Nyiragongo is a beautiful stratovolcano that features the world’s largest lava lake with a diameter of 200m. The volcano’s forested lower slopes are home to a variety of animals, including chimpanzees, monkeys, and bushbuck. The impressive crater at the top is between 1 to 1.2 km in diameter and about 900m deep. From the rim, you can peer down into the crater and view the active lava lake.
Nyiragongo has only erupted twice. Once in 1977 and again in 2002. The last eruption in January 2002, had an estimated 20 million cubic meters of lava rushing downhill at speeds of over 60km/hr. It destroyed at least 17% of Goma city and displaced more than 120,000 people.