7 Unique Fun Things To Do In Goma, DRC!

Howdy! 😀 Welcome to part 2 of our Goma series. As promised, this week we are exploring the fun things to do in Goma…. Get your fun cap on, and let’s go!

But first…have you read the first part of our Jambojet in Goma series? If you haven’t, you can catch up with it right HERE!

For this trip, I had the pleasure of traveling with fellow Content Creators: Diane (Wandering Doctor), Winnie Rioba, Gufy Doxx and Teti Sulu… as well as Kai Khalid, Benson and Ushindi- our gracious Jambojet hosts.  

I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to explore the fun things to do in Goma with… They certainly contributed to making this a memorable experience! 🙂 

The Jambojet Flight Experience: Flying from Nairobi to Goma

The Jambojet flight from Nairobi to Goma departs at 11:40a.m… Not wanting to take any chances, I got to the airport about 2hours earlier… Thus, I had sufficient time to go through the airport checks, stress-free.

To access the international departures’ terminal you’ll need: your flight details and your Covid Vaccine certificate/or PCR Test results. Thankfully, my brother had printed my certificate out in advance for me, so I was safe. 🙂

Quick Tip: Print out your Covid Vaccine certificate in advance. The MOH portal can be tricky sometimes… I happened to check online for my certificate a few days before, only to find my details missing. Thankfully, my certificate came up the next day.

You sure don’t want to try printing it out on your travel day.

I was delighted to ‘offload’ my luggage at the Jambojet check-in counter, and proceed to the safety + passport checks with ease. 🙂

Shortly after, I ran into Winnie and the rest of the gang at the terminal. Everyone was on time and in great spirits! 🙂

Our flight boarding was right on time, leading up to a smooth takeoff with the Nairobi city skyline disappearing quickly from view… I noticed that they now offer snacks for purchase onboard, while still maintaining Covid safety measures.

I was seated next to Sulu, who made for a fun flight companion. The two hours breezed by and before long, Goma came into view… Lake Kivu is especially beautiful to behold from the sky… 🙂

The pilot landed us in Goma ever so gracefully, bringing our flight to an end, and our adventures to a lovely start! 🙂

Travel Tips:

• As a Jambojet Rewards Loyalty member, you’ll earn points as you travel… You can redeem the points for flight tickets, extra baggage and other awesome benefits.
• Check in online via the Jambojet App to avoid the airport queues.

7 Fun Things To Do In Goma DRC When You Go… 

Of Splendid Accommodations: Stay at Goma Serena Hotel

From the moment we drove into Goma Serena, I felt calming tropical vibes settle into my being. The hotel is located right on the Lake Kivu shoreline, offering gorgeous views!

After checking in, we were escorted to our rooms, and I promptly fell in love with mine. Stylishly furnished with colourful art-pieces, a lush sofa, a comfortable king-sized bed and a private balcony, it was just perfect! 🙂

The bathroom was like a dream, with a Jacuzzi bathtub and a gloriously relaxing shower!

Additionally, the hotel features: a restaurant, gym, the Maisha Spa and a massive swimming pool. I loved waking up at dawn for a swim… Although it’s quite chilly, the water feels incredible. It really sets you up for the day! 😀

We found a sweet spot at the restaurant terrace, and breakfast in the mornings felt like a family affair. I love that they offer actual food as a breakfast option. The waiters were always so friendly.

Goma Serena is truly the kind of place where you feel at home, and valued. 🙂

Feel the Spirit of Downtown Goma

A downtown tour of Goma will give you a feel of the town & its people’s energy.

One of the main attractions is the Chukudu Sculpture… A chukudu is a contraption made out of hard wood, used to ferry luggage… The people of Goma are proud of the chukudu, because it originated there.

You can almost feel that spirit of pride oozing from the chukudu operators, as they go about their day-to-day business. 🙂

While in downtown Goma, you can also visit the markets to purchase generic Kitenge fabric… Diane and Winnie got some beautiful patterns and quite affordably too!

>>The fabrics range between 8USD to 15USD. 

Quick Tips:

• Venture out downtown with a local or with your group of friends

• Be mindful of your personal effects.

Drive to San Diego Hotel for Lunch

San Diego Hotel is located in the outskirts of Goma town, where you’ll get to see more of the countryside, with undisturbed views of Mt. Nyiragongo.

At San Diego, they’d prepared a nice buffet for us at the rooftop, overlooking the lake. I must have been famished because I didn’t take many food/restaurant pictures… However, the food was delectable! 🙂

I did notice that the food in Goma is pretty similar to ours in Kenya… Hotels mostly serve food items like ugali, rice, chips with accompaniments like chicken, pork, fish and beef.

