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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:

• Le Meridien Douala
• Planet Hotel
• Ibis Douala
• Hotel Akwa Palace
• Hotel Palace Bano
• Residence Hoteliere La Falaise
• Vallee des Princes
• Hotel Royal Palace
• Hotel Makepe Palace
• Hotel Prince de Galles
• Hotel Sawa
• Hotel Serena Palace
• Sky Hotel Bonapriso
• Hotel Laguna Palace
• Afrique Hotel Douala Airport

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Batouri, Cameroon, Africa

Batouri is a town situated in the East Province of Cameroon, between 4°26′ N latitude and 14°22′ E longitude, around 130 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital, Bertoua and 450 kilometers east of the national capital, Yaounde. Batouri coordinates with 4°26′ N latitude and 14°22′ E longitude, lying at an elevation 615 meters.

There are tourist attractions in Batouri, but one can find in nearby areas and Batouri should be visited for its cultural diversion as the town is home to people belonging to the different religions including Muslim with their worship places. Batouri has also the facilities of post office and hospitals.

Batouri experiences a Guinea type climate with hot and humid weather throughout the year and an average annual rainfall of 1479.4 millimeters.

 

How to reach Batouri?

Batouri hosts a domestic but it is highly used for charter flights. So it is advised for visitors to reach the Yaounde Airport in the capital city, Yaounde. This airport is located around 480 kilometers away from the center of Batouri and covers many important European cities including Paris, Brussels and Istanbul.

Pre-booked vehicles are more convenient for airport travel, otherwise, visitors can take a bus to  reach Batouri.

Visitors can get around Batouri and surrounding localities and tourist destinations  by renting vehicles.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Batouri:

Kako is the primary language spoken by the natives of Batouri, highly by Kako and the town also houses many other community people such as Baya, Yangélé, and Mézimé. Also, some Muslim minorities speak Arabic along with the local dialect and as the town was ruled by the French and British, some natives understand and try to communicate with foreign tourists in French and English.

Shopping and restaurant options in Batouri are limited to traditional food corners only, and international food chains can be found in nearby cities.

Soleil d’Epices and Resto-Grill are the two popular restaurants in Bertoua, around 130 kilometers away from Batouri, which can be reached by private transfers.

 

Things to do in Batouri:

• Village tours
• Cycling
• Hiking
• Shopping

 

Tourist Attractions in Batouri:

Bertoua Airport:

Lying around 670 meters above sea level, the Bertoua Airport is a modern and well constructed airport having all the basic facilities, but flights are very less, although the airport is allowed for visitors’ visit.

 

Kadéï River:

The Kadéï River flows through Cameroon including the town of Batouri where one can enjoy nature sceneries and water sport activities.

 

Bertoua:

Bertoua is the provincial capital, around 140 kilometers away from Batouri, houses many natural and man-made tourist attractions well as an airport and can be reached by bus or rental vehicle from Batouri.

 

List of other places of interest around Batouri includes:

• The Cameroon National Museum
• The Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apôtres
• Marche des Fleurs
• La Nouvelle Liberte
• The Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apôtres
• Waza National Park
• The Palais du Sport
• Hotel Akwa Palace
• Mus’art Gallery
• Doual’Art
• Korup National Park
• La Pagode
• The Cathédrale Notre Dame des Victoires
• The Afhemi Museum

 

Best time to visit Batouri:

The best time to visit Batouri is from November to February while the weather remains pleasant and best suited for outdoor activities.

 

Accommodation options in Batouri:

Batouri has a less number of upgraded hotels, so it is suggested for visitors to stay at hotels in the national capital, Yaoundé and travel from there to Batouri by bus or rental vehicle. So below is provided the list of nice hotels in Yaoundé (around 480 kilometers away from Batouri):

• Hotel Mansel
• Djeuga Palace
• Hotel Merina Yaounde centre
• Tou’Ngou Hotel
• Hotel Mont-Febe
• Aurelia Palace
• Aurelia Palace
• Hotel Laginaque
• Relais Saint Jacques
• Hotel Franco
• Central Hotel
• Hotel Meumi Palace
• The Santa Lucia Complex
• Hotel des Deputes
• Prestige Hotel Palace

Bamenda Tourist Places to Visit in Bamenda, Cameroon, Africa

Bamenda is the capital city of the North West Region of Cameroon, situated around 365 kilometers northwest of Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon and 300 kilometers northeast of the country’s largest city, Douala. Also called Mankon Town and Abakwa, Bamenda is famous among visitors for its winsome hill stations and cool and healthy climate.

