Goma
Democratic Republic of the Congo · Nord-Kivu · 1500 m
Description
Goma stands on the north shore of Lake Kivu at the foot of Nyiragongo, and the volcano has twice sent lava through the streets, in 1977 and again in 2002 when a flow split the town and buried the runway. Whole quarters are built on black rock from that eruption. The Rwandan border runs along the eastern edge of the city and is crossed on foot in minutes. Boats leave the lakeside for Bukavu at the southern end of the lake. Goma is the base for everything in the Virunga range behind it. Deep below the surface the lake holds dissolved methane and carbon dioxide.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: January – February or June – August
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Lake Kivu shore and the lakeside terraces
- Lava fields of the 2002 eruption
- View of Nyiragongo above the town
- Boat to Bukavu down the lake
- Tchegera Island on the lake(Day trip)
- Border crossing to Gisenyi in Rwanda
- Marché Virunga and the lava-stone quarters
- Lakeside fish grills and Primus bars
- Goma Volcano Observatory
- Congolese rumba bars after dark
Getting there
- Airports:
- GOM
- Seaport:
- Reachable by ship or ferry
- Border town:
- Democratic Republic of the Congo