Musanze province is located in northern part of Rwanda. It is a popular tourist destination a home to Volcanoes National Park known for mountain gorillas.
Musanze is situated in the most mountainous district of Rwanda nestled at an elevation of 1849meters above the sea level. Musanze has got a population of over 80,000p people making it the biggest in the northern province of Rwanda.
The old name was Ruhengeri but has now been changed since the country adapted a new policy of renaming all of its cities to remove memories of the horrific genocide and also to ease administration. Musanze is where most of the government administrative and commercial services are located for the province.
Although most tourists come to Musanze province to explore the Volcanoes National Park and the mountain gorilla tours in particular, there is so much to do around this province.
From Kigali it takes about 2 hours of driving by road through stunning landscape to reach Musanze province. The roads are of good quality and well maintained. Private cars can be hired for about $50 excluding fuel and a driver. If you are traveling on a tight budget, you can use the public buses from Kigali to Musanze. Bus companies like Kigali Bus Services and Virunga Express have offices at Nyabugogo Bus Station. Remember to buy the ticket in advance since the tickets are highly competed for.
There are a lot of activities to be done while on your trip in Musanze province and some of them include the following;
Musanze city tour. As a small province, a tour on foot is possible and can take about 2 hours. You can start with the city markets to check out the local fabrics and fruits. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International offices are built at the center of Musanze and worth a visit. This office is known globally for carrying out high quality research on mountain gorillas and other primates. They also support wildlife conservation efforts throughout East and Central Africa. If you finish the tour earlier than expected, you can continue and visit Nkotsi Village. Nkotsi Village is found in the southwestern part of Musanze. It is an excellent place to go for a cultural tour and experience the life of people in rural Rwanda.
Explore the Musanze Caves. These caves are over 1 million years old. They were formed during the creation of the volcanoes in the area. Lava spewed out, flowed, cooled at the top and left molten rock moving underneath.
The molten rock moving underneath left behind tunnels are the Musanze caves. The caves are a complex group of tunnels some stretching over 20 kilometers. These caves were used as shelter by the kings of Rwanda during war with neighboring tribes.
To explore the Musanze caves, everyone is assigned a torch, helmet and gloves. If you have never experienced true darkness in your life, then switch off the torch for a second while at the caves. The Musanze caves are managed by the Rwanda Development board and are found after driving for 30 minutes away from Musanze town. Entrance to the caves costs $50 and the whole activity takes about 3 hours.
Gorilla trekking at the Volcanoes National Park. The key attraction of Musanze is the Volcanoes National Park and the major activity is gorilla trekking. The park is 130 square kilometers large and home to the endangered mountain gorilla. Gorilla trekking at the Volcanoes National Park starts in the morning with a briefing from one of the park rangers. After the briefing, participants are assigned to one of the 10 habituated gorilla families. Gorilla permits can be acquired from the Rwanda Development board website or by visiting one of their offices and they cost USD1500 each. Visitors are allowed to spend 1 hour with these giants in their natural habitat upon the location.
Visit the grave of Dian Fossey grave. This is a full day’s activity and requires the same level of fitness and determination that is required while trekking mountain gorillas. Dian Fossey was a great primatologist and was the first to study mountain gorillas in detail and also to protect them from poachers. It was Dian Fossey who discovered how to make mountain gorillas comfortable around human presence hence making gorilla trekking possible.
Dian’s conservation and protecting of gorillas won her many enemies and her murder is believed to have been carried out by people who were benefiting from poaching and animal trafficking. To pay homage to this great primatologist, you can arrange to visit the grave of Dian Fossey and her former research Centre on the slope Mountains of Karisimbi and Bisoke. The area is remote and on high altitude but you will get a chance to learn a lot about her work with the gorillas and her legacy today. If you are lucky, you might encounter the gorillas and golden monkeys on the slopes of the mountains.
Visit Imbazi orphanage center. After the horrific Rwanda genocide, the Imbazi orphanage was created to take care of children who had lost their parents. The house belonged to a one Rosamund Carr. Carr opened her doors to the many children who had been left hopeless and homeless. It has now been turned into a small museum and kindergarten. This facility is built in the countryside but only 45 minutes’ drive away from Musanze town. The scenery and views along the way are beautiful more especially the striking Virunga Volcanoes including Nyiragongo, Karisimbi and Mikeno.
Trek Golden Monkeys. The Golden monkeys are one of the cutest and most beautiful primates found in Africa. They feed on tree shoots, leaves and insects. Golden monkeys live in groups that can reach up to 80 individuals. These playful primates are endangered just like mountain gorillas and can only found in three countries Rwanda, Congo and Uganda. There are two habituated golden monkey groups which are open to tourists in the volcanoes national park. Golden monkey trekking starts with a briefing in the morning after which visitors are led into the bamboo forests to find the group. The monkeys are relatively easier to find compared to mountain gorillas because they live on the lower slopes of the volcanoes. Permits cost $100 and can be booked directly with the Rwanda Development Board or through a trusted tour operator.
Hike on the Volcanoes. There are five volcanoes that can be explored while in Musanze. They include Karisimbi, Bisoke, Gahinga, Muhabura and Sabyinyo. Karisimbi takes two days to complete while Muhabura, Sabyinyo and Gahinga have starting points in Uganda.
The most recommended one is Bisoke Hike. Hiking Mount Bisoke is much cheaper than Karisimbi and takes only a day. The slowest hikers may take 5 hours climbing and 3 hours descending from the summit. The reward for climbing 3711 meters to the summit are beautiful views of the crater lake and the other volcanoes in the park. Ensure that you are in good physical shape and that you have the right gear especially during the rainy season. Mount Bisoke permits cost $75. If you’re coming from Kigali, you might need to hire a car and driver to take you to the starting point.
Canoeing at the Mukungwa River. This meandering river is located outside the town of Musanze. It is an excellent place for relaxation and adventure. Driving to and from the river lets you explore and check out the countryside and local people. The river is also an excellent birding spot in Rwanda. The activity takes about 4 hours and costs $40. Carry with you a good camera in order to take good photos of the river and countryside.
Birding. Avid birders should not be bored while in Musanze. There are several places where one can go and see some of Rwanda’s resident birds. The best place of course is within the Volcanoes National Park but one can come back satisfied even at river Mpenge, river Mukungwa, the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo. Rugezi Swamp is arguably the best place for birding in Musanze. This vast marshland is home to over 100 species including the Grauer’s swamp-warbler. You will also find species that are endemic to the Albertine rift.
Lake Burera and Ruhondo. These two lakes are close to each other and are often referred to as the twin Lakes of Rwanda. They are located in an area with remarkable scenery, tranquility and at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes. The lakes have a similar natural beauty as lake Bunyoyi, Mulehe and Mutanda in Uganda with great opportunities for birding. The lakes are only 20 minutes’ drive way from Musanze town and you can easily use a bike to reach them. Once you reach there, you can choose to go for a village walk, canoeing, camping and birding. The common bird species are storks, cormorans, cranes, kingfishers, herons and other water birds. Boats are hired at a small fee to take you to the different islands. Cyuza Island in Lake Burera is particularly excellent for camping. The campsite at the Lake is run by La Paillotte which aims at offering great adventure and comfort to tourists in the Musanze region. The view of the Virunga rangers from this small island is simply amazing.
Some of the accommodation facilities where you can stay on your travel to Musanze province include Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel, Bisate Lodge, La Locanda, Virunga Lodge, Red Rocks Rwanda, Wilderness Sabyinyo Lodge among others and these provide good facilities and amenities.
