Backpacking In Cameroon 🇨🇲: Top 10 Sights In Douala

“He’s the only swinger in town” – UK Commentator on the Roger Milla corner flag celebration (1990)

While Douala isn’t Cameroon’s capital city per se, nor is it Roger Milla’s birthtown, it certainly has a capital city vibe. To all intents and purposes, this feels like a capital and indeed it serves at Cameroon’s seaport and business centre. My first landing ever in Cameroon was actually in Yaounde, where I flew in on Air Maroc from Casablanca (a city and airport I have passed through fivce now!). Having got my Cameroon visa approved online, I was in transit only in Yaounde, the capital city. This meant my border control and issuing of the visa into the passport would actually take place in Douala. I landed, slightly tired but bouyant and really living my childhood dream which dated back to 1990 and the Cameroon adventure at the World Cup! I was totally ready for this and suitably inspired!

Importantly, you need to know that Douala is a cool city. Cameroonians are some of the friendliest and most welcoming people I have ever met. Douala is welcoming to the core! This is why backpacking in Cameroon was worth waiting for!

Inspired by the exploits of Roger Milla, Franky Omam Biyick and Cyrille Makanaky, my 1990 Cameroon dream was finally realised in 2024. Latecomer loyal. I even shouted “Omam-Biyick” to random guys and immediately it’s a conversation starter. Cameroon is epic; a country beyond my wildest 1990 dreams!!

I got in touch with local businessman and top tour guide Mebah Markdonald and we met up at my trendy lodge, The Foyer Du Marin. Mebah runs a tour company called Discover Cameroon Tours and they can tailor any trip to your needs! Mebah can help with your visa and is one of the coolest, most down-to-earth tour managers I have met!

This is just a quick run through of the main sights that I enjoyed in Douala. Of course, you might find others to peak your interest. For me it was all about the football, the people, the 1990 dream, a few bars and some art and other sights!

1.Stade Mbappe Leppe

Of course, this had to be done. I actually attended a football match in Cameroon! I did it at the famous Stade Mbappe Leppe!

Samuel Mbappe Leppe is a legend and this stadium is named after him, in the Akwa district of Douala!! The stadium was pretty near my lodge. I will write a completely separate post about my football experience in Cameroon. It blew my mind – I was at a top division play-off match and I met Samuel Eto’o, chatted to him and got his autograph. He was sitting behind me and watching the match in the hot sun! What a gentleman!

I was drinking 7% whiskey Colas behind the nets and I watched a pulsating 1-1 draw between Stade Renard and Canon Yaounde. You can’t make this up! Thanks to Mebah and Clement for helping organise this incredible trip to the football stadium!

2.Espace Doual’art (Art Museum)

This was a quite excellent art museum. They have exhibitions of top notch Cameroonian art in a cosy wee building with a courtyard and garden. You can grab a coffee here too, but I was actually on a trip by car with Discover Cameroon tours and had a beer with me as it was a hot day!

Also at the art museum is a video room and presentation that we watched. All the art we saw in 3D that day was the work of Joseph Francis Sumegne. He specialises in making 3D modern art “statues” from nik naks, trash, bits of broken materials and left overs. The result is quite special.

3.Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul

I headed to the central Cathedral in Douala – Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. Cameroon is a much more Catholic country than some other parts of Africa I have been in, many of which were Islamic.

4.Douala Harbour

The harbour in Douala is hard to miss, most of the industry is based close to the Wouri River, which leads into the Atlantic Ocean. My lodge had a viewpoint over it, and has close links to the marine industry, being the home for German Seafarers.

5.Artisan Craft Market

I still love these wee craft markets in Africa! This one in Douala had a mix of wedding gifts, tourist souvenirs, football shirts, art and interior fashion. I don’t travel to go shopping though, so all I bought was a fridge magnet for Mum!

6.Parc Bonanjo

Most cities have some kind of freedom/independence square. This one I visited is known as Parc Bonanjo and is near the main post office, plus the art gallery. The monument by the pool in the centre represents those who fought in the war from 1914 – 1918.

7.Bolongi Ba Cafe

One of the biggest surprises for me is just how good Cameroonian coffee is. An absolute spot hitter. We headed to the cosy Bolongi Ba Cafe and were served by Sydonie two latte style coffees. From now on, if I see any cafe in the world advertising Cameroonian coffee, I’m having it!

8.Local Bar

I will write a separate post for my Thirsty Thursdays series about bar hopping in Douala, but one thing I wanted to do was drink in a very local bar and I went with my friend Aron. This was a small roadside bar and we just sat on stools chatting. When there is football on, these bars can get packed!

9.New Liberty Statue Monument Roundabout

I head with Clement out of Akwa district to a prominent junction and while he is filling his car up with petrol, I ask him if I can have a beer in the petrol station and he says yeah sure. Within minutes, I’ve bought a beer in the petrol station and am drinking it chatting away to Cameroonians here!

Then Clement and I dander over to the monument in the middle of the roundabout and I pose like it. It’s a huge monument.

10.Leclerc Statue

Philippe François Marie Leclerc de Hauteclocque was a Free-French general during the Second World War. He became Marshal of France posthumously in 1952, and is known in France simply as le maréchal Leclerc or just Leclerc. There’s a statue of him here by a wall of art but it’s protected behind a fence as it is still controversial.

We checked out a few more sights such as some German and French colonial buildings, the Palais of Justice, roadside markets, another church and a few monuments, but those 10 were my main ones with football of course being number one. I deliberately didn’t do too much in Cameroon as I have a desire to go back and in fact I skipped the beaches, Mount Cameroon, Limbe, Yaounde and the main National Football Stadium! Here are a few more photos from my time backpacking in Douala, Cameroon!

Here are the details for booking a tour with Discover Cameroon Tours:

Mebah Markdonald

Here are some of my videos from backpacking in Douala, Cameroon: