Northwest · Cameroon
Bamenda travel guide
Bamenda is a city in Northwest, Cameroon, home to about 349,000 people.
- Best months
- November to February
- Currency
- XAFCentral African CFA franc
- Time zone
- Africa/Douala
- Language
- English, French
About
About Bamenda
Bamenda, also known as Abakwa and Mankon Town, is a city in northwestern Cameroon and capital of the Northwest Region. The city has a population of about six hundred thousand people and is located 366 km (227 mi) north-west of the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé.
Bamenda, also known as Abakwa or Mankon Town, has ties to the Tikar people and then was colonized by the Germans in 1884 before being passed onto the French and English. Also in this city you'll find the Bamenda University of Science and Technology and some hilly backdrops.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Bamenda
See
- Mankon Museum
- Nkwen Fon's Palace
Do
A popular itinerary is to do the "Bamenda Ring Road" that involves traveling north to see the Bafut Palace in Bafut followed by the Menchum Waterfalls near Wum, then taking in the volcanically active Lake Nyos where many died in a gaseous release in 1987 and on to the Kings Palace in Misaje. From here, one continues on to see the crater lake, Lake Oku, and biodiverse second-highest Cameroonian peak, Mount Kilum Ijim, and then completes the route by seeing the palace museum in Babungo, pottery in Bamessing, and Sabga Hills en route back to Bamenda.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Bamenda to stay in
There are a few hotels in Bamenda. The largest being the faded Ayaba Hotel. There are various other commercial places that may be better options.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Bamenda
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Bamenda are November to February. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 27 °C; August is the wettest, with about 385 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Bamenda
Getting in
There is an airport in Bamenda servicing charter flights but no daily scheduled flights. There are highways to Douala and Yaoundé, where major airports are located. The roads are good, but with some big pot holes. By road, it takes around 6 hours from Douala by car and 8 by bus.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Bamenda: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Bamenda?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Bamenda are November to February. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 27 °C; August is the wettest, with about 385 mm of rain.
What currency is used in Bamenda?
Central African CFA franc (XAF).
Nearby
Destinations near Bamenda
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.