Is Kenya Safe for Self Drive?

Kenya has had its own horrible past reputation. Because of its past, most Kenya safari travelers opted for structured safaris arranged from their home countries but today, the story is different. Kenya is one of the very few safest and most accessible destinations in Africa, the easiest place to explore and experience even as a solo traveler.

Whereas Kenya is considerably the safest destination compared to other African states, cases of crime in the main cities/towns usually occur. Also, it is important to crosscheck with travel advisories on the current state of the country.

Most often, visitors attract the unwanted attention from beggars or potential pickpockets and you should be keen enough while on the streets of Nairobi or other towns in Kenya.

How a self drive tour in Kenya can be done

Getting to Kenya for self drive

Solo travelers can fly up to Nairobi, the Capital of Kenya a beautiful city with a National Park set adjacent to it. From Nairobi, there are many airlines offering connecting flights between most cities or safari destinations of Kenya whether you want to visit Masai Mara National Reserve for wildebeest migration.

You can also use the SGR train which runs from Nairobi to Mombasa coastal town. Set off from Voi/Mtito Andei to Tsavo National Parks. Railway transportation is the cheapest means to navigate around Kenya while Kenya safari.

The most sought for means that most budget minded travelers often opt for is self-drive car hire in Kenya. We have the best 4×4 rental cars suitable for all road trips to Nairobi National Park, Masai Mara or Tsavo. Contact our team to book your dream ride and have the best of Kenya self drive.

Our fleet of rental cars for your Kenya road trips include among others 4×4 Toyota Rav4, Land Cruiser Hardtop Extended, Safari Land Cruisers, Super Customs, Land Cruiser GX Diesel Engine, Camper Vehicle with camping gear to Toyota Land Cruiser V8 Safari Vehicle.

Where to go for Kenya self drive tour

Kenya boasts of about 54 National Parks and Reserves and noted for its remarkable self drive experiences. Some of the best places not to miss visiting for unforgettable self drive experience in Kenya include the Masai Mara National Reserve most visited for wildebeest migration experience, big five game viewing etc.

Amboseli National Park, most popular for its large herds of elephants and mesmerizing views of the Kilimanjaro Mountains-snow-capped mountain. Tsavo National Parks-Tsavo East, Tsavo West also offer the best of Kenya self drive safari experience in Kenya.

Samburu National Reserve, a perfect semi-desert reserve set along the Northern side of Kenya. Ewaso Ngiro is the largest river in Kenya and it flows via the Samburu National Reserve. The protected area boasts of its significant wildlife species including cheetahs, elephants, leopards, lions, wild dog etc.

For unique experiences, don’t miss to visit Aberdares National Park in the western side of Mount Kenya. Chyulu Hills set between Tsavo and Amboseli N.Parks, Kimana Sanctuary and others.

Be aware of the weather

While on self-drive Kenya, weather conditions are key to take note of. In Kenya, the weather is largely temperate with Nairobi often experiencing cool weather conditions and temperature rise of 28 degrees celsius from the months of January, February, March during the day and at night 14 degrees celsius especially from July to August.

However, Kenya is an all year round self drive destination except the wetter/rainy months of the year. That is April, May, June and October, November when roads can be muddy.

Travel insurance

If you plan to visit Kenya soon, it is wise to have travel insurance. This can help safe you a lot from cases of sickness, theft etc.

What carry

Pack appropriately for your self drive Kenya starting with phone charger, bed sheets, insect repellents, safari shoes, cameras, daypack, first aid kit, valid driver’s license, sunglasses, bottled water and others.

Top 10 Tips for Africa Travellers

Going on a vacation in Africa with your loved ones is indeed, one of the most fun-filled and joyous experiences. You get to discover the most beautiful places, exotic landscapes, virgin forests, and so much more. Traveling involves careful planning and there are travel agents who will help you to organize some of your tour preparations.

When traveling, planning is very important as it will give you enough time to decide which things need to be done first and what essential items to be carried.

