The ancestors� blessings

Spira Tlhankane | Friday March 3, 2017 15:09

 

Badimo are known to be resistant to change especially if it is done for ulterior motives. But with the new resort, Goo-Moremi village residents were able to initiate change and it was easy for the ancestors to adapt to it because it was a wanted one.

While the resort is now fully functional and offers something for everyone, the work to come up with the resort was not an easy one. The trust, together with BTO, had to make an appeasing ceremony and seek permission from the gods before they could build the facility. Proper procedures were followed; a cow was slaughtered and a ceremony was made whereby the villagers took part. Even though they moved from the old Goo-Moremi to settle in their current location, the inhabitants of the place will always have strong spiritual or religious attachment to the natural spots than outsiders.

Special community members living in the village called the Komana who are able to communicate with the ancestors were the intermediaries during the whole process. After the ancestors gave the people of Goo-Moremi their blessing, the trust led the proceedings while BTO was responsible for assisting the trust to achieve its mandate of developing eco-tourism.

This consultation with the ancestors played key roles in the culture at Goo-Moremi and the new resort will continue to provide hospitality as well as let visitors to enjoy the vast spectrum of scenery.

Speaking of scenery, we arrived at the place before the official launch and we were greeted by breathtaking views of the new accommodation. We had heard about the chalets at the place and everyone among the group of journalists was quite enthusiastic. Wait, that was before we saw the Meru Luxury Tents facing the Tswapong Hills directly.

There are two Presidential suites that are fully serviced and fully air-conditioned. We managed to arrive at the first one and they were still applying the final touches. We were invited for a quick tour around the suite because it was where President Khama was supposed to lay that night. 

We quickly moved to the luxury tents that are inclusive of en-suites facilities with double vanities, shower and bath. The tents include a deck overlooking expansive and dramatic views. There are also honeymoon resorts for those who want to get away but remain within our shores.

The luxury tents that also have standard rooms cater for newlyweds by offering exclusive honeymoon packages with romantic extras. They are serviced daily and have spacious twin beds. Guest tents include decks, which overlook the surrounding natural beauty of the gorge.

We then moved to the self-catering chalets which are six in total and each has a different name. For those who like to experience outdoor adventure, the chalets have an outdoor shower and it surely brings back the memories of the old days where people would freely bath outside.

To save the best for last, we finally arrived at the restaurant and it has exceptional dining options and the landscape is like no other. Built on top of rocks and surrounded by vegetation, the a-la-varte restaurant has a walkway leading to the restaurant.

The restaurant also offers breathtaking views of the gorge and it has remarkable outdoor swimming pool to soak in the manmade hot spring because the ones inside the gorge are reserved for the ancestors. Besides the dining hall and the kitchen, the place also has a bar where visitors can buy their drinks after a tiresome trail up the Tswapong Hills.

The resort will now provide tourists and visitors alike with seasonal recreational activities including hiking, wildlife photography, bird watching, cave exploring.

During the night the place also offers visitors to wander at the moon and stars and quench their celestial thirst. It also offers them a chance to take a walk and relax their feet.

All in the entire place is an adventure resort. The ancestors have given their blessings because years ago no one knew that Goo-Moremi would join together to launch such a place where lodging, dining and tourism come together.

During the launch, the Minister for Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism,

Tshekedi Khama said the journey to setting up this project has been interesting, and an experience, full of memories to be carried forward. “This is one of the first few projects that we embarked on after repealing the old Botswana Tourism Act, to allow for Botswana Tourism Organisation to invest in greenfield projects. The move to allow BTO to invest in such projects was necessitated by the realisation that most communities were not able to set up tourism operations on their own, owing to various challenges such as funds and skills.  As one of the first few projects of its kind, we had to ensure due diligence is applied to minimise and mitigate challenges inherent with new tourism developments” he said.

The acting CEO of BTO Zibanani Hubona said Goo-Moremi Resort marks a new era to Moremi village and the tourism industry of the Tswapong region. “It’s a significant event for the tourism arm of the country, Botswana Tourism Organisation for their unswerving support from the very earliest days of the project,” he said. Hubona said it was not an easy road to reach where they are at the moment. “We experienced challenges, but with the support from our ministry, the leadership of this village and the tourism industry, we were able to pull through and execute an exquisite project,” he highlighted.