Musanze Caves

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Beyond giant mountains, crystal clear waters, and flourishing plantations; God's creation and wonders never ceases to amaze, especially to an adventurous individual who seeks to explore and uncover the different treasures in the world.  There is a lot to uncover, but first, Musanze caves-a magnificent naturally curved hole in a rock considered sacred and living visitors with unending memories.

It is located in Musanze district; the northern part of Rwanda around volcanoes national park and shielded by five great mountains namely; Karisimbi, Muhabura, Bisoke, Gahinga and Sabinyo. The caves are a must-visit destination to everyone globally, ever since falling into the ears of many as one of the new tourist products in 2014. The caves sit on a 2km land, decorated by a water stream, Lush vegetation, several bats, and rocks which make it one of the finest places for photography.

It is believed that these caves were formed about 65million years ago through a lava flow after a volcanic eruption into the giant Albertine rift valley. The cave is so magnificent and breathtaking. It was used as an asylum for the Tutsi and Hutu during the 1994 ethnic conflict, and Rwanda kings used it as a store for food, and numerous supplies during the war error.
It has a capacity of containing several people at the same time in its large dark corridors since tourists walkways, stairs and trails have been created inside. Different bat species and plants call it home and can be seen during the adventure. The entrance has a magnificent ring-like rock left behind after eruption and creates a perfect magnificent wonder as one silently exits the darkness.

There are rooms inside the caves, and the tour can last for approximately 1-2 hours. Silence has to be maintained throughout the walk so as not to scare the bats that hang in the dark corners of the rock walls.

Interestingly, you can decide to turn the lights for a few minutes and get the feeling of experiencing total darkness in a cave. Visiting these caves gives a person a chance of learning more about earth's development and geological history. They are cool, very safe, and in its natural state, with no modern types of equipment but rather the paths created to ease movements. The uniqueness of this cave is brought by the streams of water that drops in the wall once in a while, the bats that parade on the walls decorated by cobwebs of centuries ago, and hardened rocks, with only the whispers of human’s voices in the place.

Best time to Visit the Caves

Musanze caves; right in Musanze district, northern Rwanda is open for visitors all year round, with expert guides and security present to make your dreams come to pass. Most people combine it with Gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, or even cultural adventure in and around.

You can spend the last 2-3 hours of the evening exploring this wonder, located approximately 2km from Volcanoes national park;30-minute drive from the headquarters.

Upon arriving at Musanze caves; you will have to put on the following gears for the task ahead; Gloves to protect your hands, Knee caps to protect the knees, boots for the feet, hand torch for light, helmet to protect the head from the flying bats, head cap, and a light face cover among other, yet not forgetting the cameras for photography. Inside the cave is so dark with bats spread all over the place, and thus attention given to them.

Other activities

In addition to exploring Musanze caves, you can also visit the local communities around the caves; track the Gorillas and golden monkeys at volcanoes national park, engage in canoe ride at Lake Burera and Ruhondo, and hiking to Dian Fossey graveyard among others.

while on your safari to Musanze caves, don't be in a panic because there are quality accommodation facilities all around the place, with classic facilities, security and so much more; notably, the Garden palace, La Bambou gorilla village, Da Vinci gorilla lodge, the five volcanoes boutique hotel, and jack Hannah's cottages among others.

Musanze caves are a new natural wonder in the world; located in a region with plenty of breathtaking features and attractions. These caves are so rare and present to visitors a perfect opportunity of taking photos and making a discovery. Just book for yourself a place and have a thrilling adventure in Rwanda's newest tourism product, be among the first to have your name in this place.