Goma's headline experience is the climb up Mount Nyiragongo to look down into one of the world's largest active lava lakes — when Virunga National Park is open and the volcano is judged safe. Below the volcano, the lava field from the 2002 eruption still cuts through the city, a black scar fused into the streets. Walk down to the shore of Lake Kivu for the sunset and a cold Primus at one of the small lakeside bars, and cross the border on foot into Gisenyi for a striking change of mood.