Discover Douala

Douala offers several distinct cultural points of interest: maritime themes at the Musée Maritime, public art in various neighborhoods, and La Pagode, a historic house in Bonanjo. When planning your trip, you can choose between a museum, an art program spread across several neighborhoods, and a landmark building. You can also choose your vacation rental to suit these interests: the museum and La Pagode are in Bonanjo, while Doual’art has established artworks and events at various locations across Douala.

Maritime themes in Bonanjo

Since December 17, 2013, the Musée Maritime de Douala has been at its third location in Douala, still in the Bonanjo neighborhood on Rue de l’Hôpital and not far from the port area. These location details place the museum in a specific part of the city and give its maritime focus a tangible connection to the area.

The museum includes a sailing simulator used for training. Professionals and trainees can use it during their training to gain realistic sailing experience; visitors can learn about various navigation techniques. The museum thus brings together training and the teaching of navigation techniques. If you are particularly interested in maritime themes, this focus offers a different perspective from the city’s artworks and historic buildings.

Public art in various neighborhoods

Doual’art has established more than 80 public artworks and artistic events, on a permanent or temporary basis, at various locations and in different neighborhoods across Douala. The art offering is therefore not limited to a single address but is spread across different parts of the city. For choosing what interests you, this is a clear contrast with the museum’s location in Bonanjo.

The “Douala Ville d’Art et d’Histoire” program offers guided tours with commentary on public artworks in Douala. This format combines viewing the artworks with explanations. If you prefer public art to a single exhibition venue, the program is a distinct cultural option in Douala.

La Pagode and the history of Bonanjo

Another specific example of Douala’s architectural history is La Pagode, also known as Palais du Roi Manga Bell. This Japanese-style house was built in 1905 by King Auguste Manga Ndoumbè and is located in Bonanjo. In 1908, Rudolf Douala Manga Bell moved in after succeeding his father as head of the Bell dynasty.

The two dates mark different stages in the history of the house: its construction and the later move-in of Rudolf Douala Manga Bell. Together with the Musée Maritime, it gives Bonanjo a focus distinct from the public art spread across different neighborhoods. When planning, you can consider whether to focus on individual places with maritime and historical associations or on art at multiple locations.

Littoral: Landscape and cuisine on a regional scale

The Littoral region includes a coastal plain and the Wouri estuary; elevations there range from 0 to 100 meters. Mangroves and forests make up a large part of the region’s vegetation, and its biodiversity is rich and varied. The Lac Ossa Reserve and the Douala-Edéa Wildlife Reserve were established, among other measures, to protect the region’s natural resources.

The climate is another regional characteristic of Littoral: it is equatorial, and even the driest months receive considerable rainfall.

Littoral’s culinary diversity includes numerous seafood specialties. Ndolè is a dish made with green leafy vegetables and peanuts; it may also include shrimp or freshly caught fish, as well as meat or poultry. The regional picture therefore encompasses both landscape and nature and a cuisine with a variety of possible ingredients.

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Go to the main travel overview: Wouri.