Douala Transportation

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I've spent a good bit of time here in the course of several trips to Cameroon. Overall, I'd rate the airport in the lower half of developing country airports I have seen, but my last visits showed signs of efforts to improve the situation.

The airport was no doubt quite modern when it was built, but there appears to have been little maintenance over the last couple of decades, probably due to Cameroon's economic distress and government cutbacks. While routine cleaning is done, everything has a worn and grimy look about it. Restrooms in the main hall have been in deplorable condition for several years, but they were undergoing renovation at the time of my last visit (July, 2010). The only air conditioned parts of the airport are the flight check-in area, the departure lounges on the concourses, and a small hard-to-find- section of a restaurant upstairs, so expect to be hot and humid. Only the AC in the restaurant is really up to the job of keeping up with the climate.

The main hall, where one enters from outside, contains a couple of ATMs, which have always worked reliably for me, a newsstand, and several small shops. There are several restaurants, bars, and snack bars, although they open on an unpredictable schedule. Check in for flights occurs in a smaller hall to the right. It is usually a slow and cumbersome procedure, so it is a good idea to arrive early. A bevy of souvenir shops are located along the hallway from the check in area to passport control and security screening. They offer a variety of clothing, art, textiles, etc. The vendors are predictably pretty aggressive, although willing to bargain about prices. Before entering security, you must pay for an exit permit and then go to yet another booth to get your passport stamped. Security screening is relatively relaxed.

The concourses are basically covered and elevated concrete ramps, open to the outside air. Until recently, there were no signs showing gate numbers, but on my last visit these had been added, and the gate areas had been refurbished and cleaned up and the AC upgraded. There are no restaurants on the concourses, but a soft drink and sandwich vendor sometimes opens up shop at peak travel times.

For arriving passengers, there are routine checks of your passport and yellow fever vaccination certificate at the end of the concourse. The arrivals and baggage area is small and crowded, and waits for luggage can be fairly long. There are several large fans, but typically only one or two are operational, so it is not a pleasant place to spend time. As in many developing country airports, there are many young men who want to help you with your bags, claiming that they can get you through customs faster. I've never tested these claims, but considerable persistence in saying no is required to escape them. There is a large number of custom officials, and at times they seem to be almost purposefully teasing non-Cameroonians with their intimidating air. There is no orderly queuing to clear customs before exiting the arrivals hall, so chaos prevails. I have seen bags searched, but most of the customs officials seem to be content to chat with one another and stand around. In my experience a cordial and relaxed demeanor is helpful in running this gauntlet. My bags have never been searched.