Cameroon Shopping and nightlife

Shopping in Cameroon

Local handicrafts include highly decorated pots, drinking horns, jugs, bottles and cups, wood carvings, great earthenware bowls and delicate pottery, dishes and trays, mats and rugs woven from grass, raffia, jewellery and camel hair, cotton and beadwork garments. These are sold in the marchés artisanales (tourist or craft markets) found in large towns and tourist areas.

Some stallholders offer items which they describe as antique: in many cases they're merely distressed. Special permission must be obtained from the Delegation Provinciale de Tourisme in Douala or Youndé to take genuine antiquities out of the country. The main markets in most towns sell fresh produce, cheap clothing and household essentials rather than souvenirs, but can be good places to find African-style printed cotton fabric.

Shopping hours

Mon-Sat 0730-1800.

Nightlife in Cameroon

In Douala and Yaoundé particularly, nightclubs and casinos can be found independently or within most good hotels. Both Douala and Yaoundé have a few sophisticated restaurants which double as live music venues and attract the expat crowd.

There are also plenty of basic bars and clubs, some of which host live bands at weekends. The music on offer varies from local sounds to reggae, rap and rock. There are no licensing hours, and hotel bars stay open as long as there is custom. Every large town also has at least one cinema.