For decades, Waza National Park was Cameroon's most famous safari and one of the great savannah parks of Central Africa: 1.700 km² of Sahelian savannah and floodplains in the Far North where, in the dry season, elephants, giraffes, antelopes and lions gathered around the waterholes under a huge sky. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, it was the natural jewel of northern Cameroon.
But today Waza cannot be visited safely. It lies in the Far North Region, near the border with Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin, one of the areas hardest hit by the insurgency of the terrorist group Boko Haram. Tourism collapsed around 2013-2014 and the park was left practically abandoned, also suffering from poaching and pressure on its wildlife. All the major governments advise against any travel to the region. This guide describes Waza for its historical and natural value, but with a clear warning: for now, it is not a destination you can go to.
On these pages we explain what Waza National Park is and what it was: its savannah and floodplains, its wildlife, its history as Cameroon's flagship park and a Biosphere Reserve, and the insecurity that makes it inaccessible today, along with the efforts to rehabilitate it. It's a way to get to know a great African park and to understand why, for the time being, it has to be admired from afar, always checking official advice before making any plans.
Waza National Park began as a hunting reserve in 1934, during the French colonial period, and became a national park in 1968, shortly after independence. In 1979 UNESCO declared it a Biosphere Reserve. For decades it was Cameroon's most famous park and the heart of tourism in the north, renowned for its elephants and savannah wildlife. From 2013-2014, the Boko Haram insurgency brought tourism to a halt and plunged the park into neglect and poaching. The full story, from the savannah to the crisis, is told on our history page.
Read the full history ↓Sahelian Cameroon: the legacy of Kanem-Bornu and the Fulani sultanates, the elephant savannah of Waza and the lunar peaks of Rhumsiki, now hit by Boko Haram insecurity.
Read the history of The Far North: savannah and mountains →No exact prices: a scale from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (luxury), with 2-3 options per category.
Origins, formation and what the sources say.
Waza National Park stretches across Cameroon's Far North, deep in the Sahel, in a landscape of dry savanna and floodplains tied to one of Africa's great river systems: the Lake Chad basin. The lake is shared by Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria and fed by rivers such as the Logone and the Chari. For thousands of years it has been the heart of a region of wetlands, grasslands and savannas that supports abundant wildlife and many peoples.
The Waza area has two kinds of landscape. One is Sahelian savanna of acacias and thorny shrubs. The other is the 'yaéré', vast floodplains that go under water in the rainy season, when the Logone-Chad system overflows, and then dry out under the sun. This swing between flood and drought sets the rhythm of life in the region and explains its extraordinary wealth of wildlife, especially waterbirds.
For centuries this savanna was home to large herbivores such as elephants, giraffes and antelopes, and to the peoples who lived and hunted there. In the 20th century a protected area was set up to save that wildlife, which human pressure and hunting were steadily reducing. It went on to become Cameroon's best-known park.
Waza became a protected area in 1934, under the French administration of Cameroon, when it was set up as a game reserve to protect the wildlife of the Sahelian savanna. It was part of the conservation movement that, over the 20th century, created parks and reserves across Africa to slow the decline of large animals in the face of hunting and human expansion.
After Cameroon became independent in 1960, the country strengthened protection of the area. In 1968 Waza was upgraded to National Park status, covering around 1,700 km², and became one of the country's first and most important national parks. Shortly afterwards, in 1979, UNESCO recognised it as a Biosphere Reserve, a label that highlighted its ecological value, especially its floodplains and birdlife.
Over the following decades Waza became the natural jewel of northern Cameroon and the country's most famous wildlife destination. Its elephant herds, giraffes and savanna wildlife drew travellers from Cameroon and abroad, and the park became part of the main tourist circuits of the north, with Maroua as the base.
For much of the second half of the 20th century, Waza was the safari destination in Cameroon. In the dry season, when water was scarce, elephants, giraffes, antelopes and other animals gathered around the few waterholes. The sight could be compared with the great parks of East and Southern Africa, though the wildlife was less dense. Visitors toured the savanna by 4x4 with park guides and stayed at the historic 'Campement de Waza', which looked out over the plain.
The park mattered for more than its large mammals. Its floodplains made it a top birdwatching destination, with hundreds of species and huge gatherings of waterbirds in the wet season. That mix of savanna and wetland, large herbivores and birdlife, gave Waza great value for both ecology and tourism.
Waza was also the heart of a wider tourist region. Travellers paired the safari with trips to the spectacular Mandara Mountains, the village of Rhumsiki and the city of Maroua, known for its leather crafts. With Waza as its star attraction, northern Cameroon was one of the country's most popular destinations. That golden age, however, depended on a stability that would end abruptly.
From 2013-2014, the Boko Haram insurgency, led by the jihadist group that emerged in north-eastern Nigeria, spread into the border area of Cameroon's Far North, exactly where Waza lies. The region saw armed attacks, kidnappings (foreigners among them) and a serious security crisis. Tourism collapsed overnight. Safaris in Waza depended on visitors who could no longer get there safely, and they came to a halt.
The park was hit in two ways. First, the end of tourism cut off Waza's income and its visitors. Second, the insecurity weakened patrols and management, which opened the door to poaching and more pressure on wildlife that was already vulnerable. Populations of large mammals suffered, including the park's famous elephants. Herders displaced by the conflict even moved inside the park's boundaries, looking for refuge and grazing.
In this way, one of Central Africa's great parks went from being the jewel of Cameroonian tourism to an area that was practically abandoned and under threat. The 'battle of Waza' and other episodes of the conflict brought the violence into the park itself. The security crisis turned Waza into a symbol of what terrorism does to nature and heritage.
Despite everything, not all is lost for Waza. In recent years, the Cameroonian state and international conservation organisations have put forward projects to restore the park once security allows. The plans include stepping up patrols, fighting poaching and rebuilding wildlife populations. In the longer term they also aim to revive responsible tourism. The savanna and some of its wildlife have proved resilient, so a recovery is still possible.
In the meantime, security remains the main obstacle. Boko Haram and its offshoot ISWAP are still active in the Lake Chad basin, and all major governments advise against any travel to Cameroon's Far North. Like the rest of the region, Waza is not a place anyone can visit today.
This guide covers Waza National Park for its historical and natural value. It was Cameroon's most famous safari and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and we hope peace will one day let people return to its savanna and see its elephants and giraffes again. For now, caution comes first: follow official travel advice and do not plan any trip to the region while the threat lasts. Always check official travel advice before making any plans.
