Adamawa PlateauAbout Adamawa Plateau
The Adamawa Plateau is a highland region in central Cameroon (and extending into neighbouring countries), forming a broad upland area of rolling pastures and volcanic remnants. It is an important agricultural and pastoral zone, with extensive cattle grazing and scattered towns.
Settlements on and around the plateau provide market towns and transport links; the region’s economy is centred on livestock, subsistence farming and timber in some areas. The landscape includes gallery forests along rivers, grasslands and isolated volcanic hills that rise above the surrounding plain.
Geographically the plateau forms an upland belt across central Cameroon, with the regional city of Ngaoundéré located near its southern edge; elevations generally range around one to one and a half thousand metres above sea level.
- Elevation and land use: The plateau rises to averages around 1,000 to 1,500 metres in elevation and functions as an important cattle-rearing and grazing region in central Cameroon.
- Visiting season: Dry-season access is typically easier for travel and wildlife viewing; the rainy season brings heavy showers and can make rural roads difficult to pass.
What to See#
- Ngaoundéré: Ngaoundéré, the largest city on the plateau, serving as a regional commercial and transport hub at the foot of the highlands.
Best Time to Visit Adamawa Plateau
The Adamawa Plateau is most accessible during the dry season (November-February), when travel conditions are easier and rainfall is minimal.
Weather & Climate near Adamawa Plateau
Adamawa Plateau's climate is classified as Tropical Savanna - Tropical Savanna climate with consistently warm temperatures year-round. Temperatures range from 13°C to 31°C. Abundant rainfall (1610 mm/year), wettest in August with a pronounced dry season.
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Ideal | 13° - 30° | 22° | 1 mm | mostly sunny | 44% | 1.6 m/s | 2.1 extreme | 11.7h |
| February | Ideal | 15° - 31° | 23° | 4 mm | partly cloudy | 43% | 1.7 m/s | 2.1 extreme | 11.8h |
| March | Excellent | 17° - 31° | 24° | 48 mm | partly cloudy | 51% | 1.7 m/s | 2.2 extreme | 12.0h |
| April | Very Good | 18° - 30° | 24° | 129 mm | partly cloudy | 72% | 1.7 m/s | 2.2 extreme | 12.2h |
| May | Very Good | 18° - 28° | 23° | 189 mm | partly cloudy | 81% | 1.4 m/s | 2.1 extreme | 12.3h |
| June | Good | 17° - 27° | 22° | 219 mm | overcast | 83% | 1.6 m/s | 1.9 very high | 12.4h |
| July | Good | 17° - 25° | 21° | 277 mm | overcast | 85% | 1.4 m/s | 1.8 very high | 12.3h |
| August | Good | 17° - 26° | 21° | 292 mm | overcast | 87% | 1.5 m/s | 1.9 very high | 12.2h |
| September | Good | 17° - 26° | 21° | 269 mm | overcast | 86% | 1.2 m/s | 2.1 extreme | 12.0h |
| October | Good | 17° - 27° | 22° | 164 mm | overcast | 83% | 1.3 m/s | 2.1 extreme | 11.9h |
| November | Ideal | 15° - 29° | 22° | 17 mm | some cloud | 69% | 1.5 m/s | 2.1 extreme | 11.7h |
| December | Ideal | 13° - 30° | 21° | 1 mm | mostly sunny | 53% | 1.5 m/s | 2.0 very high | 11.6h |
How to Get to Adamawa Plateau
The Adamawa Plateau is reached overland from the regional capital Ngaoundéré, which is the main gateway in Cameroon’s Adamawa Region. Ngaoundéré has road links to other Cameroonian cities (and an airport), and from there you travel on regional roads into towns and highland areas on the plateau; travel times vary with your specific destination and road conditions.
Tips for Visiting Adamawa Plateau
- Use Ngaoundéré as your regional gateway: it's the main city with road links into the Adamawa Plateau and the usual starting point for treks and cultural visits.
- Travel in the dry season (roughly November-February) when unsealed roads and tracks across the plateau are most passable; heavy rains can render many routes impassable.
- Hire a local guide for remote tracks and to connect with Fulani markets and cattle‑trail areas - those cultural landscapes are easy to miss if you only pass through by road.