About the size of Spain or California and shaped a bit like a boot, Cameroon is bordered by Nigeria to the north and west, Chad and the Central African Republic to the east, Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Cameroon is one of the most geographically diverse countries in Africa, comprising three major zones: the northern savannah, the southern and eastern rainforests, and the north-western hill region near Nigeria. Rich volcanic soils near the towns of Bafoussam and Bamenda in the west have permitted much higher rural population densities than elsewhere in the country. The west is coffee and cocoa country and home to nearly a quarter of the population. The hot, dry north is home to Lake Chad, the major game reserves, rocky escarpments and the broad Bénoué River.

The country's game reserves teem with elephants, lions, giant eland, bongos, chimpanzees, crocodiles and birds galore. There are a few remaining lowland gorilla families in remote pockets of the underdeveloped south-east.

The variations in rainfall from one region to the next are astounding - from barely enough rain to support agriculture in the extreme north to over 500cm (200in) in the south-west around Mt Cameroon. In the north, the rainy season is from June to September; in the south, light rains in March and April are followed by downpours from May to November. Humidity soars in the south in July and August. The warmest months are March to May, when the average daily high is 30°C (86°F) in Yaoundé; Douala is cooler but gets much more rain. During the same period, the north gets up to a scorching 40°C (104°F).

The value of the US dollar in Cameroon has more than doubled since the CFA franc was devalued in 1994, but Cameroon is still not a budget destination. Travellers staying in first-class accommodation and dining out on European cuisine should expect to pay US$150-200 a day or more. Travellers on a moderate budget who grab the occasional beef brochette from a street vendor and take minivans instead of Peugeot station wagons can keep their costs down to US$50-100 a day. By sticking to simple African dishes (preferably from street vendors), drinking water (soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are expensive) and hiring rooms with bucket showers, travellers on a small budget can get by on between US$25-50 a day .

Big-city banks offer the best exchange rates, followed by the airport banks in Douala and Yaoundé. Taxi drivers usually accept US dollars or French francs, but not always at the best rates. American Express is the most widely accepted credit card, followed by Diners Club and Visa; the first two are easiest to use for cash advances at local offices. Traveller's cheques denominated in French francs are a far better way of getting cash in Yaoundé and Douala, but can be harder to change elsewhere.

Cameroonians aren't in the habit of tipping, but they do expect

The best time to visit Cameroon is during the cooler, drier months of November to February. The caveat is the harmattan - the winds that blow sand south from the Sahara and turn skies sandy grey from December to February. On bad days, visibility can be reduced to 1km or even less, delaying or cancelling flights and spoiling views. As bad as this sounds, the May to November rainy season turns Cameroon into a sea of mud and makes travel even more difficult than the harmattan cord.