Bafoussam

Bafoussam is the largest town of the West region and the commercial hub of the Bamileke highlands, a busy trading centre where the roads from Douala, Yaounde and the North-West meet, with markets that serve a densely populated and intensively farmed hinterland: coffee, maize, beans, vegetables, livestock and manufactured goods moving in volume. It is not a pretty town and it is not trying to be. Its chiefdom compound keeps the palace of the Bafoussam fon with carved posts and a museum, and it is the practical base for reaching Bandjoun, Baham, Dschang, Foumban and the chain of chiefdoms across the plateau.

What you actually see

• Large regional markets - produce and goods for the whole plateau.
• The chiefdom compound - the fon's palace and its museum.
• The highland road junction - the meeting of routes from three directions.
• Intensively farmed country around - the cultivated volcanic plateau.

When to go

November to February, the dry months. A day, or as a base for several. Market days are the busiest and most interesting. Roads out are rough in the wet season.

Honest expectations

The town is congested, noisy and short on sights; it works as a base rather than a destination. Traffic and road conditions are difficult. Accommodation is functional. Check conditions in the wider region locally before travelling.

Nearby

Bandjoun is south; Dschang lies west and Foumban east.