Musanze caves tour
Musanze caves tour, One of Rwanda’s most fascinating natural wonders is the Musanze Caves, which are tucked away in the lush greenery of Rwanda’s northern province, just outside the busy town of Musanze and at the foothills of the magnificent Virunga Volcanoes.
Beyond Rwanda’s well-known mountain gorilla trekking, adventure travellers can find a fascinating combination of geology, history, culture, and serene beauty of Rwanda on a tour of the Musanze Caves.
The Musanze caves have existed for millions of years, resulting from the intense volcanic activity that less to the formation of Albertine rift valley. As the molten lava from Bisoke and Sabinyo Volcanoes flowed and cooled, the remnants of the shifting lava flows led to the formation of the caves.
The Musanze caves are part of the 52 caves net work in Rwanda. they cover over 2 kilometres and among the most accessible caves in Rwanda with about 15 entrances. Up grade of the caves to an attractive tourism site was a collaborative effort of Rwanda Development board (RDB) and Rwanda Defense forces (RDF) through the construction of staircases, pathways and trails and providing security for the safety of visitors.
As you plan to visit the caves, you must obtain an entry ticket at the RDB offices at Kinigi. With the guidance of guides, you will walk into the caves. the guides will give you torches, knee protectors and hand gloves for safety of your body parts. The cave has a cathedral sized entrance an isa home huge colonies of bats which can be seen hanging on the walls of the cave.
The locals respect Musanze Cave because it is a cultural and historical place that was well-known for providing refuge during wars and crises in the time for kingdoms(monarchies). Notably, the caves also offered protection to many Rwandans mainly the Tutsi during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. During their Cave Tours, visitors are always asked to handle the site with caution.
The caves were officially opened for tourism in 2010; they are well protected and offer guided trips that last for 2-3 hours.
Cost of Musanze caves tour
The cost of having a guided walk through the caves is 55USD per person and only individuals of 12 years and above are allowed on this trek. This fee excludes transportation to the caves starting point, meals, tips, accommodation, and other expenses.
What to carry for the Musanze caves nature walk/tour
The essential gear one must carry for the Musanze caves exploration include a good torch, a head hat or helmet, durable gloves, sturdy hiking or walking boots, food, bottled water, insect repellent, a rain jacket, snacks, bottled water, cameras, note pads to put down some important information, and many others.
Best time for the Musanze caves tour
Musanze caves offer all year-round visits as they remain cool all the time. however the drier months from December to February and June to September are considered the best and the pathways and stairs are less slippery, and the entrances are less muddy. One can also tour the caves in the months; March to May but expect colder conditions and slippery stairs and pathways.
Where to stay before and after the Musanze caves tour.
Since the caves are found in Musanze town close to Volcanoes national park, visitors can easily connect from the many accommodations in this area. Your accommodation choice depends on your budget as the area has all kinds of accommodations ranging from luxury suites, midrange and budget facilities. Some of these include Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Gorilla Volcanoes Hotel, Muhabura Hotel, Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, The Garden Palace, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, Kinigi Guesthouse, Virunga lodge, etc…
Besides the Musanze caves, tourists to volcanoes national park and Musanze, can embark activities like gorilla tracking, golden monkey tracking volcano hiking, guided nature walks in Buhanga Eco park, boat cruise on the Twin lakes (Ruhondo and Burera),visiting the Gorilla Guardian’s Village and much more.
