Places to Visit in Douala, Cameroon, Africa

Places to Visit in Douala, Cameroon, Africa

Douala is the largest city as well as the commercial capital of Cameroon, situated in the western part of the country at 04°03′ N 009°41′ E. Douala is the wealthiest city among the cities in the six countries in the CEMAC region, holding the largest seaport and the prime international airport of Cameroon. Douala is the capital of the Littoral Region of Cameroon and exports the products like cocoa, coffee, metals and oil.

Douala is considered as the Africa’s most expensive city and the 27^th in the world. Positioned on the estuary of the Wouri River, Douala experiences a tropical monsoon climate with an average temperature of 27.0 °C per year.

History of Douala:

Even prior to the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15^th century, Douala was settled by the group of tribal people. The real development of Douala began during the German colonization starting from 1884 and the German rule ended up in Cameron including Douala following its defeat in World War II. Douala served as the capital of Cameroon between 1940 and 1946 during Cameroon was under the French rule.

How to reach Douala?

The Douala International Airport is the gateway to Cameroon, handlings flights from Paris, Brussels, Nairobi, Istanbul, Johannesburg and many other global destinations. The airport is located 10 kilometers away from the city center.

The railway connection of Douala extends to the cities of Yaoundé, Ngaoundéré, Kumba and Nkongsamba and by bus, Douala is linked to all the major cities of the country from north to south and west to east.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Douala:

A non-profit organization, Doual’art is the focal point of the Douala’s culture, displaying it with regular exhibitions.

Handicrafts, painted masks and beads are the purchasable items in Douala.

Here are some nice restaurants in Douala:

Les Banquettes Grill & Bar
Bombay Masala
Piccola Venezia
Le Cozii Restaurant

What to do in Douala?

City tours
Visiting museums
Strolling

What to see in Douala?

Doual’art:

Doual’art is an art center constructed to showcase the cultural features of the urban Douala with a nice collation of artworks and exhibitions which covers the works of many famous Cameroonian artists. This non-profit cultural organization was established in 1991.

University of Douala:

Founded in 1977, the University of Douala is among the 6 public universities of Cameroon, holding 6 campuses and currently trains more than 40,000 students by 600 teachers and is also one of the prominent cultural centers of Douala.

Cathedral Saint-Pierre-Et-Saint-Paul:

Dating from the German rule in Cameroon at the end of the 19^th century, the Cathedral Saint-Pierre-Et-Saint-Paul is the prime religious site in Douala and its current structure dates from 1936.

Douala National Maritime Museum:

The Douala National Maritime Museum describes the maritime history of Cameroon including the foundation theory of the National Shippers Council of Cameroon and should be visited for its wide well preserved maritime collections.

Former Kings Palace Bell:

Situated in the proximity of the Place of Government at the Court Street in the neighborhood of Bonanjo in Douala, the Former Kings Palace Bell is a historic palace constructed with wood materials and it currently it houses Delmas travel and Café Palaver.

List of other places of interest in Douala includes:

Hotel Akwa Palace
Place du Gouvernement
Casino Kheops
Joseph-Francis Sumegné
Marche des Fleurs
La Nouvelle Liberté
La Pagode
Collège Libermann
Douala International Airport

Ideal time to visit Douala:

Undoubtedly, during the months between November and February is the best time to visit Douala in Cameroon.

Where to stay in Douala?

Douala offers lots of accommodation options ranging from budget options to star rated world class hotels with superior amenities. Advance booking is preferred. The prominent high end hotels in Douala are as follows: