The inhabitants, members of the Kapsiki ethnic group, live in small houses built from local stone and topped with thatched roofs;[2] these homes are scattered throughout the village and surrounding valley.

[3] Writer and explorer André Gide wrote that Rhumsiki's surroundings are "one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.

"[6] The spectacular effect is created by surrounding volcanic plugs (the remnants of long-dormant volcanoes), basalt outcroppings, and the Mandara Mountains.

Among these are craftspeople, such as blacksmiths, potters, spinners, and weavers; native dancers; and the féticheur, a fortune-teller who predicts the future based on a crab's manipulation of pieces of wood.

Rough Guides describes Rhumsiki as "overrun" and "tainted by organized tourism",[8] and Lonely Planet calls it "something of a tourist trap.