1. First of all, keep your travel documents securely and if you are planning overseas vacation, do not wait until the last minute to obtain, update passports or visas as this may require several weeks.
2. To get the competitive rates for your transportation and holiday accommodations, you will need to make your reservations in advance. You can obtain some best bargains during the off-season when demand will be low.
3. Along with travel documents and your clothing, you must carry medication that you or any of your family members may require. Before embarking on a trip, check to make sure that you are allowed to travel with certain medications as some countries have strict rules concerning certain drugs.
4. Your best protection is to be careful, book your tours through trustworthy agencies, and if possible avoid traveling alone to an unfamiliar destination. Try to know the traditions and local culture of the destination before you start your trip. It is important to do your homework and know the area you will be visiting and the applicable laws, locations of best tourist spots, and the kind of people you will have to interact with.
5. As a result of terrorist activities, airports have increased their security inspections before allowing passengers to board. Get to the airport sufficiently early to manage the security check-in congestion. The locks for your luggage must be Travel Security Administration (TSA) approved ones so that your luggage can be opened for inspection without having to break your locks.
6. When traveling, be constantly aware of your surroundings to guard against pickpockets. Travel with no more than two credit cards, and notify the card companies that you will be traveling so that they will not put a hold on your cards when they notice charges from unfamiliar places.
7. Before leaving on a vacation with your family, make sure you have enough money and adequately financially equipped such that you do not run out of cash during the tripe. It is good to budget your expenses beforehand and avoid overspending.
8. Carry a digital camera that uses AA batteries instead of a camera that uses proprietary batteries. They are less expensive to replace, easy to charge and are easily available wherever you go.
9. When packing your clothes pile them up one on top of another and then fold them to fit into a portable suitcase. This will mean less creasing and you will not have to run around in wrinkled. Always pack each box or suitcase with a mixture of clothing of each family member traveling. Even if a bag is lost, no one will be left with out changing clothes. Further, you will only have to open and repack one suitcase at each hotel.  Please note that Africa may require different clothing. Try to study the country you are to visit in advance or an adventure activity you are taking for instance gorilla trekking, rafting, mountain climbing, require special clothing.
10. Finally, do not expect everything on your vacation to be perfect. You are possibly going to your dream destination and if you are taking your kids along you will certainly have challenging moments. Forget all about the worries and enjoy the vacation and your hard-earned rest.

Wish you a nice safari in Africa!

10 Best places for a Road Trip in Uganda

Uganda’s adventurous gems are all scattered throughout the country. These gems include; National parks, mountains, and hills, lakes, rivers, cultural sites, religious sites, historical sites, urban centers, and museums among others. The location of these different sites in different corners of the country makes the country one of the best destinations in Africa for road trips.

Some of the best places you shouldn’t miss on a Self-drive Ugandan road trip include the following.

Entebbe town

Botanical Gardens Entebbe

Entebbe town is the entry point to Uganda as it is where the international airport is found. Entebbe is proving to be a matchless urban destination in Uganda for tourism. Entebbe is a rewarding tour center especially for visitors who are interested in a road trip to the countryside. The city offers opportunities for day tours because it is a small site most tourist attractions are within a walkable distance, one can easily explore on foot places like; the Botanical gardens for bird watching, primate watching, and plant identification.

The Uganda wildlife education center is a zoo with activities like wildlife viewing, behind-the-scenes program, keeper for the day, chimpanzee viewing, among others. When leaving Entebbe, join the roadside markets popularly on days like Tuesday in Kitoro town for some little shopping or watching the daily lives of Ugandan people in the local markets before proceeding to Kampala.

Kampala city

Kampala City

Kampala capital is about 40km from Entebbe town, it is a perfect place to have a road trip because the city is absolutely rich when it comes to city tours. The city has a variety of sites that any visitor can enjoy during a road trip in Uganda including religious sites cultural sites like Ndere cultural center, historical sites, archeological sites, museums, and monuments among others.  Religious sites to visit include; the Namugongo shrine, Bahai temple, Gadafi mosque, Namirembe, and Rubaga cathedrals.

Historical sites include the Uganda museum, the parliament of Uganda, and the Ndere cultural center. Cultural sites to explore include Entanda cultural sites and Sezibwa falls. All these make the capital Kampala one of the best places for a self-drive road trip.

Igongo cultural center

Igongo cultural center

This is a cultural center located in the western Uganda area along Masaka-Mbarara road in Mbarara district. This is an awesome spot for travelers to have a stopover for lunch or even for an overnight stay. Igongo culture is currently the major cultural center in the entire west and southwestern region of Uganda. This center has a museum that showcases at least most of the traditional aspects of the Ankole people. Visitors have a taste of the Ankole culture through the traditional foods that are served in the restaurant and on the displays. A road trip to western Uganda must never miss the Igongo cultural center for a great cultural experience.

Lake Mburo National Park

Elands In Lake Mburo National Park

This is a special site where every part is lively with a variety of natural wonders. This park is one of Uganda’s smallest protected areas covering only 260 sq. km and being a savannah park it harbors several mammals like Buffaloes, Impalas, Zebras, and numerous bird species including the rare shoebill stork which can be sighted in particular parts of the country.

The Park is generally a beautiful place with sculptured landscapes and rolling grassy hills with abundant forest galleries, seasonal and permanent swamps. Road trip travelers can explore the park through different activities like birding for over 313 bird species in the park, boat trips in Lake Mburo are remarkable to see diverse water animals and marine species like crocodiles, hippos, and the birds, a forest walk in Rubanga forest with beautiful sounds of over 40 bird species. Fishing and nature trails are some of the best alternatives in Lake Mburo Park. Accommodation for night stays like Mantana luxury tented camp and Mihingo lodge is available around the park. From here you can proceed to Queen Elizabeth National park.

Queen Elizabeth National park

Tree Climbing lions

Also situated on the western side of Uganda is Queen Elizabeth National Park. This is the best next and closest destination to Lake Mburo national park during a road trip in Uganda. It offers the best wildlife safaris in Uganda due to its diversity with wildlife. Incredible safari activities like game viewing for large herds of elephants, lions, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, wild dogs, and lions among others.

The launch cruise allows travelers to float along the 40-kilometer Kazinga channel while watching the abundance of bird species flying over, the crocodiles, hippos, and monitor lizards, Buffaloes on the channel cooling off the hot weather.

You will later join the Ishasha sector for the rare tree-climbing lions and the park’s multiple crater lakes like Lake Katwe where salt is mined traditionally. Accommodation in the park is available with a variety of facilities ranging from luxury, mid-range, and budgets like Mweya safari lodge, Ihamba lodge, Katara lodge, mazike safari lodge, Kyambura game lodge, Bush Lodge, Simba Safari Camp, and various campsites at Mweya peninsular.

Fort portal

Fort portal is a town located in western Uganda greatly famous for its cultural heritage of the Tooro people. Fort portal is the right place to explore while encountering sites like the crater fields, like the Ndali- Kasenda crater in the northwest of Fort portal town. These crater fields are impressive with beautiful scenery and also offer beautiful hiking experiences. Best of all is the cultural and heritage sites like the Karambi tombs where the Tooro kings are buried, the Tooro Royal palace with its magnificent building, and the Amabere ganyinamwiru caves that showing the Chwezi era that make the road trip culturally rewarding.

Tea cycling is also another experience as you ride in the famous Mpanga tea plantation while viewing the beautiful lush tea estates. After the fort portal tour, the visitor can proceed to Kibale forest national park.