San Diego makes for a relaxing way to spend your afternoon. 🙂

Bonus: Catch a Sunset Over Lake Kivu…

Falling in love with Lake Kivu is hopelessly inevitable… The lake lies on the border between the DRC and Rwanda. And no matter where you see it from, Lake Kivu offers the most enchanting views!

It is especially stunning in the evenings, with the setting sun spraying its warm & colourful rays over the water… There are a couple of restaurants along the lake, that you can visit for dinner… Plan to go earlier, so as to catch the sunset. It’s the perfect way to end your day. 🙂

Understand the True Goma Story… in Buhene

To understand Goma and its people, one must take time into account the “hot neighbour”- Mt. Nyiragongo.

Goma is located about 12km away from Mt. Nyiragongo. This volcanic mountain contains one of the world’s largest active lava lakes in its crater. Since 1882, the volcano has erupted about 34 times, with the most recent eruption in 2021.

Hot, flowing lava left a trail of destruction in its path, stopping just short of the city limits in Buhene… Unfortunately, some people lost their lives and many others were dislodged from their homes.

Today, the people of Goma are still rebuilding their lives… We got to visit Buhene and the place tugged at my heartstrings. There is a heaviness that hangs in the air, one that you can’t quite put into words…

Nevertheless, the people’s resilience shines through; from the children’s joyous faces, to the men & women working hard to rebuild.. It is super inspiring! 🙂

Did you know?? Lake Kivu is known as a killer lake, because it contains a massive concentration of Methane gas and CO₂ caused by the volcanic eruptions.

Some parts of the lake are unsafe for swimming, so it’s vital to ask the locals before you take a plunge.

View Goma From Buhene Kwa Kase View Point

It’s interesting how so much beauty can co-exist with pain, almost like two sides of the same coin. Such is the feeling I had, as we drove to Buhene Kwa Kase View Point.

We drove past make-shift homes, built over the rubble and ruins caused by the Volcanic eruption in 2021.  Then, like an oasis in the desert we arrived at the Kwa Kase Viewpoint.

It is this garden-like place where you walk up through a maze of paths… And at the top, you’ll get to enjoy spectacular views of Goma town. 🙂

From that vantage point, it feels like you are glimpsing into Goma before the volcanic eruption, while looking into the potential it holds to become… Almost, like a place composing poetry for itself. Oh, so beautiful. 🙂

 Dinner at La Liga Restaurant

On our last night, we went out for dinner at La Liga Restaurant… The place has more of an outdoors- lounge-on-a-Sunday-evening feel.

La Liga is the best place for barbecued meat in Goma, with your group of friends as you catch a live game of football. We had a grand time chatting about F1… and on this everyone concurred: their food is ‘worth the trip’! 😀

>>A good dinner costs around 20-30 USD. The portions are quite generous, so you can share.

Spend a Day at Tchegera Island                            

A visit to Tchegera Island has to be one of the best things to do in Goma! Located about 20 minutes away from Goma Town, the island is like a small piece of paradise. 🙂

We went to Tchegera island one afternoon, and it was such a wonderful treat! In these parts, you’ll get to see how the affluent in Goma live, with their lake-houses and boats tied to piers.

The island itself feels private and tranquil, hence it’s great for an overnight getaway; they have tented rooms, a campsite and a restaurant.

Tchegera’s waters are safe for swimming. So the guys: Gufy, Sulu & Kai had themselves a good ol’ time in the lake. 😀 They also have some water sport activities like kayaking and paddling.

I’d certainly recommend a visit to Tchegera, and though we didn’t stay overnight, I think it’s worth a try. 🙂

Quick Tip: Carry packed lunch for a picnic and plan to spend the day at Tchegera island. 

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My sincere gratitude to Jambojet and Goma Serena for the exceptional hospitality, and showing us the best things to do in Goma!

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As promised…. Today I am Giving Away 3 Jambojet Discount vouchers worth Kshs. 3,000/- each.

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who took part! I appreciate you!! 🙂

And Congratulations to our Winners: Cynthia N. Mwangi, Manuel Watindi and Allan Mangongo.

Look out for the voucher codes in your email inbox later today. The winners were picked using Google’s Random Number Generator.

This Giveaway is now Closed. A new one coming your way soon! 🙂

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Thank you for reading! 😀 I hope you’ve enjoyed this post with the best things to do in Goma!

I would love to hear back from you, leave a comment down below with your feedback and/or questions.

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