In a bid to diversify the tourism sector, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has recently opened the rehabilitated Musanze Caves to the public. In order to make the caves visitor-friendly, the RDB invested in major rehabilitation works, which consisted of the establishment of tourist walkways and trails, stairs and other safety measures for tourists.
The caves offer visitors an in-depth understanding of the geological history of the area. They are located in a volcanic region, where different lava flow layers dating from 65 million years ago have created the Albertine Rift Valley. The caves are two kilometers underneath the ground with the Musanze Cave at 1,275 meters and Kinigi Cave at 810 meters deep, respectively. The caves are expected to attract a million tourists by the end of next year.
During the inauguration of the caves, Rica Rwigamba, head of tourism and conservation at the RDB, said: “This is yet another key result toward our goal to increase tourism products; caves are expected to attract many tourists, we hope to see them spending more days in Rwanda and specifically in Musanze, which is among our Destination Management Areas.”
Rwigamba added local investors have already shown interest to build hotels at the cave entrance.