The hiking Guide on the “egg” island

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 BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

A hiking guide is someone who assist hikers on the challenges of a trek, overcoming obstacles to ensure they (hikers) enjoy all the exquisiteness and pristine environment the trek has to offer.

Island Sun last weekend met 27 years-old Baseful Kasiano, a famous hike guide you will meet at the Savo Sunset Lodge.

Baseful Kasiano Hike guide at Savo Sunset Lodge, in Savo Central Islands Province

 Savo, in the Central Islands Province, is an island known for its “egg fields”, where eggs of the megapode bird are in abundance.

Mr Kasiano has been working as a hike guide at the Savo Sunset Lodge to assist visiting guests trek through the well-preserved environment of the Island.

Kasiano often leads hikers to visit the well-known Volcano on the island, the warm water fall, dolphin watch and visit to Savo Megapode fields.  

“Becoming a hike or tour guide person to guests is an eye opener and at the same time was fun for me.

“This job has provided me a space to meet new friends, visit new unique places in Savo and is a safe space for me to learn from my guests on how to handle real life situations and most importantly this job helps to earn money for my daily survival.

Kasiano with three female hikers walking up the volcano trek.Photo by Savo Sunset Lodge

To me the challenging part of this job is communicating to foreign hikers in English. I find it tough to exchange words with them and at times got me feeling uneasy with sweat running down my body.

“Despite the challenges the job brought before my hikers and myself, at the end of each hiking trip we accomplished what my hikers yearned to, capture, explore and feel,” Kasiano laughingly uttered these words.

He said at the start of any hiking trips, he will give out safe hiking tips for his hikers. The trail guides he often gives out describes the landscape, the difficulty of the trail to inspire the weakest or youngest hike member in any hiking team he was engaged with.

Kasiano cooked megapode eggs for hikers in a small hot pool of water at the volcanoe.Photo by Savo Sunset Lodge

Kasiano adds that for-hiking teams, the smallest number he has led is one, with the highest around 60 or 70 members.

He said when taking a team of 60 to 70 members, he always takes with him two extra guides to assist him in leading the team safely from every sightseeing places on Savo islands.

Kasiano when gazing across the ocean said, “the little money I earned in this job have boosted me to start my canteen to support my livelihood each day. I venture into small income generating initiatives as this work is different from other occupations, meaning sometimes there are no guests or hikers coming over to the Island for a month or two and often leads to my source of income drying up.

Kasiano made this ladder to make life easier for his hikers.

“However, I would say that this job had contributed beautifully to this life that am living. In the near future I want to do my studies on the field of Tourism, hospitality, travel and tour.”

Kasiano Sending off guests and hikers who visited Sunset Lodge over the weekend 

Kasiano started his primary level of education at Paposi primary school in Savo, before completing his secondary level from forms one to five at Paibeta Community High School also on Savo. He graduated with a certificate of Carpentry and Agriculture from the Don Bosco Technical Institute.

Kasiano standing at the Sunset Lodge sea front to greet farewell to his hikers


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