As part of a multi-phased conservation and tourism management programme for Rwanda’s Gishwati-Mukura National Park, the Forest of Hope Association (FHA) in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), today announced the opening of the Forest of Hope Guest House and Camp Site in the Gishwati sector of the park. Visitors staying at both the guest house and camp site have the opportunity to explore the Gishwati sector of the park for an immersive forest experience.
The Forest of Hope Guest House features two serviced double en-suite rooms for a maximum of four guests, offering a basic standard of accommodation, three wholesome meals a day and non-alcoholic beverages. The camp site offers unserviced facilities for a maximum of eight campers.
During their stay, adventurous guests can explore everything Gishwati Forest has to offer, including the chance to admire and monitor some of the world’s last remaining chimpanzees, and golden and mountain monkeys in their natural habitat; there is also excellent birding as well as authentic cultural and community exchanges.
Guests are also invited to visit the onsite indigenous tree nursery and to 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.
Speaking at the opening, FHA Coordinator, Thierry Aimable Inzirayineza, said, “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.”
“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,” adds Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board. “I thank the Forest of Hope Association and Wilderness Safaris for further reinforcing Rwanda’s pole position as a responsible and sustainable tourism destination that values and protects our natural heritage. I encourage everyone to visit the unique Gishwati-Mukura National Park, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, for truly unforgettable primate trekking experiences and much more.” (End).