There was no difference between me and the animals around me. I felt so connected to nature that words will never be able to help me explain my feelings that day.
I’m often asked what is the most memorable experience I’ve had in my travels. It’s always such a hard question to answer. I try to experience something unique and memorable in every country I visit; whether is paragliding in Cape Town, Snorkeling with black-tip sharks in Malaysia, doing the Transiberrian in Russia, chasing Northerlights in Norway or walking with lions in Zimbabwe. Usually, these experiences come as a result of a previous planning but quite often they just come to me out of the blue just as if we were meant to be, and this is what happened to me in Botswana.
While backpacking through South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, I experienced one of — if not THE MOST — amazing experiences while traveling; stripping down in the wild on a safari in Botswana near elephants, hippos, and lions.
This incredible experience started when I met Alwyn Myburgh, a South African wildlife photographer based in Botswana where he started his own Safari company called Yambo Safaris.
When I arrived in Maun, Botswana I learned to join a group on a safari was going to be harder and more expensive than I anticipated. Low season was on and Maun lacked tourists for me to connect with and potentially join a group for a shared safari. I visited every single safari agency in the village only to be turned down visit after visit; shared tours was not an option since there were no tourists in town. I was then given prices for a private safari which obviously didn’t match my budget. When I had already believed I had failed in all my attempts to join a safari in the Okavango Delta and my time in Maun was coming to an end, I met Alwyn.
From the moment I spoke to Alwyn on the phone, I could tell how passionate he was about his job. Unlike the other agencies in town, Alwyn was willing to take me on a safari because being out in the wild was where he felt home the most, he wasn’t just doing it for the financial return. So, after coming to an agreement with him, it was time to pack and get things ready for my big safari adventure in Botswana the next day. Alwyn and I would spend the next few days out in the bush doing game drives in search of Africa’s most astonishing animals.
Alwyn and I immediately clicked. Our passion for photography and animals unified us from the get-go. I was amazed by his lifestyle and by how passionate he is about Africa, the animals, and his safari agency. And it wasn’t long until he shared with me a dear project of his called “Man in Harmony With Nature”, a project in which he aimed to capture the union between nature and a man’s nude body. I was fascinated by the project and it literally took me 5 seconds to convince Alwyn I could be one of his models and strip down in the middle of the savannah.
There was no difference between me and the animals around me. I felt so connected to nature that words will never be able to help me explain my feelings that day. I still get the shivers when I close my eyes and remember feeling the warm African wind blow my face and seeing the plains turn to a golden color as the sun started setting on the horizon. I will never be able to thank Alwyn enough for allowing me to experience this unforgettable moment in my life.
Here are some of my favorite pictures from this unforgettable experience in Botswana.
Attention:
Some images in this article may not be suitable for young readers.
Contact Alwyn for your safari in Botswana. He’ll be thrilled to welcome you to any of his private tours in the Okavango Delta, Moremi National Park or the Kalahari Desert.
Connect with Alwyn through his social media and maybe you can be the next Man in Harmony with Nature
Instagram: @alwyn_botswana_safaris
Facebook: alwyn.myburgh
