Introducing Wilderness Bisate Reserve
Discover a place where sustainable luxury meets profound purpose. Where elegance and royal tradition intertwine. Where soft mists drift over lush forest, and an ever-expanding wild habitat.
Wilderness Bisate Reserve overlooks Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, a world-renowned sanctuary for mountain gorillas. Perched at an elevated vantage point, Bisate Reserve offers breathtaking panoramic views of six majestic dormant volcanoes: Bisoke, Karisimbi, and Mikeno on one side, and Sabyinyo, Muhabura and Gahinga on the other. Conveniently located just outside Volcanoes National Park, guests are immersed in natural surroundings while still enjoying the utmost luxury and exclusivity.
Steeped in elegance and history, four spacious villas overlook Volcanoes National Park, home of the Endangered mountain gorilla. Paying homage to the regal traditions of Rwandan royalty, Bisate Reserve’s architecture seamlessly blends custom-designed fibre thatch, basket-weave and timber with local volcanic stone; it is an exquisite retreat into both culture and nature.
Volcanoes National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rich in biodiversity and home to one of the last remaining populations of endangered mountain gorillas. The volcanic landscape provides both dramatic scenery and a unique environment to explore, through nature trails, community visits, and conservation initiatives.
With only four forest villas, Bisate Reserve provides an even more intimate setting by having fewer rooms than award-winning sister camp Bisate. Exceptional, elevated, and at one with our purpose here, this newest addition to the Wilderness portfolio is the most exclusive property in the Volcanoes area, with generous 212 m2 villas offering unmatched views over the forest landscape.
FOUR REGAL FOREST VILLAS
Each of the four expansive en-suite villas – covering 212 square metres - is a sanctuary of privacy and luxury. Their design incorporates expert craftsmanship culturally relevant to Rwanda, while thatch-styled roofs and volcanic rock walls anchor the villas in the landscape.
• Each villa features magnificent original artwork from local artists - from sketches to intricate needlework, with details in each room highlighting unique indigenous flora
• A separate spacious indoor lounge area for in-room dining
• Rooms are warmed by a central fireplace, wood-burning stove, heated towel railings and underfloor heating
• With an indoor shower and bath, each villa also has a wood-fired hot tub on the private deck
• A screen, which is hidden but can be displayed on request, is loaded with documentaries showcasing Rwanda’s impressive wildlife, history and culture
On request, Villas 1 and 2 can be linked via doors to a 12-metre long passage, revealed only to guests who have booked family accommodation. The discreet passage is otherwise hidden; set into the slope, with natural foliage growing over the roof, it is completely unnoticeable from the villas’ approach.
Every moment spent in the exclusive villas overlooking the thriving rehabilitated indigenous forest is a reminder of the vital purpose we share: preserving, protecting, and expanding this iconic wilderness. Here, a journey with Rwanda's precious mountain gorillas is more than just an adventure – it becomes a story of legacy and purpose.
As well as providing a sanctuary to hundreds of the world’s thousand or so endangered mountain gorillas, Volcanoes National Park is also home to golden monkeys, side-striped jackals, servals, black-fronted duikers, buffalos, forest elephants, tree hyraxes, bushbuck and Egyptian mongooses, genets and squirrels.
Birds include the Rwenzori double-collared sunbird, and endemic specials like the Archer’s robin-chat, mountain black boubou, strange weaver, mountain masked apalis and Rwenzori (collared) apalis make the Virungas area their home.
Testament to our ongoing conservation and reforestation efforts, many of these species can now be seen on our property.