Spending a Relaxing Day at Lake Kivu Between Wildlife Trekking Excursions in Rwanda

On September 28, 2023September 28, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Rwanda5 Comments

After the exhilarating trek to see the gorillas in the Volcanoes National Forest and visiting the local village of Iby’Iwacu, we spent our next day exploring Lake Kivu, which is one of the African Great Lakes and is bordered by three different countries. From the town where we stayed, we could see the Republic of Congo and went to two of the border crossings that allow a constant flow of goods and traffic between the Congo and Rwanda. The lake itself sits on a volcanic rift and there are several methane extraction platforms located on the lake. It has the potential of a catastrophic eruption at some point in the future, but until then it is a source of thermal pools on the various islands that sit on the lake.

We took one of the many tour boats that are available along the shore of the town of Gisenyi, which is the second largest city in Rwanda, to visit one of the islands and see the locals enjoying the therapeutic benefits of the hot springs. Rwanda is a land-locked country and most of the cuisine is vegetable based, but there is Tilapia in the lake that is offered at the local restaurants and was one of the meals that we had at our resort as well. Overall, we spent a lot of time during our trip to Rwanda getting up early and exerting a lot of energy hiking, so the time spent by the lake was a nice reprieve.

Lake Kivu is obviously very large as it is over 1,000 square miles (2,700 square kilometers) and is the eighth largest lake in Africa. There are many resorts that sit along the coastline, some more remote than the one that we stayed at in Gisenyi. Most tours in Rwanda that include both the gorilla trekking and the chimpanzee trekking will include a stay at Lake Kivu as it is located centrally between both of the national parks. Although not the highlight of the trip, it was an enjoyable day between some amazing wildlife experiences.

Visiting the Hot Springs and Ruins at Pamukkale in Southwestern Turkey

On January 24, 2023January 25, 2023 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn TurkeyLeave a comment

Of all of the interesting places that we visited during our trip to Kusadasi was the day trip that we took to see Pamukkale. It is both a destination for locals and visitors to spend time in the soothing hot springs or to glide off of the cliffs in a hang-glider as well as the location of several ancient ruins. If you take a tour to Pamukkale, feel free to bring a bathing suit and relax in the warm waters, which are rich with minerals and are said to provide healing qualities. You can also just take your shoes off and walk through the shallow pools that overlook the valley below.

View of the Calcium, Hot Spring, and the Valley Below

The Two of Us Enjoying the Day at Pamukkale

We would definitely recommend making the hot springs your last stop during a tour of Pamukkale as you will do quite a bit of walking as you must walk all of the way to one end of the ruins and then return back to the parking area, which can take an hour or two. The ruins themselves are not the most impressive, but the ancient amphitheater is probably the highlight of the sites that you will see. The stunning pools with their white cliffs made up from the calcium from the water is what makes this location a worthwhile visit. In addition to the gorgeous springs along the cliff, there is also the Cleopatra Pool where you will find the largest number of bathers enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

We were fortunate to have several days in the port city of Kusadasi, so taking the day trip to Pamukkale was certainly worthwhile. We would recommend going to Ephesus and Aphrodisias before going to Pamukkale, but it was definitely an interesting destination to visit. As with many of the sites in southwestern Turkey, it is a World Heritage Site, making it a popular location for tourists to visit.

Geysir on the Golden Circle in Iceland

On April 15, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Iceland11 Comments

One of the highlights of the Golden Circle, which is a loop that takes you to several key tourist sights near Reykjavik in Iceland, is Gysir. It is a geyser that erupts every few minutes, often very dramatically, as well as a hot springs area with mud pits. Crowds gather around to watch Geysir as it bubbles and surges until it finally sprays hot water and steam hundreds of feet into the air. The area has been active for over a thousand years and there are many smaller thermal pots in addition to the impressive Gysir.

It is More Dramatic Standing Away from Geysir

Steam and Warm Ground Due to Thermal Activity Below the Ground

You Can See the Power as Geysir Begins to Erupt

Upon arriving to the parking area, you will join large crowds that gather around the geyser to wait and watch for it to erupt. Visiting Geysir during the winter months will really give you a sense of how much the thermal activity effects the area as you go from a completely frozen landscape to one with vegetation and steam coming from the ground all around you. We are sure that it is equally dramatic at other times of year, but the contrast between the ice and snow to the steaming mud pits and grassy areas was quite fascinating.

As you stand around Geysir waiting for its next eruption, the bubbling and boiling of the water in the mouth of the geyser is almost mesmerizing to watch. Waves of water roll out towards the edges as the water literally seems to boil. We watched several smaller eruptions that only went several feet into the air, although you could still sense the power of the geyser, until finally the main attraction occurred and Geysir spewed water and steam hundreds of feet into the air. We have seen other geysers, including Old Faithful in Yellowstone, but seeing the power of Geysir was certainly an incredible sight.