Kibale forest national park

Kibale National Park is found in the borders of Fort Portal and is the capital of primates in the entire world with up to 13 species of primates including Chimpanzees, black and white Colubus Monkeys, Red Colubus, and L’Hoest monkeys. The major attractions in Kibale national park are the Chimpanzee and over 300 bird species that can be explored on foot. The park is best for activities like chimp trekking, nature walks, and birding in the Bigodi wetlands with a variety of bird species.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This is home to more than half of the world’s last remaining population of endangered mountain gorillas. The park has over 20 habituated gorilla groups available for tracking. Gorilla tracking and habituation experience is the main tourist activity to this park. Other tourist attractions include bird watching, Batwa community tour, and Forest walks.

Gorilla permits are in high demand throughout the year and each costs US$600(to be increased to $700 effective 1^st July 2020), and US$1500 for gorilla habituation experience and can be acquired through a trusted travel agency.

Clouds Mountain gorilla lodge, Nkuringo gorilla camp, Lake Mutanda resort, Rushaga Gorilla Camp, Gorilla Mist Camp, Havens Gorilla Lodge, Bakiga Lodge, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, and many others are the accommodation facilities available in the park.

Murchison Falls National Park

This is Uganda’s biggest and oldest National Park located on the northwestern side of the country. The park derives its name from the magnificent Murchison falls which is the main tourist attraction to this park. The main tour activities here include game viewing, a fantastic boat cruise to the bottom of the falls, hiking to the top of the falls, nature walks, night game drives, chimpanzee tracking, birding, and habituation experience in Kaniyo Pabidi forest reserve among others. Ziwa Rhino sanctuary is the only place for Rhino tracking in Uganda.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary:
Ziwa Rhino sanctuary is home to Uganda’s wild Rhinos, the sanctuary is located about 176km north of Kampala the capital of Uganda along Kampala- Gulu highway just before Murchison falls national park. Ziwa is a great adventure place for families and groups with children. Imagine walking on foot while tracking with the children is so adventurous with an armed ranger, one can get as close as 30 feet to Rhinos. Guests can also have fun on the boat ride and sighting the ancient Shoebill stork which is one of the rare bird species in entire Africa. Ziwa sanctuary is absolutely one of the best destinations for family safaris with an amazing experience of tracking Rhinos in the sanctuary, plus great meals and accommodation from Amuka Safari lodge.

CONCLUSION

It’s Important to Understand the places you must never miss in Uganda as you plan your self-drive trip, all the regions in Uganda are uniquely gifted with special tour attractions that can only be discovered in a single self-drive road trip. The best places to visit have been shared to make it easy for you to choose which place to add to your itinerary.

7 Best Family Cars to Hire in East Africa

Family trips on East African road trip are amazing! But finding a suitable Uganda car rental is the most challenging part of it all. Your choice of rental car matters a lot when choosing the kind of car for your family tour or any road trip in East Africa. It plays a significant role if you are to have a fun-filled road trip. You need a car with comfortable seats, lots of amenities and also comes with amazing offers.

We have variety of family size cars suitable for road trips in East Africa. Interestingly, our fleets of family car rentals are fitted with air conditioners, FM radio, CD player and above all, they are reliable, safe and save a lot on fuel.

Safari Land Cruiser (Hard top, V8 or VX)

We have a range of Safari Land Cruisers suitable for family trips. You can choose from our comfortable Safari Land Cruiser Hardtop, Land Cruiser VX, Land Cruiser V8. These are all ideal for visitor exploration in East Africa’s premier destinations such as Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Serengeti National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, Akagera National Park and many more.

Our land cruisers are available with capacity range of 5 to 8pax. They are the best not for only family trips but also outdoor camping safaris anywhere in East Africa. They are equipped with air conditioners, pop-up rooftop, mini fridge and a lot more.

Toyota Prado- TX, TZ, GX

Book our excellent 4×4 Toyota Prado and have the best of East Africa holiday. Our fleet of Toyota Prado rentals exist with capacity of about 6pax. You enjoy great features such as an MP3, CD, FM Radio, air conditioner, pop up roof/sun roof offering ultimate game viewing experience. Visitors can book Toyota Prado TX, TZ or Toyota Prado GX at affordable rate.

