Douala

Douala is the largest city and the commercial centre of Cameroon. Douala is really quite a hot and sticky place, and the grimy state of the infrastructure in parts leaves a lot to be desired. With more and more people coming here to seek a better life, it is struggling to keep up with issues like pollution and overcrowding. Sadly, it doesn't have a whole lot in the way of tourist attractions either, and prices tend to be elevated because of all the commerce and industry.

Understand
With a metro population over 2.8 million in 2015, Douala is the biggest city in Cameroon and sits on the Wouri River Delta where it hosts a port and some 95% of industrial activity for the country. While originally inhabited by peoples from the Congo River, the rest of its history follows much of the same track as the rest of Cameroon: Portuguese colonists supplanted by Germans supplanted by French and English after WWI, and then lastly independence. From 1940 to 1946, it was the capital of the country, before Buea and then Yaounde finally took that designation. But it has always featured as the center of commerce.

By train
Passenger services are operated by Camrail. There are several daily services from the capital Yaoundé, brand new Intercity trains takes 3 hr 45 min to complete the journey. There's also a slower service from Kumba twice a week. The central station in Douala, (Gare de Bessengue) is located just off Blvd. de la Réunification.

By car
The Route Nationale 3 (N3) from Yaoundé to Limbe and the Route Nationale 5 (N5) from Bafoussam to Douala are the two main roads linking Douala to other cities of the country.

By boat
There are passenger ferries, usually one sailing per week, from Bata and Malabo, both located in Equatorial Guinea.

Get around
Ride-hailing app Yango is available.

See

 * Douala Memorials, Douala water park, Douala shops
 * Rond-Point Deido, historical landmark.
 * Rond-Point Deido, historical landmark.
 * Rond-Point Deido, historical landmark.
 * Rond-Point Deido, historical landmark.
 * Rond-Point Deido, historical landmark.
 * Rond-Point Deido, historical landmark.
 * Rond-Point Deido, historical landmark.
 * Rond-Point Deido, historical landmark.

Do

 * Games Arena 237, recreational center.
 * Games Arena 237, recreational center.

Buy



 * China Mall PK13.


 * Marche PK14.


 * Super U Bonamoussadi, supermarket


 * Santa Lucia Bonamoussadi.


 * Carrefour Supermaket Douala.


 * Terminus St Michel.


 * China Mall Ndokoti.


 * Douala Grand Mall, shopping mall.

Budget

 * |Nice Cream, Bd de la Liberté. A very cozy diner serving pizza and ice cream, just what every traveler needs after melting in the sun. Plus shawarma and milk shakes. +237 6 90 03 03 44

Mid-range

 * |Mediterranee, Bd De Liberte. Greek and pizza, so exciting because it's open 24 hours. +237 6 99 98 09 30
 * Saga Africa, Bd de la Liberte. Regional fare. +237 2 33 42 23 81
 * |Aladdin (Lebanese), +237 2 33 43 28 27
 * La Sorento, Carrefour de l'Air, Bonapriso. Italian pizzas. +237 6 99 91 01 66

Splurge

 * |Le Dernier Comptoir Colonial, Rue de Verdun. Fish, prawns. +237 6 77 76 04 05

Drink

 * Ngodi Bakoko Two Castles, bar.


 * La Casa de Papel Douala 237.


 * Maison Blanche Lendi.


 * Onomo Hotel Douala.

Cope
English and French language broadcasts can be heard on BBC World Service on 101.3MHz.

Consulates

 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * UK

Go next

 * Yaoundé — the capital of Cameroon.
 * Calabar, Nigeria, is 470 km by car, or 9 hours, but you travel through the English-speaking parts of Cameroon, where there has been a successionist guerrilla war underway since 2017.