Packing list for Cameroon, travel insurance for Cameroon, and taking your belongings

What to take with you to Cameroon: spotlighted

To bring and to check:

• Documents: passport with at least 6 months validity and copies!
• Money: cash ... and possibly euros to exchange. Don't always count on your bank card.
• Care: sunscreen and aftersun.
• Outdoor and practical: hat/cap and sunglasses. Multifunctional sarong (towel, blanket, curtain, cover).
• Clothing: light and airy, linen or cotton is best. It is warm and humid, so loose clothing is nice. Body-covering clothing also helps against mosquitoes and stares. It can cool down in the evenings, so take a warm layer with you. Swimwear for the beach or hotel pool. And did you forget something? Then you can have it made for a song.
• Protection: good raincoat for the rainy seasons.
• Shoes: good walking shoes and sturdy sandals/slippers. Medicines and travel kit: a small first aid kit with plasters, painkillers, medicine for diarrhea, ORS (you can learn how to dehydrate) and mosquito repellent.
• Safety: money belt or fanny pack for your valuables.
• Technology and equipment: world plug with type C & E, power bank and headlamp or flashlight for power outages.

To consider:

• Reusable water bottle with filter.
• Quick-drying travel towel.
• E-reader or other offline entertainment.
• International driving license, if you want to rent a car.

What should you keep in mind when traveling to Cameroon with your belongings?

• The dress code in different areas. For example, they appreciate it if you walk around a bit more covered up in Muslim areas.

Are there mosquitoes in Cameroon?

• Mosquitoes are having a great time in Cameroon, all year round, everywhere.
• You probably want to avoid them though, because they can transmit several diseases, including malaria and yellow fever.
• The biggest mosquito raves are during the rainy season. In the south this is from about May to October and in the north from June to September. Protect yourself well with covering clothing, mosquito spray and sleeping under a mosquito net.

Are there sandflies in Cameroon?

• Yes. Especially in the north and around forests and rivers. They are smaller than mosquitoes, but at least as annoying. They can transmit Leishmaniasis, among other things – fairly rare, but nasty.
• Your set of mosquito repellents with DEET can provide a solution in combination with covering clothing, good spray, and not sleeping on the beach without protection.

Can you buy DEET, or other mosquito repellent, in Cameroon?

• Sometimes you can find DEET in large cities, but don't count on it.
• It is better to bring your own repellent, because the local variant is often less strong. Mosquito repellent is not available outside the city and you want to avoid being bitten in the first few days.

Can you buy a joint or weed in Cameroon, or take it with you to Cameroon?

• Cannabis (also known locally as “banga”) is grown in many parts of Cameroon, especially in the southern and western regions. It plays an important role in medicine, recreation and beauty products. So yes, there are people who use it and yes, there is a black market. But that doesn’t mean that as a traveller you can happily walk down the street with a joint.
• Weed is illegal - Cameroon has quite strict anti-drug laws. Possession of even a small amount of cannabis can lead to:
  • Fines (with or without a receipt),
  • Jail sentences (which are anything but pleasant),
  • Or extra costs to “fix the problem”.
• And that doesn’t just apply to use - if you are with someone who uses, you can also get into trouble.
• So you better not bring cannabis with you to Cameroon.