Yaunde

Eat

Yaoundé's restaurants mainly offer local and French cuisine. There are also some Chinese and North African restaurants. Toilets in restaurants are usually dirty, so if possible go to the toilet elsewhere, before or after you go to the restaurant.

Good markets for food shopping are Mfoudi and Mkolo, listed above. At markets food are always not sold by kilogrammes or litres. It may be a good idea to hire a porter who can also help out with your shopping and protect you from pickpockets. Packed food is available at supermarkets.

Bakeries are often the only places open on public holidays. A good (but not cheap for the sweet things) place is Le Moulin de France, just off the main drag near Casino in the centre.

Drink

Yaoundé doesn't have a very lively nightlife, though there are still a couple of options. Concerts with African music often take place in night clubs — ask locals.

Sleep

thumb|The Hilton hotel is a major landmark along the main boulevard There are hotels in all price classes in Yaoundé. Save for the hotels in the splurge category, don't expect western standards — matter of fact even warm water isn't available everywhere. Internet speeds are also far below what you might expect.

While laundry is available as an official service at upscale hotels, at lower range hotels ask the employees to wash your clothes for a small sum. Clothes that have been dried on a clothing line outdoors have to be ironed afterwards to kill sand flies that the clothes may have caught.

Hotel rates can almost always be negotiated, especially if you're staying several nights. Credit cards are not universally accepted, especially not at cheaper places of stay. Those that do usually only accept Visa (Hilton accepts a wider range of cards).

Stay safe

thumb|American Embassy in Cameroon: illegal to photograph

While there are many more dangerous places in Cameroon and Africa than Yaoundé, crime can still be an issue here. Basic precautions will reduce the risk of you becoming victim.

Taxi sharing can be risky, even for Cameroonians, and you may wind up with your cell phone and wallet stolen. It's better to take a friend or two, rather than riding alone, especially in nighttime. It is recommended to hire a private taxi recommended by your hotel or a friend.

Beware of pickpockets, they are rife. Be careful with your bags, wallet and such in the markets (particularly Marché Mokolo and Marché Central) and anywhere there are lots of people (including at nights when out drinking). Keep your hands near your pockets and be prepared to grab a person if you know they took your phone, wallet or purse. ATMs are another place where you need to watch your surroundings. Keep an eye on your belongings at stations.

Outright robberies — often at knife or machete point — are also a risk. Give the robbers what they demand, usually your money and phone, and they won't harm you. To reduce the risk of getting robbed don't show expensive looking objects (especially things that are or appear to be made of gold), and avoid badly lit streets after sunset. Place Ahmadou Ahidjo, at the southeastern end of Boulevard 20 Mai, is considered dangerous even in broad daylight.

Photographing sensitive areas is forbidden. This includes military places, and …

Stay healthy

Tropical diseases spread by mosquitoes, in particular malaria, are prevalent here. Bot flies are another problem. They lay eggs on wet laundry, and when you wear the clothes, maggots will eat into your skin. Dried laundry should be thoroughly ironed before use.

Pests are not the only health issue. In addition, unhygienically handled food and water can lead to amoeba infections, cholera and hepatitis. Follow the advice in Travellers' diarrhea#Prevent to reduce the risk for food-borne diseases. The locals are more accustomed to the local microorganisms than visitors, which means you can get problems also from food that locals are able to consume. Also, HIV is widespread.

Local doctors are used to coping with tropical diseases. Nevertheless, there are a big differences between health care institutions in Yaoundé — some are excellent while others are bad.

Respect

If you want to take a photo of somebody, ask them for permission first. They might want a small fee for this, but will otherwise generally be happy to be photographed. On the other hand, you will anger them if you just take a photo without asking first.

When getting around in public, proper clothing is important, so avoid shorts, flip-flops, sleeveless shirts or bathwear.

Punctuality is not as important as in many Western countries. Don't expect exact answers to questions about distances, durations and such. Also, while street names to some extent exist, locals don't use them and might not even be aware of them. Due to this, if you for instance take a taxi, you should ask to go to a landmark or traffic crossing instead of a particular street.