Beautiful Bisate
Ever since visiting Rwanda in 2009 I wanted to get back there. It is a truly remarkable country filled with equally remarkable people ... see "Remarkable Rwanda"... and so was I happy when lady luck knocked and I got that opportunity in November 2017, thanks to Eugenie and Wilderness Safaris. Rob and Ingrid, the managers of Bisate Lodge at the time, were due to take a well-earned break and were stuck for someone to fill in while away, which meant I got to spend a whole month there. My win!
I already knew about the lodge, having previously worked for Wilderness Safaris for a number of years, and as such I’d also heard via the grapevine that it is a unique offering in many ways; not the usual “under canvas safari” ones that I was, at that point in time, familiar with. What I didn’t know was just how uniquely beautiful it is, and how the people there would touch my heart. Not only my heart, as I was to witness time and again how everyone who stayed with us quickly fell in love with the place and it’s caring keepers.
The first view one gets of Bisate, clustered on the side of the hill overlooking a picturesque valley, as you round the corner on the dirt road leading up to the lodge is a memorable one. It’s been made to look like a collection of fancy grass huts through using clever architecture and modelled on the King’s Palace in Nyanza, Southern Rwanda. And even more cleverly, camouflaged on the outside to blend in with the surrounding hills and vegetation by using recycled plastic (in keeping with the company’s environmental ethos), made to look, at a distance, like traditional grass thatching. It’s a setting from a fantasy movie.
The steps and pathway leading up to the main area are made from volcanic rocks individually cut, carried by hand and carefully placed, which is an amazing feat in itself. I was told the lodge sits at 2,650m (around 8,000ft) and the air is a tad thin, so it’s advisable to walk slowly, at which I’d scoffed when still back home in South Africa. That first experience quickly put me in my place, and ushered in new respect for everyone who was involved with building the pathway (and everything else for that matter).
On arriving at the main area entrance, totally out of breath and wondering how this could be possible, it was hard to imagine the interior while looking at the structures from the outside.There’s a central, main area consisting of the coffee bar, dining area, drinks bar and entertainment areas, from which the pathway continues to six individual guest rooms. Huts they may all look like, only these are seriously classy thatch “huts” with 5-star interiors. It’s a bit of a mind warp actually, and a really good one. For me it delivers as a combination of traditional, modern and interestingly different, masterfully sewn together to create a
very comfortable and mystical space full of hidden surprises. The thought process being similar to the reaction obtained from one of our guests later on in the month after having tasted a Bisate cocktail made by Clement, the barman at the time, who had been asked by said guest to surprise them with something different,
“Wow! Interesting, great taste, smooth and easy to swallow, refreshing, love the bubbles,” followed by, “Hey! What’s the flavour that’s left behind in one’s mouth? I like it. How do you make this?”
Without batting an eyelid Clement responded by saying, “If I told you, I’d have to shred you. It’s a trade secret.” It was also late and the jokes were flying thick and fast.
Everything about the main area is simply awesome, but I have to admit my favourite place was the coffee bar. I’m a sucker for good coffee and Rwanda produces some of the best coffee in the world, which naturally, is what is served at Bisate. My fixation of course had absolutely nothing to do with the incredible chocolate brownies, Florentines and macadamia nut slices always to be found on the counter, and begging to be sampled … again … and again. Notwithstanding that I’d guiltily rearrange the plates to make it look as if nothing was missing, it is of course part of a lodge managers quality control responsibilities to sample delicious eats … again … and again ... for reasons of consistency, naturally!
Speaking of eating, I thought I’d lose some weight during my month of walking up and down the Bisate hill gasping for oxygen. Well, that didn’t happen because the food there is too good (once again nothing to do with the chocolate brownies, Florentines and macadamia nut slices). To start with, the fresh produce in Rwanda is simply incredible,
and all the food presented at Bisate is made with love, and by happy people. In fact, that’s a theme throughout, happy and caring people. The staff there will capture your heart even more than the beautiful lodge itself.
Upon making it past the coffee bar, you’ll discover there’s a fireplace in the spacious dining area and another one strategically placed at the drinks bar, creating a nice and cosy atmosphere from which to admire the spectacular mountain views and share stories while sampling one of the local beers, enjoying a glass of wine from the well-stocked cellar, or sipping on your favourite evening cocktail; naturally all things a conscientious lodge manager is required to sample as well … regularly!
“So, what about the sleeping “huts”?” I have to admit, as I approached one of the lodge rooms for the first time, smoke drifting from the chimney, I took a quick glance downwards to make sure I wasn’t barefoot, and even more importantly, that my feet weren’t over-sized and hairy. For a moment there it felt as if I was about to enter one of the neatly tucked away dwellings in Hobbit Ville, while playing out a scene in Lord of the Rings. Only, on entering, I discovered the interior to be way better that Bilbo Baggins’ cosy home. The rooms are absolutely an extension of the 5-star, full of surprises, luxury theme that prevails.
Wifi … “Tick”, a well-stocked mini-bar … “Thank you”, your very own bean-to-cup coffee machine for more of that Rwandan coffee … “Awesome! And look at that”, each room has a fireplace, a basket full of chopped wood and a hand-held radio, so you can order more firewood, or room service, or both.
At this point I have to make mention of the laundry department, because I was simply blown away by the level of service they offer. Understandably, getting one's laundry done is of paramount importance at an establishment such as this, where the main activity guests partake in involves slogging around in the nearby and mostly muddy hills, in order to spend precious time in the company of mountain gorillas. After all, that is the overriding reason for a visit to Bisate.
And in the process, there’s every likelihood you’re going to get your new safari outfit and trekking boots a little muddied, grass-stained, possibly rained on and definitely a tad sweaty. But fear not! Upon arrival back at the lodge your boots will be whisked away, to be returned later on looking better than when you originally purchased them over a year ago in eager preparation for this trip of a lifetime. How the staff there gets this right time after time remains a mystery to me, but it appears to be a national pride, and they’re pretty darn good at it. Your clothes of course will receive the same loving care, and will be returned to you, cleaned and ironed, the following day.
Simply put, Bisate is a truly unique mixture of form, function and exceptional hospitality, and I found myself humbled by what Rob and Ingrid, together with their team, Wilderness Safaris and contract chef and teacher, Lisl, had achieved in such a short space of time. It is without doubt, a must-visit destination.
For the record, the month I spent there, between November and December of 2017, has to be one of the most memorable months I’ve ever spent managing a lodge. I feel rightfully privileged to have been asked to help out … at the place of “huts”, on a hill.
