The oldest hotel in Musanze

HOTEL MUHABURA easily makes one big joke of the ever-mushrooming, flashy but soulless and touch-less “Dubai Classic” style hotels in Kigali. And by Dubai Classic I mean those hotels with big white empty walls, large white floor tiles and waiting staff standing stiffly, brandishing their name tags.It is located opposite the Musanze District headquarters on your way out of the town on the main road from Musanze to Rubavu: a warm nest in an authentic tropical setting which it cherishes and zealously protects.Muhabura is a prime base to the great Volcanoes National Park, popular with gorilla trekking enthusiasts. Actually, from behind bungalows 13-24, one can observe the majestic and towering peaks of the Volcanoes.Tip: one of the rooms, 12, is special. It is called the Dian Fossey Room, and is where American primatologist Dian Fossey, a gorilla conservationist, stayed when not in the mountains, and has been preserved in her memory. Fossey undertook an extensive study of gorilla groups in the Volcanoes National Park over a period of 18 years. She was murdered in 1985, by yet unknown assailants.It is pleasantly quiet, with lovely green spaces and bountiful flower gardens you thought only exist in the biblical Eden or in romance fairytales. Once you are settled into your seat, it then hits you that you are sandwiched in flora and fauna. On a good day, a flock of the rare and elegant East African Crested Crane will walk right up to you, and greet you, in their own way, of course!It is the warm nest of Musanze, notorious for its biting chills.Muhabura’s touch is individual and penetrates right to your soul. The management and house style has been meticulously crafted to arm you with this feeling that you are the most important guest once you have checked in. You never come across as a “client”, a “customer” (well, at least I never did when I spent a night). Rather, you are a guest-a guest in a small, cozy and tightly woven family.Here, people, perfect strangers not only talk to each other, comparing notes on their travel experiences, they also have the luxury of holding deep and intimate chats with the ever willing staff.I spent an eventful night at Muhabura, an experience through which I seeped in what I will call the “Muhabura Experience” for lack of a better description. During this stay, I had long chats with the lady who runs the facility, and whose soulful personal touch sets the pace at Muhabura.She is Madam Rusingizandekwe Gaudence. When we got chatting, she was not in a rush to pump the writer with big-sounding talk about her hotel, which runs the longest tradition with international tourists in the tourism-rich Musanze district.Oldest hotel in MusanzeThe hotel was built way back in 1956, by a Belgian Colonial administration official. At the time, it was named Mimosa Hotel.Gaudence recollects that at the time, the hotel was exclusively for the Belgian colonial administration officials and their families in Rwanda, plus a sprinkling of the few schooled and formally employed natives then. Mimosa Hotel had another important guest; King Mutara Rudahigwa II, who held court here during his reign.Her father, the late Rusingizandekwe Otto brought a then little Gaudence and her siblings here for Fanta or a projector movie over the weekends. She particularly cherishes memories of the movies because “it was the only place one could watch a movie in the whole of Ruhengeri.”A father’s visionWhen the curtains eventually fell on the Belgian Colonial rule in Rwanda, the hotel was put on auction. Her dad, a respected resident known for his zeal for philanthropy and a natural inclination to hospitality service grabbed the opportunity at once. On acquiring the property, he immediately renamed it “Muhabura Hotel.” Gaudence explains that the choice of name occurred naturally to her father.“In acquiring the hotel, he wanted to prove something. He wanted to demonstrate that Rwandans are by nature hospitable people. That was his vision, and that is the vision I’m trying to uphold.”“His idea was of a place that was majestic, a market leader in hospitality and service …he wanted something that would be counted as the first and the best.” Even today, she stresses that Muhabura’s approach is “doing business but not counting every penny.” And that, precisely, is the mood that greets you once you check in.Muhabura is neither overtly luxurious nor top-of-the-range. Just sit down, throw up your legs, unwind over a cold Primus, and simply ignore the clock. Watch the world go by.There is a near mission-like aspect about it, architecturally or otherwise. Typaically, it is a haunt for wealthy, fly-in tourists on large gorilla trekking excursions. You will find NGO field personnel, volunteers, aid workers, peacecorps and Musanze’s decently salaried corporates.But one good sign is the large influx of locals who flock the restaurant and bar terrace for a bite or drink. Warren, a Swede on short stay at Muhabura had this to say; “I have been here many times and have noticed that many locals come to the bar and restaurant to eat and drink, and I think this is a good sign wherever you travel.”The restaurant is set superbly, with an adjoining terrace where locals, tourists, tour guides and business travelers all congregate to compare notes come sunset.Breakfast opens early enough (5:00am), and you will have a choice between coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk, bread, toast, butter, marmalade, boiled eggs and fruit.From the hotel there are plenty of day time trip options from which to choose; One could also go sight-seeing the twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondo, Buhanga Eco park, or visit the Kinigi Iby’Iwacu cultural village.For 20.000 Fw f a night I had a 2 bed apartment which was brimming with character; hot shower, cane chairs and table, TV with numerous international channels, and above-par room service.The showers, powerful and steaming hot, are the ultimate gift after gorilla trekking. The rooms are big and nice enough to relax in, although there are lots of other places around the grounds to sit and relax. Comfortable beds with big mosquito nets too. I left my valuables like cash and passport etc in the room and they stayed intact.There is a nice curio shop at reception where one can pick up beautiful and authentic Rwandan handicraft.A deluxe sauna and steam bath lounge is nearing its completion, and will soon be open to guests.Muhabura is quite a nice place for those who have a real heart and interest in Rwanda, in Africa; just relax and let Africa do its magic, because who is in a rush here? Take a cue from the Gorillas -they don’t rush around, do they?