Wilderness Bisate & Bisate Reserve newsletter – April 2025

So far this month, we have recorded over 210 mm of rain – nothing to be sneezed at. These rainy days are also usually accompanied by a beautiful thick mist that blankets the mountains and greenery of the surrounding landscape, showcasing the iconic volcanoes that bring so many guests to visit us. 

The good news is that even a sprinkle of rain during your treks does little to dampen the mood – in fact, it only adds to the experience of donning a warm jacket and clambering along a muddy pathway, getting caught up in the excitement of emerging from a thick clearing to literally come face-to-face with a bemused gorilla face that might just be questioning why you are heading up towards them, rather than down the hill to where the best bamboo buffets are usually located. 

If you ask me, I think that an experience with at least two tumbles on a muddy mountain following a gorilla family is exactly what this adventure is all about.  

We are delighted and excited to include the “Bisate Birdwatching” segment in our newsletter for the second month in a row now. The story starts with our very own William Tabaro, who is a Junior Guide in the Bisate team. William was promoted to this position after training himself in his spare time, and, after spending a few years getting extremely fit as a Camp Hand – which involves a lot of carrying immensely heavy items up a steep hill at 2,600 metres above sea level – at the same time, he developed a natural curiosity for animals, and in particular, birds. We decided to seize this opportunity and agreed that William needed to change his back-of-house overalls for a smart uniform and a pair of binoculars, and give our guests a glimpse into the amazing nature on offer on our property.  

On this particular day, William was to make a rather rare and exceptional discovery. During his usual morning walk to our now famous “Lobelia Bush Stop”, he saw a flash of green and red, and immediately realised that this was a bird that he had never seen before. He decided to pursue the flashing colours. The details become a bit blurred, but according to William (and the state of his uniform upon his return), it seems that his attempt to keep up with the unknown feathered friend was heavily impeded by various bamboo, wild primrose, thorn and stinging nettle bushes, as well as, by the looks of the gaping hole in his brand-new pair of chinos, maybe even a rampaging buffalo! He nonetheless made it through the obstacles, and there in a clearing in the bamboo sat his quarry, completely unaware of what he had just gone through to see it. 

The good news is that William did not do all of this bushwhacking in vain, for upon presenting himself to management for a patch-up and a cup of tea, a quick glance through our bird book confirmed his suspicions and verified his photo evidence. He proudly announced with a massive smile that he had found Bisate’s – and quite possibly the Northern Province of Rwanda’s – first Doherty’s bushshrike. This find has since been verified by outside sources and has led to quite a buzz around the property and the greater Wilderness family. 

We have always known that Rwandan birdlife is exceptional, but to find something as rare as this bird, and to have someone like William passionately pursue and identify it, is something that we are very proud of. Well done to William, and welcome to our new feathered friend. You followed your hearts and eventually ended up with your fateful meeting. 

Image © eBird

We are very excited to usher in our much-anticipated high season here in Rwanda. Now, as the rains of April give way to the sunny days and amazing clear views that Africa is known for, this time coincides with the summer vacations of Europe and North America. What results is the amazing four months that we refer to as the “Busy Season” for tourism in Rwanda.

In order to prepare for this period, at Bisate we went through a boot camp of sorts with our service team and lodge managers, sitting down for a few days to refresh, refocus and restate our intentions for the next few months, and our year in general. 

This boot camp was extremely successful, and after our first two days we felt the creative juices flowing. By the end of the third day, we had lain firm ideas and plans of action in place. We decided to celebrate this boot camp with a wine tasting and training session to end it in style. We are very excited to show off our collective efforts, and are ready to welcome our guests to the already very busy-looking next two quarters of 2025. 

Your attention to detail and desire to make sure your guests are comfortable is exemplary! Staff are all extremely friendly and willing to have time to listen to guest and chat etc. - G&R

Well… everything. Everyone is so kind and so attentive. The food is delicious. We had an amazing time here and are humbled by your service, food and wonderful people. Thank you so very, very much. – K&S

Hospitality was incredible! Hosts plus service were spectacular, food was delicious, laundry service was excellent! Thanks for an amazing honeymoon. We are so sad we have to go a minute earlier! – F&K

The food was amazing! So much variety and tasted so fresh. The attention to detail by Jean Pierre. The staff was actually mind blowing! – J&K