My journey in Cameroon Africa as a woman alone

by Annie Klasen
(The Netherlands)

Last year I traveled nearly one month (February - March) in Cameroon.

For information about Cameroon I used the German travelers guide “Kamerun”, written by Regina Fuchs, from the serie:

Reise Know How,

ISBN-10: 3-8317-1530-0 or

ISBN-13: 978-3-8317-1530-5.


A very good book (although maybe not available any more?) Telephone numbers (I used from this book) may have changed in the meanwhile.


Arriving by plane from Amsterdam, via Casablanca.


Because of logistic problems of Air Maroc I missed the connecting flight to Douala.


So one night and almost one day I had to stay in a hotel in Casablanca.


Maroc Air pays for it. So my plan has to change, now I will arrive in the middle of the night in Douala, Cameroon, Africa.


Phoning my husband in Holland who warned Cesar that I will arrive the another day/night...


At Douala, I stayed for 3 nights in the ”Foyer des Marins”, very agreeable green garden with terraces, swimming pool, very clean rooms and friendly people, good meals and not expensive.


You can find them on the internet.

They advised me to take taxi driver César, a reliable person and a good driver.


In the middle of the night he was there, at the appointment, at the airport to bring me to the “Foyer des Marins”.

Wonderful! I traveled by bus from Douala to Yaounde, 3 hours.

In Douala there are modern comfortable big buses to the capital.

In Yaounde I toke the night train to Ngaoundere.

I advise you to take a first class ticket with a bed and you will have a really wonderful journey.


With 3 Cameroon women I had a 4beds couchette.

The train leaves at 18 o’clock.

I arrived at 12 o’clock at the Yaounde-train station and there were no beds available, they said.


Then you have to wait till 16.00 h. Till that time the reservations can be collect.


If someone doesn’t collect his reservation before that time, they sell that bed again.


Then you have a chance to buy. I succeeded to buy a ticket that way (plus an extra amount of money for the person in charge)


Otherwise you have to order a reservation for the next day and take a hotel for one night.


You can also take a first class seat. I did that on the journey back. You surely survive (because I did), but I prefer a bed.


You experience so much better the long journey in the dark night along the villages where at the little stations people went along the train to sell food and water.


In Ngaoundere there are buses at the train station. There I toke a minibus to Maroua, a 9hours drive, straigh road to the north, via Garoua.


In Cameroon 4 people are sitting where 3 would be comfortable. Get used to it. They are all very friendly and children are so nice and well-educated.



In Maroua there are young man with motorbikes at the busstation.


This is the way you transport yourself and your luggage.


There are no buses, no taxis. For me (62 years old woman) sitting behind on a motorbike it was a experience from long time ago.


But it’s ok. I stayed at hotel de la Porte de Mayo, a tourist hotel near the red bridge (le pont rouge).

A good place to stay, friendly people, also good food in the evening. You can find them on the internet.


I visited Waza National Park with a local guide. It is not possible to go by bus.

I made an agreement with Jean-Luc Sini, He often is at the car parking at Porte de Mayo.

He is the organizer (monopolist) of trips. You pay him, the car, the cardriver and the fuel.


My driver to the Waza-park was Sali (he lives at Mokolo) a good driver, pleasant and patient.

He speaks English. At the park you pay intrance, a guide for the park and if you want to make photos: pay.


I stayed in the park for one night in the hotel, there. With Sali I also went to Mindif, a halfday trip.


You see pure Africa, the red-coloured sandroads, the villages, the herds of the farmers, fields, woman making pots for own use or to sell at the market.

This is not tourist- industry. From Maroua, and from that time with my daughter- she went for 4 month there because of a study after birds- we went to the National Park Bouba Ndjida.



You need to take a driver and a 4x4 car. We had a very pleasant person and a very, very good driver.


I surely can recommend.


He speaks french and he is a very very good guide. He can bring you everywhere you want.

We stayed there at the campement de Bouba Ndjida (French owner).


Call before you go, it is not always open/ accessible.




A wonderful place to be. Well, to make a long story shorter, we went back with Terri till Garoua.


Then we took a minibus to Ngaoundere, organized by Terri by calling a friend who had to collect travallers/tourists from that town.


Then by train to Yaounde, hotel, big bus to Douala, minibus to Limbe on the Atlantic Ocean. After a few days back to Douala.


After 2 nights in the “Foyer des Marins” (make a reservation for a room) while my daughter stayed for another 2 weeks in Cameroon, César, again, drove me to the Airport from Douala and I went home, back home... with one night/day-stay in Casablanca because of logistic problems of Maroc Air.