Whoever came up with the name for this facility must have invested a bit of their thoughts in it. For, there is definitely a bit of “Eden”, of “Palm”, and “Residence” each for you to see once you check in. But more on that later. What hits you first about Eden Palm Residence is the fact that it is tailor-made almost exclusively for small families with children. Well, that is as far as the guest facility is concerned. That is why they do have a few “family rooms” to compliment the standard suites. The family rooms are designed in such a way as to recreate a home feel away from your own home. Basically they come equipped with two large rooms (one for the couple and another, smaller one for the kids), a shared washroom, living room, and all the basics of normal home stay. Actually, getting into this place is like driving into your compound in the evening after a long day at work. The gardens, which teem with palm trees and flowers, are another sight to behold. Its serenity is complimented by the cool water streaming from a water fountain, and a commanding view of the Nyarutarama Golf Course. What the gardens fail to offer, the swimming pool in the backyard comes in handy. It is a medium sized, well-chlorinated pool that, unfortunately, is only accessible to in-house guests. The setting around the pool is one of the crowning glories of this place. Not only is the water fresh and clear, the adjacent bathrooms are better than those you will find at most pool-side bathrooms in town. A small, neat Al-fresco bar at the shallow end of the pool seals the beauty of the scenery. They do food, although on pre-order, which is understandable considering the nature of their clientele. On the Saturday mid morning we visited, we settled for drinks first, taking our time in ordering for food. And when the chef eventually inquired what he could whip up for us, there was hardly enough time on our hands to see our meal cooked, so we learnt our lesson: This is not a “chips-and-liver”, Take-Away kind of place. It’s a residential guest house! They do sea food, African, European and Chinese kitchens. Soft drinks go for Rwf1,000, Primus and Mutzig at Rwf1,500 (small), while a glass of wine will set you back by Rwf3,500.