Toyota Rav4

Have a fun-filled family trip in East Africa by using our 4×4 Toyota Rav4. Our Toyota Rav4 rentals are available in 4WD and preferably the best for family trips, self-drive tours in East Africa. They accommodate from 2 to 4 visitors, fully equipped with Fm radio, air conditioner and comprehensively insured.

Toyota Super Custom

Toyota Super Customs are available in 4×4 and capacity of 7pax. They are the best for East Africa safaris and come with pop-up thus allowing you enjoy excellent view of wildlife in East Africa’s savanna protected areas. They are fitted with best air conditioners, FM radio, spacious boot and many other amenities.

Safari minivan

For sightseeing tours, look no further than Safari minivans. Our minivans are available with capacity of about 9 clients. You enjoy amazing view of wildlife given the pop-up rooftop. The other amenities that come with safari minivans include air conditioners, adequate space, comfortable seats making them the most preferred for East Africa safaris.

Coaster minibus

For all large group safaris, book coaster minibuses. These are available with capacity of 25 to 35 people. They are ideal for family trips, weddings, company gateways, introductions.

Saloon cars

Book saloon cars for your family travels and you won’t regret. These are perfect for small group travels, family tours, conference, weddings and others.

Best 4×4 Car Rentals in Dodoma

Get an ultimate road trip experience in Tanzania using any of our Dodoma 4×4 rental cars. We have a wide-selection of 4×4 car hire in Dodoma offering you complete flexibility, total privacy and freedom to explore Tanzania at your own pace. Our 4×4 rental cars in Dodoma include the latest SUVs-the Sport Utility Vehicles also best known as the off-road vehicles such as the 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser, 4×4 Toyota Rav4, 4×4 Nissan X trail, full-size 4×4 Safari Land Cruisers, Safari Mini Vans, Land Rovers, Toyota Prado, Hilux Double Cabin Pick ups to mention but a few.

4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser

Rent 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser from Dodoma at an affordable price and have a great opportunity to explore Tanzania uniquely. Our 4×4 Land Cruiser has a capacity of 2pax, diesel engine of 130 liters, power steering, fitted with snorkel, ABS, Radio, CD, fuel economy, air conditioner and available in manual transmission.

4×4 Toyota Prado

Go explore the magical Tanzania using our 4×4 Toyota Prado SUV This is fitted with power mirror, air conditioning, windows stereo tape, CD player, ABS, adequate space, 5 doors, powerful engine and it is comprehensively insured.

Toyota Rav4

Start your road trip from Dodoma comfortably using our 4×4 Toyota Rav4. It is compact and fitted with stereo tape, CD players, air conditioners, air bags and this is available in manual or automatic transmission. Toyota Rav4 can be rented for self-drive tour or chauffeur driven/car rental with the driver.

Saloon car/Sedan

We have a range of saloon vehicles/sedans/station wagons consisting of 4 doors, available in manual and automatic transmission. They are available in Toyota Premio, Hyundai Accent fitted with powerful engine 1.3 cc, air bags, MP3, CD players, power windows and mirrors, 2WD.

Safari Mini Van

Hire Safari Mini Van for your Tanzania safaris from Dodoma and have a memorable trip. This exists in custom made Toyota Hiace/Nissan Urvan featuring pop-up roof for excellent wildlife viewing experiences, comfortable seats. Other incredible features that come with include MP3, CD player, capacity of 6 to 8pax, adequate space and available in 2WD/4x4WD with 4 doors. Travelers on Tanzania tour choose between automatic and manual transmission.

Safari Land Cruiser

Our custom-made Safari Land Cruisers feature pop up roof providing excellent wildlife viewing experience to tourists. These can be rented with driver and they are among the best 4×4 Land Cruiser category. They are available with 5 doors, manual transmission and fitted with MP3, CD player.

Why choose Car Rental Tanzania for your Tanzania safaris?

