Wilderness Bisate Lodge

Six spherical forest villas make up Bisate Lodge, each modelled on the traditional design of Rwanda's former royal palace at Nyanza, with thatched roofs and walls clad in woven grass matting set into the rim of an eroded volcanic cone. The 43-hectare site, on the southern edge of Volcanoes National Park near Musanze, was farmland when Wilderness opened the lodge in 2017; more than 30,000 indigenous trees have since been planted here as part of an ongoing reforestation project, developed with an in-house agronomist and tree nursery.

Each villa has its own fireplace, private deck and view of the Bisoke, Karisimbi and Mikeno volcanoes. Mountain gorilla trekking in the park is the reason most guests come, departing daily from park headquarters a short drive away. Bisate's own trails add golden monkey sightings, birding among more than 15 species endemic to the Albertine Rift, and a guided visit to the tree nursery, where guests can plant an indigenous sapling of their own. Evenings gather around the wine cellar and library before dinner, with the volcanoes' silhouettes still visible from the dining room as the light fades.