Wilderness Bisate — Local services in Kinigi

This was our third trip to Africa. The first was South Africa and Botswana, the second was Egypt and Morocco, and the latest was Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya. All different and all amazing places to visit with a uniqueness that is difficult to describe.|||| Rwanda, were it not for the Silverback Gorillas, is not universally thought of as a travel destination. That is an unfortunate characterization of this Country and its people. To overcome a genocide, rebuild a nation, and unify its people is something that must be admired firsthand. We can all learn from it. We drove through the countryside outside of the capital, Kigali, and saw a beautiful landscape and welcoming people.|||| And then there is Bisate. Bisate captures the uniqueness of Rwanda. It is positioned in a beautiful corner of Rwanda in the Volcanoes National Park. Bisate was designed to be part of the landscape and it succeeds at doing so brilliantly. Yes, there are a few steps to get from down below to the main lodge and farther to your accommodations, but it is not too difficult, and the view from your balcony is well worth the lack of an escalator.|||| I am convinced that in Africa no two “tents” are remotely alike. Nowhere on earth do the people who design and place those accommodations do a better job incorporating the “outside” into the “inside.” Such is the case with Bisate. The accommodations were, as you might expect, large and perfectly appointed. Our balcony was the perfect place to enjoy lunch, which was absolutely delicious. |||| And there is the staff: friendly, engaging, gracious, knowledgeable, enthused about their work, and never, ever, too busy to answer questions, provide information on food and wine, accommodate a request (that they could not possibly have anticipated), and make certain we are put together for a day of gorilla trekking. This may seem like a trivial observation, but no one can take a pair of hiking boots that are covered in mud and return them to “factory” condition like they can. Maybe I am just easily amused, but that was impressive. |||| The food. As mentioned, the lunches served on our balcony were the quality of any 5 star accommodations, but without the pretense. Dinners were very well done. The menus were thoughtfully prepared, incorporated local produce using local preparation techniques, but with a familiarity that no foreigner would feel anxious to try. All the meals were delightful and there was an ample selection of predominantly South African wines to pair with every meal.|||| The influence and gentle hand of onsite management, Tiffany and Ryan, was obvious throughout. The staff, to a person, were under the impression that they were part of a close knit family. They are.|||| Bisate is the perfect jumping off point to meet one of our closest relatives, the mountain “Silverback’ gorillas with whom we share 98% of our DNA. We were fortunate to encounter the Peace Family (they are all named), which turned out to be a very close encounter when the family decided to brush past us to relocate a short distance away. The starting point on our trek to find the gorillas was literally a stone’s throw from Bisate’s gate. |||| Finally, there is the tree planting program at Bisate. You go to the onsite nursery, learn about the various trees that make up the surrounding forests, and then choose a tree to plant on a nearby hillside with the help of one of Bisate’s gardeners. In our case, it was Gabby. I am, by nature, a bit of a sceptic when it comes to certain activities invented by the owners. I am no longer a skeptic. There is now a “Forest Dombeya” tree planted on that hillside in memory of my sister who recently passed away. The GPS coordinates were provided of the precise location of the sapling, so we will be able to see how much it has grown upon our...

