Travel Guide Waza National Park

Located some sixty kilometers north of Mora, lies the country's most famous wildlife reserve. It's a long drive from major cities like Douala and Yaoundé, and it's partly for this reason that those returning from Waza Park often captivate the curiosity of the more fearful or less adventurous. It's also Cameroon's most visited and best-developed park. Created in 1934 as a hunting reserve, it was classified as a national park in 1968, and today the park is recognized as a biosphere reserve by Unesco. The trails are well-maintained, and small watchtowers and wooden huts have been built near the main watering holes to observe the animals that come to drink or bathe, particularly the herds of elephants. Remember to bring your telephoto lenses or binoculars, and be patient. The park is divided into two distinct areas. To the east are the large, partially flooded grassy plains known as the "yayrés". During the dry season from October to February, the area remains swampy, as many basins are still filled with water, making it inaccessible to visitors. From March to July, however, this area is home to virtually all of Waza's wildlife, offering a spectacle on a par with the great parks of East Africa. Here you can admire large herds of antelope and lions sleeping peacefully in the shade or in the tall, dry grass of the plain. The western part, on the other hand, is a forested area where acacia trees predominate. Tracks are in good condition, and this part of Waza is accessible all year round, except during the rainy season in August and September. It's the ideal place to watch giraffes, who love the foliage of the acacia trees. Elephants can also be found here, generally a little further south. Its surface area of 170,000 ha protects a large number of animal species, including many large mammals (giraffes, antelopes, elephants, lions, gazelles, cheetahs, hyenas, Buffon's cobs, hippotracks and warthogs...). You'll also find large colonies of birds: ostriches, herons, pelicans, marabouts, jabirus, crowned cranes, ibises, geese, egrets, vultures and bustards.