Bisate Lodge is categorized under top high market in Rwanda. It is found adjacent to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Volcanoes National Park is home to the famous mountain gorillas in the Rwandan portion of the Virunga Mountains, a conservation area that includes protected areas. The safari lodge is placed on 27 acres of land on a hill side close to northern Rwanda formally a farm land. It is an intimate destination for your perfect gorilla safaris.
The lodge was launched in 2017 to offer food and drinks to travelers that visit Rwanda to track mountain gorillas. Other park animals include; golden monkeys and over 165 species of birds, 17 of which are endemic such as, cinnamon-chested bee eater, dusky fly catcher, chubbs cist cola among other species of birds. The lodge is a natural grand stand of an eroded volcanic cone with its outstanding views of the highest points of Rwanda’s portion of the Virunga Mountains, Bisoke and Karisimbi out casting through the forest.
The main lodge is built in thatch style with three large nests, a restaurant on one side, a lounge bar on the other and a reception in the center. The restaurant has an outdoor and indoor seating offering the best of Rwandan and international cuisines. Bisate Lodge contains six cottages that offer maximum comfort and views adhering to the environment built with a large culture of rural Rwanda. The synthetic thatched structure of a weathering volcano inspires and blends with the land of a thousand hills. Each of the villas contains a bedroom, reception space, en-suite bathroom with a central fire place. The camp can accommodate 12 guests and 4 guides. It was built using local material such as wood and volcanic stone. The interiors are decorated in warm grey with an outstanding vibrant green.
The lodge works closely with the local community to ensure that it benefits profit of the lodge. They are joined together by the Tuzamurana Co-operative Community Project which participates on the indigenous re-afforestation that brings life to the old species of volcanoes that are rare to the community but were once there. Most of the employees of the lodge are picked from the community.
The top tourism activity is to trek mountain gorillas. The lodge has the easiest and nearest distance to the park headquarters to track the mountain gorillas. It takes less or more hours depending on how far the gorilla families have moved into the forest. There are other activities like tracking troops of golden monkeys, nature walks, visiting the local community who have different performances for the clients on their traditional folks, dances and norms. It is also possible to hike up to Dian Fossey’s graveyard at her former research station at Karisoke.
Bisate Lodge is accessible all year round. However the best time to visit is during the dry season the long one of June to mid-September and December to February. It is advisable to carry boots, insect repellents, water proof covers for phones and cameras in cases of rain long sleeved shirts and trousers during the hikes.