A new guest house and camp site have opened in the Gishwati sector of Rwanda’s Gishwati-Mukura National Park.
They are part of a multi-phased conservation and tourism management programme for the park, launched by the Forest of Hope Association (FHA) in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board.
“The Forest of Hope Guest House and Camp Site is another great addition to Rwanda’s lodging facilities that attract visitors from around the world, and offer world-class tourism experiences,” said Chief Tourism Officer at the RDB, Belise Kariza.
The accommodation is open to visitors and offers an immersive forest experience.
The guest house features two serviced double en-suite rooms for a maximum of four guests, offering a basic standard of accommodation, three meals a day and non-alcoholic beverages. The camp site offers un-serviced facilities for a maximum of eight campers.
Guests can explore Gishwati Forest during their stay, including the chance to see and monitor some of the world’s last remaining chimpanzees, golden, and mountain monkeys in their natural habitat. There are also great opportunities for birding.
They can also visit the onsite indigenous tree nursery and plant a tree as part of the park’s reforestation efforts.
With support from the West Chester University Foundation of Pennsylvania, FHA also operates the Gishwati Research Station to facilitate biodiversity research in the park.
“We look forward to welcoming our first guests to the Forest of Hope Guest House and Camp Site. We are collaborating with Wilderness Safaris in conservation and community development, focusing on chimpanzee monitoring and community education, and we look forward to sharing this work with visitors. The Forest of Hope Association is proud of the relationships we have built with community partners over the years, and our collective understanding of the importance of the protection and conservation of Gishwati has made this new ecotourism offering possible,” said FHA Co-ordinator, Thierry Aimable Inzirayineza.
