Untamed: Yoga & Safari Retreat with Nicole Schöngart

Untamed is a seven-night yoga and safari retreat led by Nicole Schöngart at Munga Plains, a family-run camp on the edge of Chobe National Park in Kavimba, Chobe District, Botswana. It brings Kundalini yoga, meditation, breathwork and nervous system regulation together with game drives, river cruises and bush walks. It is open to all levels and ages, and is taught in German and English.

What to Expect

The week begins in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, with a visit to the falls and the surrounding rainforest. On the second day you cross into Botswana, take a boat cruise on the Chobe River past elephants, hippos and crocodiles, and drive on to Munga Plains. A grounding meditation and welcome circle at sunset open the retreat.

From there the days alternate between practice and wild country. Mornings and evenings are given to yoga in an open-air shala facing the savannah, with a slow flow, meditation and sound bath after the long game drive day. Other days bring a guided nature walk to track wildlife and learn about local plants, a dawn 4x4 game drive in Chobe National Park, and a mokoro journey in a traditional dugout canoe. Wellness workshops fill other parts of the week. A bush dinner by the fire, with stars and traditional stories, comes on the sixth day.

The seventh day is given to local traditions: a guided tour with the Basubiya community that includes the local school and museum, a cultural workshop such as basket weaving or drumming, and a boma dinner with traditional dances. The retreat is built around joy and rest, with open time for good food and laughter. On the last morning, after a final sunrise at camp, guests are transferred to Victoria Falls Airport. A mobile safari extension of four or six nights can leave directly from camp for those who wish to continue.

About Nicole Schöngart

Nicole spent decades in an international career in architecture and project development, living and working in Australia, Indonesia and Southern Europe. Yoga, watersports and time in nature, especially in Africa, stayed close throughout. After the pandemic years, when her body forced her to stop, a retreat in Mallorca meant for recovery from Long-Covid exhaustion became a turning point. She left the corporate world to study and practice physical and mental wellbeing. She is a certified Kundalini yoga teacher and has trained in breathwork, meditation, Reiki, ceremonial cacao and crystal singing bowls, all of which she brings into the retreats she leads.

The Setting

Munga Plains was built slowly by hand, with local timber and local skills, as a place where yoga, stillness and wild Africa meet. Guests sleep in eco-friendly glamping tents overlooking the savannah, and the shala is open to the landscape. Accommodation in Victoria Falls and at partner lodges covers the outbound and return legs. Rooms are offered as private, or as shared twin or double.

Fly into Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe or Kasane Airport in Botswana. The camp is roughly 2.5 hours by road from Kasane and 3.5 hours from Victoria Falls, and transfers are arranged for you.

Before You Go

Included are accommodation, all meals, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks, airport and cross-border transfers, daily yoga, meditation and wellness sessions, boat safaris, 4x4 game drives, guided walks, the mokoro trip, the village visit and workshops, and the bush and boma dinners. Guides and camp team speak English.

Not included are international flights, alcohol, bottled water and specialty coffee, optional extras such as massages or helicopter flights, personal expenses, visas, and gratuities for guides and staff. Travel, cancellation and medical insurance is mandatory and arranged separately.

Botswana is visa-free for most passports, while Zimbabwe requires a visa on arrival. Chobe is a high-risk malaria area, so speak with your doctor about anti-malarials. September and October days can reach 40°C, with cooler nights. Pack neutral colours for game drives, warm layers for sunrise and sunset, and a yoga outfit you like. Bring small US dollar notes for tips and the village visit.