Things to do in Yaoundé
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Musée d'Art Camerounais
This museum forms part of Yaoundé's Benedictine monastery in the lea of Mt Fébé. It has a wonderful collection of masks, bronzes, wooden bas-reliefs and pottery. Look out for the brass sculpture of the 'Great Maternal Figure', from the area northeast of Foumban - similar sculpture is still produced at Foumban's Village des Artisans. The monastery's chapel (underneath the main church) is decorated with Cameroonian textiles and crafts, and kora are sometimes used to accompany the singing at Mass.
The museum has a really handy English/French guidebook available at the entrance.Take a shared taxi to Bastos and then change for Mt Fébé.
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Centre Artisanal
This large government-run establishment is a good place to get an idea of what handicrafts are available in Cameroon, although prices are a little high. Wood carving figures highly in what's on offer
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Open-Air Mass
Although it's not put on for tourists, the Ewondo-language Open-Air Mass outside the Paroisse de N'Djong Melen in Quartier Melen attracts many visitors. It's well worth a visit, but put on your Sunday best like everyone else. It begins at 09:30 on Sunday and features drums, dancing and a women's chorus. It's on the western side of town, and reached by shared taxi.
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La Terrasse
Ever popular, the laid-back atmosphere here is accentuated by mellow live music every evening. Dishes are a mix of Cameroonian and continental standards, but choose the draught beer over the bottles, it's a lot cheaper. As we went to press, rumours were that the restaurant was moving to Ave Churchill.
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Musée Afhemi
The Musée Afhemi is actually in a private residence, but it's more of a gallery than a home. The collection of Cameroonian and regional artwork reflects the owner's eclectic tastes. Call in advance to arrange a tour in English and, possibly, lunch. It's 6km southeast of the centre.
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Musée National
Disappointing in comparison to the Musée d'Art Camerounais, the Musée National is small and dusty, counting masks and sculptures from across Cameroon in its exhibits. Some effort is being made to improve labelling, so it might be worth a look in the future.
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Snack Time
This bright place serves up a menu straight from an American diner, with a few Lebanese and Italian dishes thrown in for good measure. The bean burritos are real winners, and the vegetarian pasta a treat for those suffering from a surfeit of meaty Cameroonian stews.
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Globus
A good watering hole as well as a restaurant, Globus has Cameroonian dishes and a few trusty standards like chicken with rice. The big draw is the location: raised above Nlongkak, it's great for watching the world go by, and catching some gorgeous sunsets.
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Calafatas
People cross the city to get their pastries from Calafatas, and you should too. Although it's open all day, all the best choices are gone by late morning, leaving little but baguettes.
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La Forêt Dense
This is a pricey place, with traditional Cameroonian dishes in an upscale setting. If you've ever wondered what crocodile mbongo tastes like, this is the place to find out.
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Le Buffet
The name gives this place away - there's a long, heated servery where you can help yourself to various stews, chicken, fish and as much rice and plantain as you can eat.
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La Marseillais Plus
If it weren't for the posters of President Biya, this would be a good approximation of a provincial French café. Good breakfast, sandwiches and snacks.
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Chez Wou
One of Yaoundé's older Chinese restaurants, this has nice tables set under a wide porch, and a comprehensive menu. The starters are worth picking at.
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Mvog-Betsi Zoo
This zoo is one of the better ones in West Africa. Co-run by the UK-based Cameroon Wildlife Aid Fund (CWAF, www.cwaf.org) it has a sizeable collection of native primates, including gorillas, chimps and drills, mainly rescued from poachers and the bushmeat trade. Well worth a visit, the zoo also houses a few lions, hyenas and a smattering of birds, snakes and lizards. A shared taxi to Mvog-Betsi should cost around CFA200.
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