Wilderness Safaris has added the Bisate Lodge to its portfolio, offering an immersive gorilla trekking experience near Volcanoes National Park. Located within the amphitheater of an eroded volcanic core, the 104-acre site comprises six spacious forest villas rooted in traditional Rwandan design.
Caline Williams-Wynn of the Cape Town-based design firm Artichoke collaborated with Teta Isibo of the Rwandan multidisciplinary practice Inzuki Designs to craft the unique villas. Each of the spacious villas include a bedroom, reception area, and bathroom, as well as a central fireplace and private deck that frames views of Mount Bisoke. The villas’ spherical thatched structure echoes the many homes that sporadically adorn the landscape, while colorful textiles and textures span the interiors. Many of the custom furnishings are crafted using imigongo, a Rwandan art form that mixes cow dung with various soils to create different colors painted in geometric patterns. Black and white cow hides also reflect the rural spirit of the villages, while volcanic stone used in fireplaces recall the adjacent volcanoes.
“The emerald green color in the textiles and chandeliers is reminiscent of the verdant greens of the rainforests, as well as the vibrant markets that dot the villages throughout the country,” Williams-Wynn explains. “Following through with our commitment to the principle of recycling, the chandeliers will be of recycled glass, and the ‘ibyansi’ milk jug motif reused across a number of elements.”
