember right, around the hotel seems to be dangerous and in the past, policeman waited for a tourist in front of the hotel then took him to the police station for getting money.

in Yaounde

Foyer international (N03°52'47.8" E011°31'20.3")

D3000 (you may discount!) / shared toilet&shower

They said outside was dangerous so I kept my motorcycle inside the entrance hall, though it was a hard job.

Hotel Ideal (near the roundabout (Carrefour Nlonkak)) (N03°53'06.4" E011°31'09.6")

W? 6000

First, if you find this hotel, you can know where you are in a map easily.

town **********************************************

in Ekok

beer; 700, (Guinness) 1000

*No ATM

*black-market (a shop): N255=CFA1,000, $1=CFA500 (2004/Jul/27) They drop fractions.

You should think Naira (Nigerian money) becomes no value outside Nigeria. It may be only here you can sell Naira (Nigerian money).

in Manfe

bread&tea (hotel); 500, beer; 400, Internet; 200..400/min!

*No ATM

*bank: $1=CFA520 (2004/Jul/28);

Less than CFA1000 will be dropped. So if you exchange less than $100, the rate is $1=CFA500 in essence. And they hate small US$ note (less than $50). The bank near the roundabout can exchange money(..15:30).

*black-market (a shop): $1=CFA500

They reject small US$ note (less than $50).

in Kumba

soya;100, beer; (castle) 400, stand; (gari&fufu&meat) 300

*No ATM for VISA

*Western Union: $1=CFA500 (T/C impossible) (2004/Jul/30)

*Union Bank: $1=514.240 (after com & vat is the following) (2004/Jul/30)

$40=CFA18,196 (including com2000, vat374), $200T/C=CFA83,097, $500T/C=CFA23,890 In essence $1= less than $500. T/C & small money will be less than this.

in Buea

You can climb up Mt. Cameroon in Jan. or Feb.

Internet; 300/h.

in Douala

The biggest city & commercial town in Cameroon. There is a SOYA stands village along the street to Buea on the outskirts of the town. You can go there by taxi. It's more tasty than in Yaounde.

petrol; (super=regular) 477, beer; (castle, export) 400..450, (muzic) 450..500, stand; 250, shoes repair; 500, Internet; 500/h,

*ATM for VISA are many.

*Citi Bank (CitiGroup)(2004/Aug/3): $1=CFA536, $500T/C=CFA244,260 (in essence $1=488.52. com is about $44!) T/C needs more com than cash. (N04°02'17.7" E009°41'17.4")

*EcoBank (Aug/10): $1=CFA510 com2.5% (T/C is the same rate.)

Internet-cafe;

'cyber link' (N04°05'14.2" E009°39'53.7") on the outskirts of the town. No.14 & No.D are Japanese available. If you mail to me, I'll tell you my user name & pw then you can use my remained time. 500/h, 2,000/5h, 4,000/11h... (You can negotiate with the time & price.)

'intelligentsia' (N04°02'16.5" E009°42'07.8") centre of the town. 2F of the building. 500/h

DHL (N04°02'34.4" E009°41'21.3"), YAMAHA(motorcycle shop) (N04°03'11.5" E009°41'45.6")

in Yaounde (capital)

Restaurants are expensive. From 1000/meal. Unfortunately there are few stands (restaurant for local people). You can find some of them in front of the railway station from 500.., though the taste is not good.

petrol; (super=regular) 477, beer; (castle, export) 400..450, (muzic) 450..500, stand; 500, restaurant;1,000.., onion; 100 and a little, carrot+eggplant; 100 and a little, can of sardine; 290.., water (1.5L); 300..450, mosquito coil; 300..400/10 coils, Internet; 500/h

*ATM for VISA are many.

*Eco Bank: (buying US$) CFA557=$1 (2004/Sep/30)

CFA501,300+com23,195=$900 (in essence CFA582.77=$1) You need your passport and Air-ticket. Along 'Ave de Caulle' (N03°52'38.0" E011°30'59.9")

*CitiBank: They don't exchange US$T/C for US$ cash. They have no ATM for CitiBank card. (near the EcoBank)

Internet-cafe; near the roundabout (Carrefour Nlonkak), you can find. Some of them you can type Japanese.

government establishments (visa) **********************************************

in Yaounde (capital)

GABON embassy (N03°53'40.2" E011°31'09.9")

single 1 month (2,3 months are same price): photo 1, CFA35,000, application AM, issue14:30 on the same day

You'd better take photo copies of GABON visa & passport. At the border, sometimes they'll be required.

CONGO embassy (near GABON embassy) (N03°53'43.5" E011°31'13.7")

single 1 month: photo 2, CFA50,000, issue: next day 9:00

JAPAN embassy (near Chinese embassy) (N03°53'50.9" E011°30'42.9")

enlargement: CFA12,500 (2004/Sep)

There is an information note written by tourists. / tel. 220-62-02 (emergency 711-0506)

immigration (along 'Ave de I'Independance') (N03°52'54.1" E011°31'04.4")

border **********************************************

Ekok (entry from Nigeria);

No money is required. Your belongings will be checked.

Kye Ossi (leaving for Gabon);

No money is required. The customs is beginning of the town. The immigration is near the roundabout. The military check (passport check) is the exit of the town.

road **********************************************

　 road map

Only the main road is paved. When it rains, there will be many big puddles on the side roads. Sometimes you cannot find the border between the road and the road-side ditch.

Unbelievable road is Manfe Road. That is Ekok (the southern border close to Nigeria)-Manfe. It is the worst muddy road. You never go in the rain.

Ekok--(Manfe Road)--Manfe[70km]: Ekok--(earth, if it rains, it becomes slippery.)[40km]--/--(ultra muddy road with steep slopes. You need some helpers. The engine may be overheated.)[5km]--/--(becoming better?),(bridges without handrail),(earth, if it rains, it becomes slippery.)[?km]---/--(pavement)[3km?]--Manfe

Manfe--Kumba[172km]: paved&slippery&graveled road by turns

Manfe--Bamenda[?km]: It seems to be like Manfe-road.

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