Mid-year magic
The midway point of 2023 has seemingly flowed past us and now we find ourselves looking down the final few months of the year. For us at Bisate, that means we only have less than half a year to continue making 2023 the best year for our guests yet! The good news is that it looks like things aren’t stopping for us here and we have just had one of the busiest months at Bisate.
We have also had the most guests ever through our beautiful day lounge, Kwanda. The gorilla and their lesser-known but no less amazing cousins the Golden monkeys have been showing off for our guests and sighting have been “absolutely out of this world”! with the rest of the year just around the corner, Bisate Lodge looks on fondly with open arms and open hearts to welcome all guests from every corner of the world to our little slice of Paradise in the mountains.
Kwanda
Kwanda, a Kinyarwanda word literally translates to “extension”. This was the vision of previous lodge managers and current directors Rob and Ingrid Bass when this day lounge was envisioned. What started as a place to freshen up after trekking while waiting for your flight has become a place of solace and serenity for guests at Bisate. With flight times in the country usually late at night, we needed a quiet corner for our guests to have a shower, meal and a moment to themselves before moving on.
Kwanda was our answer to a question that many didn’t even bother to ask themselves. The result has been a magnificent success and after some additions of the restaurants with pizza oven, an extension to our Gift shop and the emergence of a beautiful veggie garden and two lounges, Kwanda has become not just the Last stop on the guest's stay with us but indeed, it has become a highlight of a guest's stay.
Wilderness Rwanda facilitates USD10,500 health insurance donation to neighbouring communities
Thanks to donations from guests who have visited Wilderness Bisate and Sabyinyo and the Gishwati area, Wilderness and Children in the Wilderness Rwanda have been able to assist 767 households (comprising 3,341 residents) in 46 villages in the Gishwati and Kinigi areas with their annual Mutuelle premium.
In Rwanda, ‘Mutuelle’ refers to Mutuelle de Santé, community-based health insurance. It is a medical scheme especially developed to cover medical costs for poor families and vulnerable groups. A premium is paid once a year at the end of June to ensure medical health care for people who are not covered via an employer or private scheme. Although the per-person fee for this community-based health care is not high, for the most disadvantaged people in Rwandan society, it is still too expensive to provide cover for their families.
The leaders of the Kaguhu, Nyabigoma, Bisoke, Kampanga and Nyonirima cells situated in the Kinigi Sector – the gateway to Volcanoes National Park – provided a list of 622 households most in need, and 2,738 people from 41 villages received the Mutuelle. The value of the donations from our Wilderness Bisate and Sabyinyo guests amounts to more than USD8,500.
This large-scale assistance to the Kinigi Sector was organised under the supervision of Innocent Twagirimana, Executive Secretary of the Kinigi Sector, Mithali Narcisse, Representative of the Kinigi Sector, Clementine Ingabire, in charge of Health and Hygiene in the Kinigi Sector and our own Aline Umutoni, CITW and Community Co-ordinator for Wilderness Rwanda.
Several speeches, thank-you songs, hugs and celebrations marked the highlights of the event, during which Mithali said, “There is only one company in Tourism in Rwanda that does what Wilderness has shown us multiple times. The support of Wilderness for the communities is remarkable, and the far-reaching impact is felt by many”.
Bisate family
Our lovely family continues to grow. This month we welcome the permanent appointment of Divine in the Spa team. Divine has been with us for just over a year now and while she started as a quiet but hardworking spa trainee, she has blossomed into someone who gets guests requesting her by name! At a height of five foot four and a deceptively small waistline, she is dynamite in a small package. Beware the deep tissue massage from this firecracker that will turn even the biggest and most confident of guests into a well-adjusted and de-knotted pile of relaxed humans ready for the next gorilla trek. We welcome this amazing lady to the team!
Bisate road construction
As time seemingly moves forward, the road connecting us from the paradise and serenity of Bisate to the rest of Rwanda is getting more and more elaborate by the day. This month has seen the beautifully hand-crafted volcanic rock drainage systems take shape and lead the way to the lodge. Work is expected to come to a close at the end of August and our new highway to Heaven should drastically improve our guest's journey to us.
Let’s plan your next journey
Ready?
When we say we’re there every step of the way, we mean it, literally. From planning the perfect circuit, to private inter-camp transfers on Wilderness Air, and easing you through Customs. We’re with you on the ground, at your side, 24-7, from start to finish. Ready to take the road less travelled? Contact our Travel Designers to plan an unforgettable journey.