Nyiragongo Crater, DRC

There’s a mountain overlooking the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and on top of that mountain is one of the most primal places on the planet—a massive lava lake.

Last I heard, Nyiragongo has since erupted, so it might not be accessible these days, but I was fortunate enough to peer into Earth’s maw a few years prior to that cataclysmic event. The churning lava was mesmerizing and included rivers and falls at different times of the day. The power emanating from that pit was hypnotic. My friends and I spent several hours staring at the lake a few hundred feet below. There were huts near the rim, so we stayed the night and saw the fog blossom about the boiling pit before descending back toward Rwanda. Absolutely incredible.

Touring eastern DRC can be risky, but it was one of the most magical places I have visited.

P.S. It is funny to me that I can’t find enough words to describe one of the single most impactful locations I have been to. It’s leaving me…speechless.