Travel Guide Garoua

Garoua was founded in 1839 by a group of Fulani who settled on the banks of the River Bénoué, where they set up a herding camp above the floodplain. Over the years, Ribadou-Garoua became a city and took the name Garoua, attracting the surrounding population. It was in 1890 that the town really took off, with the arrival of boats and the trade in salt, cloth and sugar. Today, Garoua is the provincial capital and, along with Maroua, the main city in the north of the country. It was also the birthplace of former president Ahmadou Ahidjo, the country's first president after colonization. The town is predominantly Muslim, as evidenced by its large mosque located at the exit of the town on the N1 towards Maroua.Garou is a sort of green oasis in the heart of the bush, the starting point for numerous tourist excursions to the Far North and the Waza park or the Kapsiki region, and to the large parks to the south of Garoua, on the road to Ngaoundéré.It's also a major economic center, accounting for two-thirds of the industries in Cameroon's "Far North", and is a real stopover for travelers, whether they're looking to refuel, eat or even spend the night.In fact, once night has fallen and with it the heat of the day, Garoua breathes and comes alive. On the road to the airport are numerous cafés and restaurants, often with Americanized names (the San Francisco...).People come to drink a beer on the terrace and listen to street music. Interspersed between these establishments are small grocery stores, veritable Ali Baba's caves, open until 11pm. Garoua is a lively city, but also a very polluted one. Numerous cars make for an oppressive atmosphere, not to mention the dust that adds to the feeling of suffocation. The heat, impressive at times, doesn't prevent you from appreciating the welcome of the locals, always ready with a smile or to tell you anecdotes about their town. Garoua is also a city of administrations. In Cameroon, each provincial capital has a provincial delegation of each ministry. Garoua also boasts the impressive building of the Bank of Central African States, which manages the CFA currency.