Wilderness Safaris opens first project in Rwanda

Wilderness Safaris has announced the opening of Bisate Lodge, situated next to the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. 

Consisting of six forest villas, Bisate offers a luxurious base from which to enjoy the gorilla conservation experience and region.

Situated within the amphitheatre of an eroded volcanic cone, the 42-hectare Bisate has views towards the Karisimbi, Bisoke and Mikeno volcanoes. It is close to Kinigi (the Volcanoes National Park headquarters) convenient for guests’ morning gorilla treks.

“With only six luxurious forest villas, the real generosity of Bisate in the Rwandan context is the amount of private and exclusive space that surrounds the Lodge, sheltering it in a rare natural landscape brimming with Albertine Rift biodiversity and beauty”, said Wilderness Safaris COO, Grant Woodrow.

“Since 2009 we have contemplated how our ecotourism model could contribute to the conservation of the Virunga Massif ecosystem and an iconic endangered species like the mountain gorilla. When we made the decision to invest in Rwanda, the last thing we intended to do was just to build a boutique lodge and sell gorilla treks”, Woodrow added. “We wanted to ensure that our brand of responsible ecotourism made a real difference to both rural Rwandan people and biodiversity conservation. As such, we hope that Bisate will exceed our guests’ expectations, and that together we will be able to make a dramatic and far-reaching impact on not just a Critically Endangered species like the mountain gorilla, but also the entire ecosystem of the Virunga Massif and the rural people living adjacent to it”.