Wilderness Bisate newsletter – November 2024

November is typically part of Rwanda's rainy season, with heavy rainfall common in the afternoons and evenings. The vegetation has returned to its natural green state, and the month marks the resurgence of bamboo shoots in the concession and Volcanoes National Park. With plenty of grass for grazing, our guests were treated to close-up views of the wonderful forest buffaloes and golden monkeys, just steps from their villas. Every compliment from our guests serves as a reminder of the importance of restoring the area to its indigenous state.

It’s important for guests to be prepared for unpredictable weather, as it can impact trekking conditions in Volcanoes National Park. However, the rains also bring lush, green landscapes, making the region especially beautiful. On the more optimistic side if things, I would like to pose a very important question;

If you did not get wet, step in buffalo droppings or fall on your backside at least twice on your trek, did you even go looking for gorillas?

The rainy days provided a perfect opportunity for guests to engage with the local communities. This season coincided with the harvest of potatoes and the planting of new crops. Much of the work is done in the mornings, allowing our guests and the community to spend quality time together in the afternoons. Guests have thoroughly enjoyed every moment spent in the community, from authentic walks to experiencing the Rwandan art of storytelling, which dates back to the time of the kingdom. Truly this place is nourishment for the body, mind and soul.

Our kitchen team came together with creative ideas for a refresher training session with the renowned Chef Nathalie. Both the kitchen and service teams had a fantastic opportunity to learn about new dishes and incorporate fresh local flavours. Every minute of the training proved to be a success, as the new courses are already popular with our guests. At the heart of each dish is a strong foundation of ingredients sourced from our Kwanda vegetable garden, as well as locally sourced produce from the surrounding community. Tasting each dish was an enjoyable experience for the service team, and it provided a golden opportunity to pair the dishes with a wide variety of unique flavours and tantalize the eyes with intricate plating. As we continue to build on our string foundation, we now look to our local farmers to see what ca be provided directly from farm to your tables. Without spilling too many surprises, I can already tell you that my waistline is in extreme danger. I cannot accept any responsibility for whatever happen to our guest’s jean sizes once they reach back home…

Living in such close proximity to the Volcanoes National Park boundary, we are often lucky enough to see different species around the lodge. Last month’s highlight was the sighting of our resident serval and her kittens.

This month, we were treated to some larger visitors in the form of the Sabyinyo gorilla family. They had clearly heard about all of the hype surrounding the launch of Bisate Reserve and decided to check things out for themselves. Our distant cousins hopped over the park wall and made their way across the fields for a close up and panoramic view of the new villas.

A regular day at work was transformed for our Bisate team, as many of our new team mates were able to see gorillas for the first time. As the talks around park expansion and preservation continue to evolve, it was amazing to see these magnificent creatures so close to our reforestation efforts. Perhaps the hundreds of fresh bamboo shoots that have sprouted up over the last month were too much for the gorillas to resist. Next time they will have to make an advanced booking though! 

As we approach the end of the year, the entire Bisate team feels incredibly proud and grateful for the heartfelt feedback from our beloved guests who have stayed with us. The recurring comment from guests is: "Attention to detail, friendliness, love, and passion of the staff." The Bisate team has come to deeply understand and respect the significance of these words. It is through these consistent remarks that we have realized our guests truly appreciate both our way of working and the way we live as a team. The thing that most don’t realize is that as much as we, the staff create the look and feel of the lodge, we are also a reflection of our guests and we feed off of the energy that our guests bring. Without the people that walk through these hallow walls, we would be nothing!

This feedback from our guests has motivated the team to double down and focus even more on how we live and work together, with the principles of "serving with love and passion" now being embraced as a lifestyle by each and every team member. While numerous factors have been highlighted by our guests as key contributors to winning the title of World’s Leading Safari Lodge at the World Travel Awards 2024, the love and passion of the staff continues to stand out as the most notable from the guests' perspective. This prestigious recognition is a true testament to our team's dedication to creating the most unforgettable guest experience.  As we enjoy this amazing accolade we also stay humble and recognise that this is not where we will stop evolving and pushing the envelope of modern luxury travel. We humbly thank you for this recognition and promise that we have so, so much more to come! Murakoze Cyane!