Goma border and city is a landscape of memories located in eastern democratic republic of Congo near the Rwandan Lake Kivu and its lake side resort town of Gisenyi. Not only does Goma border and city have unique natural aspects such as active Mt. Nyiragongo volcano which lies south of the city and mountain gorillas in Virunga national park in the north, it is at the same time an important commercial trade route connecting Rwanda and DR Congo.
Goma city is located in the Albertine rift valley eastern DRC about 3.5 km from Rwandan city of Gisenyi. It enjoys a good pleasant tropical climate all year round with average day time temperature range of 31 degrees Celsius which drops below 17 degrees Celsius at night.
In 2002, 40 % of Goma city was destroyed including Goma airport runways by violent volcanic eruptions from Mt. Nyiragongo. Lives were lost and thousands of people were evacuated. Thereafter, it looked like an Italian city of Pompeii and local artists and Congolese government rebuilt the city.
The city is accessible by road using buses and taxi and ferries and motor boats are used on Lake Kivu water. Flights from Rwanda or Congo’s capital kinshasha land at Goma airport. Security improved since 2012 when the last threat of armed conflicts emerged but silenced by joint security of Rwanda and Congolese national army.
How to visit Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Tourist planning to visit Eastern DRC have to be arranged in advance and usually coordinated by a tour operator. Visitors are allowed to cross the borders and here is what is required for you to present at the border crossing point
To travel to DRC, you need to apply for your Congo visa in-advance as it takes about a week to be processed and a 6 month valid passport which must be signed and contains blank pages for visa stamp.
Show proof of your travel plans to get a visa with at least a flight itinerary, a copy of your accommodation or activity booking receipts.
To apply for a DRC tourist visa, go to DRC embassy website download the visa application forms, fill them out and resend it back including two colored passport photo sizes. Alternatively you can call or send an email to DRC embassy for visa application and booking information.
Visitors must have a letter of invitation from the person or organization in DRC must show your purpose of your travel, how long you need to stay, the places you wish to visit and contact details in case of an urgent call arises.
You must also show proof of enough money that shall sustain you during your days of stay in DRC.
All visitors must have an international yellow fever vaccination card or certificate.
Things You Should Know Before You Go
We talked to a few travelers. In the conversation, they told us a few things they wish they knew before their trip.
- Maybe you’re feeling anxious about your physical strength. Yet, you shouldn’t worry. You will need a nice amount of fitness to do the trek. But you don’t need to be very athletic. As you may know, gorillas do move around much. So, you could be walking for only 30 minutes before you get to spot your gorilla family.
- Arrange travel insurance way in advance for your trip. Sadly, you may have to struggle to find one to cover you if you’re from the U.K. World Nomads, for example, doesn’t cover British people in the DRC. So, you might have trouble finding an option. Take care of this before you even think about booking plane tickets. Why? Because you really do need travel insurance. If you’re not British, you might want to go with WorldNomads. They’re a travel great provider. Any traveler that has already gone there can claim so.
- You will only be let into the country if you have a card that proves you’ve had the yellow fever vaccine. Make sure you don’t lose this card! You’ll be turned away at the border if you do. Also, bear in mind that yellow fever vaccine availability in the United States is limited. If you need to be vaccinated before your trip, you might need to travel some distance and to schedule your appointment well in advance.
- There are different things you can do if you’re on a tight budget. It is true that DRC is the cheapest country in the world to see mountain gorillas in the wild. But this doesn’t mean that this is a budget place. Apart from the $400 permit, you will need to take into account your visa. Virunga National Park takes care of this. It is priced at$105.
On top of that, you may need to pay for accommodation on either side of your trek. Opting to spend the previous night in a cheap guesthouse in the city could be a good option. Hotel La Versailles Goma is $40 a night for a double room and it has decent reviews. Also, Virunga National Park drops the price of gorilla trek permits to half if you’re willing to go in the wet season.
Last but not least, we made a list of gear and other items you should bring with you on your trek.
– A decent rain jacket that’s made of breathable material
– A daypack that can fit snacks, a water bottle, a camera, and warm clothes
– Long hiking pants and long socks (You should tuck your pants inside your socks top protect yourself from ants!)
– Sunscreen is essential.
– A great camera, although there’s no need to bring a zoom lens on this trek (you’ll always be within several meters of the gorillas!)
– Hiking boots that are comfortable and water-resistant You may choose some you have worn before. This way, you will know these boots will not hurt you.
Getting there
For travelers who are already in Rwanda, getting to DRC is very easy. Transportation means including buses and taxis leave Kigali city and travel to Gisenyi near the border of Goma city. International flights landing direct to Goma airport are convenient while those landing in Kinshasha the capital of DRC can book scheduled charter flights to Goma airport. Contact your tour operator for travel arrangements.
Comments are closed.