This was our third trip to Africa. The first was South Africa and Botswana, the second was Egypt and Morocco, and the latest was Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya. All different and all amazing places to visit with a uniqueness that is difficult to describe.|||| Rwanda, were it not for the Silverback Gorillas, is not universally thought of as a travel destination. That is an unfortunate characterization of this Country and its people. To overcome a genocide, rebuild a nation, and unify its people is something that must be admired firsthand. We can all learn from it. We drove through the countryside outside of the capital, Kigali, and saw a beautiful landscape and welcoming people.|||| And then there is Bisate. Bisate captures the uniqueness of Rwanda. It is positioned in a beautiful corner of Rwanda in the Volcanoes National Park. Bisate was designed to be part of the landscape and it succeeds at doing so brilliantly. Yes, there are a few steps to get from down below to the main lodge and farther to your accommodations, but it is not too difficult, and the view from your balcony is well worth the lack of an escalator.|||| I am convinced that in Africa no two “tents” are remotely alike. Nowhere on earth do the people who design and place those accommodations do a better job incorporating the “outside” into the “inside.” Such is the case with Bisate. The accommodations were, as you might expect, large and perfectly appointed. Our balcony was the perfect place to enjoy lunch, which was absolutely delicious. |||| And there is the staff: friendly, engaging, gracious, knowledgeable, enthused about their work, and never, ever, too busy to answer questions, provide information on food and wine, accommodate a request (that they could not possibly have anticipated), and make certain we are put together for a day of gorilla trekking. This may seem like a trivial observation, but no one can take a pair of hiking boots that are covered in mud and return them to “factory” condition like they can. Maybe I am just easily amused, but that was impressive. |||| The food. As mentioned, the lunches served on our balcony were the quality of any 5 star accommodations, but without the pretense. Dinners were very well done. The menus were thoughtfully prepared, incorporated local produce using local preparation techniques, but with a familiarity that no foreigner would feel anxious to try. All the meals were delightful and there was an ample selection of predominantly South African wines to pair with every meal.|||| The influence and gentle hand of onsite management, Tiffany and Ryan, was obvious throughout. The staff, to a person, were under the impression that they were part of a close knit family. They are.|||| Bisate is the perfect jumping off point to meet one of our closest relatives, the mountain “Silverback’ gorillas with whom we share 98% of our DNA. We were fortunate to encounter the Peace Family (they are all named), which turned out to be a very close encounter when the family decided to brush past us to relocate a short distance away. The starting point on our trek to find the gorillas was literally a stone’s throw from Bisate’s gate. |||| Finally, there is the tree planting program at Bisate. You go to the onsite nursery, learn about the various trees that make up the surrounding forests, and then choose a tree to plant on a nearby hillside with the help of one of Bisate’s gardeners. In our case, it was Gabby. I am, by nature, a bit of a sceptic when it comes to certain activities invented by the owners. I am no longer a skeptic. There is now a “Forest Dombeya” tree planted on that hillside in memory of my sister who recently passed away. The GPS coordinates were provided of the precise location of the sapling, so we will be able to see how much it has grown upon our...

THE most amazing place we’ve been lucky enough to experience. EVER.||Our final two nights of our twelve night itinerary throughout Rwanda were spent at Bisate. It’s magical, dreamy, stunningly gorgeous (both the design and the views of the volcanoes and verdant fields), and offers the opportunity to get to know the wonderful local humans who provide the incredible trifecta of professional service, warmth, and smiles and humor. ||Special highlights of our stay- tree planting with Jimmy, getting to know Princess and Addy, anniversary treats on our bed, surprise gifts in the villa, a drawn bath waiting for us after trekking, fireside cocktail conversations in the lounge with other guests, and a surprise private anniversary dinner in the wine cellar managed by Jado. He’s so cool- take the chance to spend time with him (he’s also a fantastic dancer!)||We completed our second trek while staying at Bisate and were so glad we elected to do two (with the golden monkeys in the day between) as the two experiences could not have been more different. Be open minded to the variability of the altitude, the length, the incline, the mud and the vegetation as each is dictated by the gorilla family you’ll visit and how they move that day. Advil before the hike is very helpful. Gloves are a must - stash the waterproof pants and rain jacket in your backpack (unless it’s raining) as you’ll get very hot. The porters are your best pals, and the trackers are magicians (how they find these animals is a mystery!)||While we checked out of our villa at 10:30 we were able to enjoy the day lounge which is stunning! Pizza for lunch (more wine and local beer) and final opportunities for (decently priced) gift purchases. Do a deep dive with Tiffany re the peace baskets and their uses. ||A note re Wilderness - the company has a great story with 60+ locations (and growing). Conservation focused and fundamentally seems to change the lives of the locals in so many ways. Listen to the stories of the Wilderness employees you meet. What a marvelous model!! ||We traveled to Rwanda for the mountain gorillas and that was spectacular. But we had no idea of the continuous magic we’d encounter during our two week stay. It’s a remarkable country with the most precious humans, and of the fabulous African countries we’ve visited it’s now our...