Wallpaper* checks in at Rwanda’s Wilderness Bisate Reserve: ‘There are few lodges more magical than this’

With outposts by hospitality power players such as Singita and One&Only, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park isn’t exactly short on plush places to stay. Yet Johannesburg-based safari operator Wilderness has upped the ante with last September’s opening of Bisate Reserve, an intimate and ultra-luxe extension of its award-winning Bisate lodge.

Wallpaper* checks in at: Wilderness Bisate Reserve

What’s on your doorstep?

The lodge sits on the edge of the Volcanoes National Park, whose resident mountain gorillas are Rwanda’s main calling card (an estimated 1000 individuals roam the forests stretched between Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC). Gorilla treks, priced at $1500 per permit, are bookable via Wilderness but handled by licensed guides of the National Park. Bisate gussies it up with trekking kits (rain jackets, walking sticks, leech guards), packed gourmet lunches, and après-trek cocktails upon return to the drop-off point. Closer to the lodge, the team can organize tours of the surrounding communities, bird-watching trips, and garden walks with the resident horticulturist.

Who is behind the design?

Like its older sibling, the original Bisate lodge next door, Bisate Reserve is the product of a collaboration between South African design firm Nicholas Plewman Architects and interior designer Caline Williams-Wynn of Artichoke (who has masterminded some of Africa’s most design-forward safari lodges, such as Jabali Ridge in Tanzania and Wilderness’ Duma Tau camp in Botswana). The Reserve’s architecture is similarly inspired by the thatched dwellings of Rwanda’s King’s Palace in Nyanza and teeters on the hillside like a set of giant Hershey’s Kisses from thatch (synthetic, for durability) and hand-chipped volcanic rock. The hill’s ridge is reserved for the communal lounge and restaurant, where black-and-white photographs of the local wildlife and pieces by local artists such as Rigobert Uwiduhaye celebrate both Rwanda’s cultural and natural riches.

The room to book

With just four villas, the resort is an ultra-intimate affair. All villas are similar in size and design, entered through a mud-room foyer that leads to a dome-shaped living room made from volcanic stone, bamboo and timber. The furniture and décor meld contemporary pieces – think curvy sofas in buttery suede and straight-lined side tables from slate and copper – with bespoke Rwandan wickerwork and textile art. The floral-rich embroidered armchairs and pillows, created in collaboration with a social enterprise based near Kigali, are a particular highlight, and the behind-the-scenes photos, patterns and sketches of the project pinned on a pinboard above the desk are a thoughtful touch.

The bedroom and bathroom, separated by a fireplace from stone and glass, deliver space in spades and come with thoughtful amenities such as towel warmers, well-lit double vanities, and a walk-in rain shower stocked with rooibos and marula-infused toiletries from South Africa-based Africology. An outdoor deck hugs the villas’ full length, and the wood-fired hot tub is a welcome perk after a lengthy gorilla trek. While villa 4, perched at the highest point of the resort, requires a slightly longer walk to the restaurant and lounge, the eye-popping views over the lodge’s grounds and the surrounding countryside are well worth the extra effort. If you’re travelling with teens in tow, villas 1 and 2 can be combined into a two-bedroom mini-estate, while the resort’s small size also makes it perfect for buyouts.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The restaurant, taking over one-half of the communal hilltop lounge, draws heavily on local produce and pan-African flavours. Mornings start with individual breakfast trolleys loaded with fresh fruits, pastries, granola and juices (alongside a small menu of a la carte options), while lunches and dinners come as an ever-changing menu of cross-cultural creations. Options could include lamb curry with chapati and toasted cumin butter, peanut-miso tofu, cassava gnocchi or pumpkin soup with sesame cream. If the ingredients aren’t grown in the organic gardens on-site, they’re sourced from the surrounding communities as much as possible. The drink list from the adjoining bar (where most guests come to mingle post-trek) is equally thoughtful – don’t miss the Breezy Imizi with local craft rum, pineapple juice and ginger.

The wow factor

The wow fact lies right on the lodge’s doorstep. While the architecture is spectacular, it’s impossible to compete with the view: all six of the Virunga mountain range’s mist-shrouded volcanoes are visible on the horizon. Undulating farm fields ripple from the base of Bisate’s hilltop perch and meet the eucalyptus forests and thick jungle of the Volcanoes National Park less than a mile away. An ambitious park expansion and reforestation project is in the works, which means that in a few years, wild gorillas could show up within eye’s reach from the villas’ outdoor decks.

The verdict

With all-inclusive rates starting at £2,500 per person per night, Bisate Reserve is a one-percenters’ (or once-in-a-lifetime) hideaway. But for those who can afford it, there are few lodges more magical than this. And you’ll sleep well knowing that part of this fee helps fund Wilderness’ ambitious conservation projects, such as the planting of more than 100,000 indigenous trees on Bisate’s formerly barren farmland.

Wilderness Bisate Reserve is located at HG5F+PQH, Ruhengeri, Rwanda; wildernessdestinations.com; Rates: from £2,500 per person per night.