When researching travel to Cameroon online you will find a lot of conflicting information online. Especially with the common use of AI for answers these days much of the information being put it is not really accurate. We recently explored the city of Douala and so here is our take on the safety of Cameroons biggest city.
Many cities in this region have a reputation of being quite dangerous for foreign tourists and some of them have that reputation for a reason, but we overall think Douala is safe to travel, even for solo travellers!
Douala is a bustling port city that is often the first point of call when arriving into Cameroon. It has bustling lively markets, great outdoor barbecue places and numerous bars to wet your whistle. And we mean numerous, almost every business or building for that matter sells beer in this city.
Safest areas?
So where are the safest parts of the city? Travelling around Douala in the daytime is overall very safe, whether you are travelling by car or moto taxi exploring the city is safe for foreign tourists. There are some areas that you will feel particularly safe and they are:
Bonanjo and Bali
This is the fancy downtown area of Douala where you can find many foreign business and the famous Doualart Gallery as well as the nearby Martime Museum. This area is very modern and built up and quite different to the majority of the city. Note that if you plan on using moto taxis to get around they aren’t allowed in this area of the city so you will be dropped at the edge and then have to walk.
Akwa
This is an area right next to Bonanjo that is also very safe and is where you can find a few hotels and restaurants. There is some good nightlife in the area too!
Bonamoussadi
This is another very safe area of the city that has some of the best barbecue places in the city as well as some of the big supermarkets such as Carrefour. In addition this is also where you can find some cheaper accommodation options. We found no issue walking around here at night on the main roads in a group and solo. The most dangerous thing to watch out for at night are holes in the road which can be difficult to see in the dark.
Where to avoid?
Are there any areas to be more wary? Like any city yes there are areas that are a little more risky but still are safe enough to visit in the day. Markets in Douala can be one such place. The handicrafts market is very safe to visit in the day and a great place to buy any Cameroon related souvenirs!
If you’re looking to get a little more intrepid then, you can go check out the Marche Congo located in the Congo district. Here you can find a crazy busy market selling all kinds of things for daily life. This market is safe to visit however just be aware of pickpockets. We’d still consider the pickpocket risk here lower than Barcelona. If you have your wits about you, you’ll be fine.
If you really want to avoid trouble it is best to avoid outer areas at nighttime, however it would be rare to find yourself in these regions at night as there’s not really a reason to be there. If you want to know specific areas, then avoiding the areas of Nylon and Bonabéri at night is advisable.
Our take on Douala?
Overall, we think Douala is safe for travellers and we definitely think it’s worth a day or two on your travels, especially to try the amazing street barbecue which can be found throughout the city! It’s not the most exciting city but is a great way to ease into any trip in Central Africa.
If you’re looking to explore Cameroon, then why not check out our
Cameroon tours
which go great with our Equatorial Guinea tours! For more information check out our website here or send us an email to
[email protected]
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