Holiday in Yaoundé

About Yaoundé

Yaoundé is the capital of Cameroon — often referred to as 'Africa in Miniature' because the country unites the entire diversity of the continent in a single state: desert in the north, rainforest in the south, savanna in the middle, volcanoes in the west, and beaches along the Atlantic. Yaoundé, the city on seven hills, is located amidst this diversity at an altitude of 750 meters in the tropical rainforest belt. The city of 1.3 million is greener than most African capitals: tropical trees, palms, and flowering shrubs weave through the hilly landscape, and the view from the heights over the city reveals a sea of green with scattered skyscrapers. Mont Fébé in the northwest offers the best panoramic view and houses a Benedictine monastery with a church whose modern architecture merges African and Christian motifs. The Musée National showcases the cultural diversity of Cameroon in the former presidential palace: Fang masks, Bamoun bronzes, Bamiléké beadwork, and the traditions of over 250 ethnic groups. The Marché Mokolo, Yaoundé's largest market, is a microcosm of Cameroon: bushmeat (legally sold), tropical fruits, pagnes fabrics, and traditional medicine. Yaoundé is bilingual — French and English are both official languages, making Cameroon unique in Africa and Yaoundé one of the most accessible Francophone capitals for English-speaking visitors.