Maison St Benoit

During colonial times a British man named Jack Mat Wilson Poelaert established the premises and constructed the building that comprises the main facility for the Nunnery.^[1] He laid out gardens that include a range of good trees and have led to current descriptions of the Nunnery as "paradisaical green lakeshore grounds that support plenty of colourful birds and also offer good swimming".^[2] Poelaert gave the property to the Benedictine order in December 1970.

Nowadays the Nuns of Saint Benedict live there praying and working as advised by Saint Benedict, who said: Ora et Labora. They operate a guest house with 30 rooms that make it "one of the best-value and most attractive places to stay in the Rubavu area".^[2] Sister Beata, one of the five nuns presently running the guest house, explains: "Nuns like to have visitors, to receive them is not a business it is a part of the mission. They want you to feel at home".^[1]

Visitors indicate that the sunset is a joy to behold and one feels a sense of peace once you reach Kagufi.^[3]