• Opportunity to enjoy unlimited mileage
• No drop off charges involved
• Fun-filled road trip
• Comfort
• Safety and security
• 24/7 road assistance
• Flexibility

9 Gas Saving Tips For a Self Drive Safari In Africa

There are a number of things to put in consideration in order to save fuel on your self drive safari in Africa. It is well known that regular car maintenance and servicing will help you save a great deal on fuel but it is not in your control.  It is the car hire company will be in charge of ensuring that the car is well maintained.

Assuming you have hired a car from a reputable self drive car hire company that regularly services its vehicles like 4x4uganda, then the following will be some of the things to put in consideration to save a great deal of fuel during your self drive safari in Africa:

Proper Tire Inflation

Whenever you hire a vehicle, it is recommended that take charge of a few issues on your car such as inflation. Many at times, people put inflation in consideration in regard to avoiding punctures more so on off road trip. For this reason, they often inflate the tires between 25 psi and 30 psi to reduce on the likelihood of punctures during their off-road trip.

However, when it is comes to fuel consumption, inflation also plays a big role. Considering inflation between 30 psi and 40 psi is recommended. It helps your car to more easily hence reducing on the required strength in regard to acceleration.

Fuel Your Car Early in Morning

It has been proven over and over again; colder fuel has a higher density than warm fuel. To better benefit in fueling your car, it is recommended you fuel your car very early in the morning when the fuel still has a higher density compared to fueling in the afternoon.

Engage a Cruise Button While on a Highway

It is not common to find a safari car with a cruise button in Africa. It is for the same reasons that you should first inquiry about the availability of a car with a cruise button. A cruise button will help you drive at constant speed which will also help you save a great deal on fuel.

Avoid car idling 

Whenever you are driving in the capital cities, its recommended to keep the engine off. This is because sometimes you might remain in the same place for over 5 minutes without moving yet keeping the car in idling.

However, it should be noted that idling is recommended for a diesel issue. It is a bad practice among some safari cars to keep turning the diesel engine on and off.

Accelerate Steadily

Accelerating steadily helps the car to pick up momentum slowly without burning a lot of fuel. Accelerating speedily will burn a lot of fuel compared to accelerating steadily.

Therefore, anyone that considers saving gas during their self drive adventure, they should take extra attention on how they accelerate.

Maintain an 80km/hr speed on a highway

It is very common to find people driving above 100 kilometers per hour on a high but this is already in violation of most of the terms and conditions of most of the car hire companies. The 80kms/hr does not only put you on safe side when driving but also helps you to save fuel.

Consider a Diesel Engine against a Gasoline Engine

When it comes to Engine performance, a gasoline engine is far better than the diesel engine. But when it comes to being economical, the diesel engine is the best choice. There are several land cruisers that have diesel engine options.

However, whenever you hire a safari car with a diesel engine, make sure it has a turbo timer. If it does not have a turbo time, then you should at least give it a full minute in idling mode after a long drive.

Fuel from Recommended Locations

You should never be influenced by the rates when fueling your car, rather focus on the location of the fuel station. It is recommended that you fuel your car on gas stations located on hills.

Most of the gas stations located in valleys are likely to be affected by water during the rainy seasons since the fuel is stored underground. To avoid all the trouble that comes with fuel mixed with some portions of water, fuel your car from gas stations located on hills.

Whenever you use poor fuel in a car, the engine will struggle to process it which will not only increase the fuel consumption of the car but also the car performance.

Check Service Validity

It is public knowledge, whenever a car is poorly serviced, it will consume a lot of fuel. Though you cannot check everything in regard to service, serviced car have stickers showing their next servicing date and the mileage available for a given tenure.

Climbing Mountain Nyiragongo In DR. Congo

Planing a safari to Congo? A hike at mountain Nyiragongo should not me missed. Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano with an elevation of 3,470m in the Virunga Mountains associated with the Albertine Rift. It’s located inside Virunga National park, in the DR. Congo, about 20km north of the town of Goma and Lake Kivu and just west of the border with Rwanda. The main crater is about two kilometers wide and usually contains a lava lake. The crater has two distinct cooled Lava beeches with in the crater walls, one at about 3,175m and a lower one at about 2,975m. Nyiragongo’s lava lake has at times been the most huge known lava lake in recent history. The depth of the lava lake varies considerably. The maximum elevation of the lava lake was also recorded at about 3,250m.

