Cameroon: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Cameroon feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 76 written places.
Loud, sociable and quick to laugh; greetings and respect for elders anchor every exchange.
✓ Considered polite
- Ask about family and health before any business - greetings are never just hello
- Greet elders first, supporting your right forearm with your left hand for extra respect
- Use your right hand for eating and for passing anything
- Say Bonjour Madame or Monsieur to the vendor before asking prices at any market stall
✗ Better avoided
- Refuse offered food without a good-natured excuse
- Hand over money with your left hand
- Treat the first asking price as final - starting near half and haggling up is expected
- Photograph people without asking first
Worth knowing
- The Central African CFA franc is the currency and cash rules - euros are the easiest money to change
- The country runs in French and English, with French dominant in most regions
- Tipping around 10% is customary where a service charge is not included
- Beer culture is huge - large bottles shared over long conversation at corner bars
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.