On the road leading to the hotel’s entrance, we can hear the sounds of the employees’ welcome song from afar. The chorus becomes more audible and emotional as we approach and see the lines of men and women clapping and singing at the top of their lungs. In the background, the only six nest-shaped rooms appear imposing and embedded in the mountain, a magnificent foreshadowing of what I found in this dream hotel.
Such is the warm welcome of the Bisate Lodge, super exclusive accommodation amidst a natural setting surrounded by volcanoes and dense rainforests about two hours from capital Kigali in Rwanda. after the safaris in Akagera, I went to another national park to record the CNN Travel & Gastronomy, this time the Volcanoes National Park, in the northwest of the country.
With an area of 160 square kilometers, the site borders the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where the park encompasses eight volcanoes, two of which are still active in Congo and another five inactive in Rwanda. And it is precisely within this conservation area that the Bisate Lodge is located, where, from the balcony of my room and the common areas, it is possible to face the imposing Mount Bisoke it’s the Karisimbi – the latter the highest point in the country, with more than 4,500 meters high.
Combining experience accommodation with purposeful tourism, I have long wanted to visit the Bisate Lodge – a hotel that is one of the most special stops in Rwanda and also in life. I believe it is not possible to describe the emotion we feel when we are close to realizing a dream, and that was exactly the feeling I had when entering the common areas and my generous room.
What is Bisate Lodge?
Leaving Kigali, you arrive at musanze in approximately two hours, a relatively large city in the northwest of the country that is known for being the base for adventures in the Volcanoes National Park, one of the oldest and most important in Rwanda.
It is among the mountains and in its rural setting that the gorilla watching and two golden monkeys, the “golden monkeys of Rwanda”, two of the main tourist activities in this region – all done with the utmost care and with conservation funding coming directly from tourism.
In this context of involvement with the surrounding community and assistance with the fauna and flora In one of the most attractive settings in the world, Bisate Lodge was born in 2017, a luxury hotel with just six rooms situated on the slopes of an eroded volcanic crater.
Here, ecotourism shows up and reveals itself to be done in a unique way, since one of the hotel’s goals – and this is very clear when you are here – is to be a model of ecotourism sustainable development in Rwanda.
Thus, there are reforestation and rehabilitation projects for the conservation of the surrounding biodiversity, all involving and benefiting the local community – as in the Akagera National Park itself. In addition, the smiling and helpful service along with neat facilities without exaggerated luxury makes us connect even more with the people and the environment around us, unique on Earth.
And as in itself Magashi Camp at Akagera Park, it is important to note that the lodge is owned by Wilderness Safaris, an African ecotourism operator that does an exquisite job of putting tourism with the purpose of conserving and restoring the continent’s wildlife. The company’s intimate properties are surrounded by an abundance of animal life, and by staying there, we help conserve endangered species and positively impact the people who live around them.
The famous “nests”
You know that classic image of an excited child about to enter an amusement park? I can say that I looked like this, so happy to be in a hotel of my dreams and also in the region of Rwanda’s volcanoes, captivating scenery from beginning to end.
Embedded amid the terrain of an extinct volcanic crater, the main structure of the intimate hotel sits high and steep, like a gentle footpath. The building is segmented, with the reception and common areas separate from the only six rooms, in which, both from afar and up close, they look nests in the middle of nature. The large structures with rounded edges have earth tones and blend in perfectly with the surrounding woods.
Refined and comfortable, with luxury without ostentation, the rooms are huge and attract attention from the outside. It is necessary to climb stairs in the middle of green nature to reach the facilities. The six exclusive “Forest Villas”, as the rooms are called, are spacious and equipped with a volcanic stone fireplace, armchairs and sofa. The large beds face one of the large windows, with an impressive view of the mountains of the Parque Nacional dos Volcões. Simply incredible!
The bathroom is also special, equipped with an elegant dark bathtub in the center, right in front of another large window. The large box, mirrors and wooden details complement the charm. The balcony is another one of the places that make our mouths “wow”.
The common room follows the premise of the rest of the hotel: the decor is inspired by colorful Rwandan traditions and there is a large balcony with comfortable chairs and tables with privileged views of Mount Bisoke (which also borders the Congo) and Karisimbi. There is also a small dining room where meals are served – the cuisine is delicious and fresh, with many ingredients coming from the hotel’s garden or from the surrounding community.
The environment is also filled with sofas, armchairs, an air-conditioned wine cellar, a library, a charming bar and a volcanic stone fireplace, which makes the atmosphere warmer – remember that we are at high altitudes due to the mountains, which makes the temperatures are lower.
When the sunlight leaves and the night welcomes us, the soft yellow lights of the “nests” make up a magnificent setting of the hotel when seen from the outside, a charming scene to remember.
Observation of fauna and flora
The main attraction at the hotel is, without a doubt, going into the forests of the Volcanoes National Park to see the gorillas and the golden monkeys, in addition to all the local fauna and flora. Guests are even encouraged to take the tours and immerse themselves in the surrounding life.
The accommodation is a short drive from the park’s headquarters, where the daily walks to see the gorillas depart. And let me tell you: they are unique in life. Also being able to see the golden monkeys up close is “life changing“, as they say around here. In other words, it is transformative.
It is at these entrances to the forest, where we can observe these endangered species, that we better understand how the important work of preservation and awareness around the animals is carried out, as well as we can see up close the agricultural daily life of the communities in the surroundings, with very kind and children who are excited about our passage.
While gorilla trekking is the main attraction, Volcanoes National Park also offers other adventures, such as climbing Mount Bisoke or a visit to the Cemetery of Dian Fossey, a leading American zoologist known for her scientific work in the conservation of the gorillas of this region which helped to reveal the importance of the site as it is celebrated today.
Back in Bisate, you can also enjoy nature trails full of birds – there are about 178 species of birds in the area, and at least 13 are endemic to the Virunga area, where the Park is located. It is also possible to plant a tree for the hotel’s reforestation project to help attract wildlife back to the site.
Surrounded by greenery and breathtaking views, to be here is to understand, once again, that the coexistence between man and nature can and must be done in a harmonious way. And Bisate Lodge helps with the mission: it is an open-air class in sustainable tourism in one of the most breathtaking places on the planet.
Source: CNN Brasil