The volcano partly overlaps with two older volcanoes, Baratu and Shaheru and is also surrounded by hundreds of small volcanic cinder cones from Flank eruptions. The lava emitted in eruptions at Nyiragongo is often unusually fluid. Nyiragongo ‘s lavas are made of Melilite nephelinite  which is an alkali rich type of volcanic rock whose unusual chemical composition might be a factor in the unusual fluidity of the lavas there. Its lavas flows might race downhill at up to 100km/h. This is because of the extremely low silica content, but the Hawaiian volcanoes are broad, shallow sloped shield volcanoes in contrast to the steep sided cone of Nyiragongo, and the Silica content is high enough to slow the flow to a walking pace.

About Nyiragongo Eruptions:

There have been about 34 eruptions that have taken place around the Nyiragongo volcanic mountains and these include; the 1977 eruption, this happened when the crater walls of the volcano fractured which led to the draining of the lava lake within an hour. This led to the flooding of the lava down on the edges of the volcano and on the higher slopes which resulted into killing over seventy (70) people in the nearby villages. This 1977 eruption that took place tried to raise awareness about the dangers of this volcano and it also created a fresh small volcano called murara which is a few kilometers away from nyamuragira.

The second eruption took place in 2002 and this happened after several processes of Fumarolic and seismic activities which happened on this volcano. There was a fissure that was released in the southern flank and was about 13km spreading from about 2800m to 1550m of elevation hence reaching the town of Goma which is the capital along the northern shores of Lake Kivu. The lava greatly streamed towards the city of Goma  and about 400000 people had been vacated from the city to the border of Rwanda in Gisenyi town. Lava run and covered Goma airport raising threat that it might release larger amounts of Carbondioxide as well as Methane. This 2002 eruption killed over 147 people and the city of Goma collapsed due to the fact that the building was falling apart leaving over 120000 people without homes. Many more buildings in the city of Goma continued to fall due to the massive earthquake that continued to happen for close to 3 months following the eruptions.

There is also the ongoing threats of mountain Nyiragongo includes the Carbon dioxide that killed many children up to the recent times. In places where gas was released from underground and dispersed in the wind had many deadly effects to the lives of the people. just recently on the 8th of march 2016, the Goma observatory discovered yet another vent which opened at the northeastern side of the crater; there is a possibility of this bringing yet another eruption in goma town.

About the Nyiragongo Hike- 3 days

Transfer to Gisenyi; upon your arrival, you are picked from the airport by your travel guide and taken to Gisenyi Rwanda. On this day, you have a number of optional activities ranging from enjoying a Kigali city tour and visiting the Iby’ iwacu cultural village, enjoying a boat ride on the Lake Kivu or even visiting the Volcanoes National Park. You will also have your dinner and spend a night in Rwanda.

The second day is for hiking Nyiragongo Mountain; you will get up early in the morning and enjoy your early morning breakfast after which you are to head out. You will cross the border and then head to the Virunga National Park at the Kibati Ranger post where you will be briefed on the dos and don’ts of the hike. The Meals, sticks and rain gear will be provided to you but you can as well carry your own. Porters will also be available for those who would like help in carrying their luggage. While at the top, get to enjoy the breath taking view of the lava and the active volcano. You will then spend a night inside the mountain huts at the volcano top.

The last day is for descending the Nyiragongo Mountain; Have an early morning breakfast and thereafter descend from Volcanoes Mountain while enjoying the views of Lake Kivu, the Virunga national Park and the city of Goma, later on, you will be transferred back to Kigali, Rwanda to either catch your departure flight or enjoy another day’s stay in the land of thousand hills.