ORTPN Resthouse Butare

ORTPN Resthouse is now called the Gisakura Guest house and it's located within the boundaries of the Nyunge forest across from the park offices several hours from

The grounds are very pretty with well-maintained landscaping, monkeys running around, loads of birds chirping, and a nice fire ring in a small outdoor gazebo-like structure where they build a fire in the evenings.

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The rooms are simple with shared baths in the hall.

Maybe 2 rooms per bathroom? Beds were fine and there were ample sheets and blankets. Lighting is a little dim but perfectly fine.

Dinners are served family style with plenty of food.

You get a couple of standard choices -- meat, fish, chicken (or veggie) and several sides. The first evening we had a tasty avocado salad along with grilled fish.

They have beer, wine and other standard beverages.

We took a beer out by the fire after dinner which was a nice way to end the day. Breakfast is generous.

Oatmeal, fresh cooked eggs to order, toast with jam, nutella, butter, large pots of coffee and tea (which you need for that 5:30 b'fast to see the chimps).

The park

Nyungwe is actually a large N Park with a diamemter of 60 kms; while the road is paved, its very hilly and curvy with occasional huge holes in it, dangerous, i ruined a friends car there!

To reach the guesthouse, its quite a trip - the house is on the west side of the park and in all normal circumstances, people will arrive from the East side. It took me 2 hours to get through.

Place is ok clean, food is simple and served out of plastic containers, but breakfast was normal fayre, omlette and toast, so ok. its also cheap place to stay, i paid 25$ or so for a night, this is ok.

Showers are communal - and the toilet was leaking a bit, but hey, you are miles away from many other places;

Service is friendly and low pressure - so it was an ok trip.
The key problem is the Park - it has too little attractions is too big for it and to see the chimpanzees you have to get up at 5am!