Rey Bouba

Rey Bouba is a lamidat in the north of the country whose walled town and palace have kept an unusually complete court structure, with the lamido, his officers and a formal protocol that governs how outsiders are received. The palace is a compound of mud-walled buildings behind an enclosing wall, and access to it is by permission rather than by ticket: visitors are announced, presented and led, and much of the compound is not open at all. Photography is generally not permitted. The town sits in wooded savanna in a remote part of the north, and getting there is a long drive on rough tracks. It is the strictest of the northern courts to visit.

What you actually see

• A walled palace compound - mud-built enclosures behind a perimeter wall.
• Formal court protocol - the way outsiders are received and led.
• The lamido's officers - the structure of the court still in place.
• Wooded savanna around the town - the northern country it sits in.

When to go

November to March, the cool dry season, when tracks are passable. Half a day at the palace, but a long journey to reach it. Permission must be sought well in advance.

Honest expectations

Visits are by permission and can be refused. Photography is generally not allowed. The journey is long and rough. Behaviour expectations are strict; going without a guide who understands the protocol is not advisable.

Nearby

Tcholliré is south-west; Bouba Ndjida park lies east.