Other than markets, museums and palaces, Bamenda is also noted for the coffee production which is grown in the area surrounding the city. Bamenda is located between 5°56′ N latitude and 10°10′ E longitude, around 1,610 meters above sea level.

 

History of Bamenda:

The city of Bamenda was founded with the merger of three villages Mendakwe, Nkwen and Mankon. Before the defeat of Germany in World War I, Bamenda had seen around 30 year rule of the Germans beginning of 1884. After this major incident, Bamenda became a part of the British along with the other Western Cameroonian towns and finally gained liberty in 1961.

 

How to reach Bamenda?

Bamenda has an airport, but it is served by only charter flights, so it would be better if one can choose to reach either Douala Airport (310 kilometers) or Yaounde Airport (390 kilometers) and then take bus or taxi from there to Bamenda. Both of the above airports have international flights, including Paris, Istanbul and Johannesburg.

Through roadway, Bamenda is connected to all the major cities of Cameroon including Douala and Yaounde, served by buses and minibuses.

 

Culture, Food and Shopping in Bamenda:

Bamenda is a culturally diverse city with people belonging to the different communities, dominated by Tikar people. The Mankon Museum is an important cultural center in Bamenda exhibiting a variety of woodcarvings, beads, and baskets made by locals and that are also available for purchase.

Dreamland Restaurant and Pres Café are the two famous tourist favor restaurants in Bamenda.

 

Things to do in Bamenda:

• Hiking
• Visiting museums
• Shopping

 

Places to see in Bamenda:

The Mankon Fon’s Palace:

The Mankon Fon’s Palace with the museum is focused on displaying the culture of Mankon people who are one of the original settlers and ethnic groups in the area and have a distinct style in celebrating festivals. The museum is in the suburb of Mankon.

 

The Bali Fon’s palace:

The Bali Fon’s palace is situated in the nearby town of Bali, around 20 kilometers away from Bamenda and well known for its ancient architectural designs and strong construction.

 

Mount Oku:

The Mount Oku is located along the Bamenda Ring Road, around 3,011 meters above sea level. This stratovolcano encompasses many noteworthy rocks of which some have around 25 million year history and can be explored best through a guided tour.

 

Menchum Falls:

The Menchum Falls is a spectacular natural beauty receiving water from Menchum River, located around 80 kilometers north of Bamenda. Accessing it would be a difficult task, although it is worth a watch, and to make it possible, visitors can take help of natives or guided tour.

 

The Bamenda Ring Road:

Measuring a length of 367 kilometers, the Bamenda Ring Road begins at Bamenda passing through many scenic towns like Bafut, Wum, Nkambe, Kumbo and finally end up in Bamenda. While travelling through this route, visitors can visit many famous natural attractions including Kimbi River Game Reserve and Mount Oku.

 

List of other places of interest in Bamenda include:

• Kimbi River Game Reserve
• Bafut Palace
• Akum’s Temple
• Mankon Museum
• Markets in Bafoussam
• Brewery in Bafoussam
• Marche des Fleurs
• La Nouvelle Liberte
• Doual’Art
• The Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apôtres
• Waza National Park
• Korup National Park

 

Best time to visit Bamenda:

As like the most, other cities of Cameron, from November to February is the best and most popular time to visit Bamenda.

 

Accommodation options in Bamenda:

Bamenda houses many standard accommodation centers, of which the most are vacation rentals, offering all kinds of basic facilities, charging around CFA 45.000 per night for double excluding breakfast and also they offer discount on age group. Here are some selected standard accommodations in Bamenda in Cameroon:

• Ayaba Hotel
• Zwinkels Guest House
• Top Star Hotel
• Mawa Hotel
• Pelican Hotel
• Saddle Hill Ranch
• Zwinkels Trekkers Camp Belo
• Mondial Hotel