Goma Town is one of the most popular tourism hubs in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is at the heart of the country’s top safari destination-Virunga National Park. As far as Congo safaris are concerned, this City is one of the unmissable places with most tours to Virunga starting from here.
Location of Goma Town.
Set within the stunning northern shores of Lake Kivu, the Town of Goma is the Capital of North Kivu Province, within the Eastern side of Democratic Republic of Congo and a stone throw from Gisenyi City in Rwanda.
The town is nestled about 13 to 18 kilometers south of the active Nyiragongo Volcano Lava Crater.
Size of Goma Town.
The town of Goma covers an area of approximately 76 square kilometers (about 30 square miles) on the northern shores of Lake Kivu. It boasts of a population of about 670,000 people (as of 2021).
History of Goma Town
Little information is available about the history of Goma Town although it was said to be occupied by agents of the Congo Free State as a Trading Town to control traffic on Lake Kivu in the 1890s. This town was at a time used as a path-way for traffic on the Lake as well as crossroads for the overland trade routes between parts of central Africa as well as the Indian Ocean.
The contemporary history of the town has been influenced by the recent volcanic eruptions of Nyiragongo as well as the 1994 Rwanda genocide, that reportedly sparked the first (1996-1997) and second Congo War that started in August 1998 and ended kin July 2003 when the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of Congo gained power. The aftermath of the first and second Congo wars still had devastating effects on the town and surrounding areas in 2010. In late 2012, rebels of the March 23 Movement took over Goma Town but was reclaimed by Government Forces. The recent eruption of Mount Nyiragongo in May 2021 displaced over 200,000 people of Goma Town as lava spread from the Volcano destroyed homes.
Until today, there are still piles of Lave within and around Goma Town, with most people resorting to utilizing them as building materials.
Interesting things to see and do when you visit Goma Town.
Virunga National Park.
Goma Town is the heart for travellers to and from Volcanoes National Park, in the Eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo. This Park was gazetted in 1925 as Albert National Park and extends for over 7800 square kilometers. This UNESCO World Heritage Site protects Nyamuragira, Mikeno and Nyiragongo Volcanoes as well as slopes of Karisimbi, Sabyinyo and Bisoke.
The densely forested slopes of these mountains offer shelter to the endangered mountain gorillas and many other animals. Some of the activities at this Park are mountain gorilla trekking, Mount Nyiragongo hiking, Bird watching and visit to Senkwekwe Mountain Gorilla Orphanage among others.
Lake Kivu
Set along the border of Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Lake Kivu is one of the most beautiful African Great Lakes on the Albertine Rift (western arm of the East African Rift Valley). This stunning Lake pours its waters into Ruzizi River which then drains southwards into Lake Tanganyika. Visitors can undertake cruises, Island hopping, kayak on the calm waters and just unwind on the shores of the Lake.
Best Time to Travel to Goma Town
The Best time to travel to Goma Town is during the long dry season-June to September and short dry season from January to February when most activities can be enjoyed without much interruption from rains.
How to access Goma Town?
The Town of Goma can be accessed by air, road or water transport. Flights from Kinshasa, Addis Ababa and Kigali Airports can land at Goma International Airport. Most road trips to this Town begin from Rwanda’s Kigali City or Uganda via Bunagana border directly to Goma or through Cyanika border point to Rwanda then finally to Goma Town. For visitors who prefer water transport, ferries are operated daily from Bukavu, Gisenyi and Kibuye to the City of Goma.
