When I'm travelling in tropic countries I really appreciate places where it is possible to do some walking and relaxed birding without guides. Like staying in a hotel located in a nice area where you can do some walking on your own in the neighbourhood. Ngauondaba Ranch seems to be such a place (which I surely will visit) but I'm also looking for places closer to the coast. The birding does not have to be spectacular, even the everyday species are interesting when you are visiting a new part of the world, the possibility to roam freely in nice surrounfings is what I'm looking for. Like in a nice agricultural area with big trees, ponds and so on. Does anyone have ideas?
Limbe Botanical Gardens would fit that requirement nicely. A good varied habitat, coastal with Mount Cameroon for a backdrop, some good birds too!
Some adequate hotels right next door and easy to get to via public transport.
Ngoundaba is an excellent site and all can be done on foot, your timing is good for the harder to see species, Schlegel's Francolin, Thrush Babbler, Brown-chested Plover etc. Benoue is also excellent, different habitat and species list but quite a way from the main road. There are Lions etc in the area, so you would ill advised to do too much wandering on foot off the beaten track as it were. I would definitely advise a hire car for the far north especially the good bits in between Maroua and Waza such as Mora for Quail Plover, Cricket Warbler etc. You cannot trek in Waza either, so you will need transport in and out of the park. You can walk around a bit inside, once the area has been checked for Elephant, Lion etc It's a superb park for large mammals, something of a rarity in West Africa as most have been hunted out. You will need to travel around inside the park to find Arabian Bustard amongst the specialities, I've never seen these away from the interior, ie close to the main road.
Sites in the south, Bafut Nguemba near Bamenda if you don't want to visit Mount Oku (Bannerman's Turaco, Weaver, Bamenda Apalis etc, trashed forest but still holds most of the endemics though Oku is much better), Mount Kupe (My spiritual home!), Bakossi Mountains (visited from Nyassoso), Korup's a must, and the Sanaga River between Douala and Yaounde.
Hope this helps, but if you need further advice PM me.
Mark