In the Depths of Musanze: A Lava Tube Cave Tour at Volcanoes National Park

Written By: Kaitlyn Church and Ellen Veys

On our first Sunday in Rwanda, we visited Volcanoes National Park in Musanze, Northern Providence. The park has been open since 1929, but the cave tours opened in 2014, when rocks had been laid to form an official path. The caves that are open for tourists consist of four segments. The caves formed from lava flows during a volcanic eruption. The flow cascaded over several kilometers throughout the park, and as top layers of lava cooled and solidified, the remaining molten lava continued to flow underneath and drained out and left behind wide tunnels. We had two military tour guides who took us through the segments - one stayed with the group as we hiked, and the other went ahead with an assault rifle to look out for feral dogs that are occasionally seen in the tunnels.

There were not very many unique features in the caves, apart from some young, stubby stalactites starting to form along ridges in the walls and mineral deposits within the rock that would sparkle in the light of the flashlights. However, something that stood out about the caves was just how dark and silent they were. The only sounds present were from our group, and some soft water splashes as drops seeped through from the ceiling. The air was so stagnant and humid that steam was radiating off of our bodies. At one point, our tour guide told us to turn off all of our flashlights and we were completely submerged in darkness. It was so dark that you could not see your hand even if you put it centimeters from your face. Some people found it unsettling, and others found it peaceful. The tour guide had said people go there to meditate sometimes, and when they come out, they often have some epiphany or new discovery after being alone with their thoughts for so long. She also told us that people hid in the cave system during the genocide. There was etched writing on the walls at the beginning of the first segment, and it was eerie to think about who may have been there and what it may have said. It was similar writing to hieroglyphics, so the guides cannot translate it.

Overall, whether hikers find it strangely comforting or oddly unnerving, everyone can agree that a land feature so old and with so much history demands a sort of awe from all who experience it firsthand. The caves at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda provide both a unique tourist experience as well as a look into the natural geography and history of the area.