Every December, the five tribes of the Sawa people gather on the banks of the of the Wouri River for the Ngondo Festival, one of the country’s most significant cultural events. The festival’s focus is the traditional ritual performed in the river: men wearing traditional garments carry sacred pots and dive into the waters. They remain immersed for several minutes in order to communicate with the gods whom they believe inhabit the riverbed. Around this ritual there is plenty of entertainment going on: music performances, folk dances, wrestling matches, beauty pageants and big canoe races on the river. Only locals are allowed to participate, but watching these events is also fun! Over the last few years, the festival has attracted plenty of tourists and foreign people.
Practical Information Ngondo takes place during the first two weeks of December, usually on a beach in the Wouri Bay, in Douala.