Our Story
From a trip in 2021 to a camp in 2024.
Thierry Nyfeler left behind a corporate career in Switzerland after traveling through Botswana in 2021. Together with a local safari guide, he found land near Chobe National Park and spent the next two years shaping it into a retreat camp rooted in nature, stillness, and connection. Munga Plains opened its doors in May 2024.
“What is the news of the world?”
The moment that started Munga Plains.
The question
A question from the bush.
Thierry’s first journey through Botswana was a week-long mobile safari deep in the bush: no Wi-Fi, no signal, no connection to the outside world. At the end of the trip, a small plane arrived on a gravel airstrip to collect the group, with antelope needing to be cleared from the runway before it could land.
As the aircraft touched down, the safari guide turned to the pilot and asked, “What is the news of the world?” It struck everyone that, for seven days, nobody had thought to ask. Anything could have happened beyond the bush, and yet, fully disconnected from the outside world, they had been entirely present in where they were.
That kind of disconnection is rare today, and in lives full of noise it matters more than ever. Munga Plains exists to give other people the same week.
The purpose
A retreat camp in Africa.
Retreat centers exist across the world, from Bali to Costa Rica, Portugal, and Morocco, yet Africa is rarely part of that conversation. Munga Plains was created to change that.
A shala overlooking the plains, intimate accommodation for small groups, and a kitchen centered around nourishing food were all designed with retreat experiences in mind. Retreat leaders bring their community and practice; we take care of the rest: from airport transfers and safari experiences to meals and cultural programming.
The feel
Built here, by the people who live here.
Every structure at Munga Plains was built by local artisans in wood, canvas, and thatching grass. Most of the staff grew up in the neighboring villages next door and played a role in shaping the camp into what it is today.
That presence can be felt throughout the camp: a sense that this place belongs to the people connected to it, and to the land itself.
The ethos
The twisting path.
Our logo is inspired by Nkyinkyim, an Adinkra symbol representing “the twisting path,” a reminder that every journey in life unfolds unpredictably.
The path from that first trip in 2021 to opening the camp was no different, shaped by challenges, detours, and unexpected turns along the way. “Munga” is the name of the ancestral Basubiya land where the camp now stands. Naming the camp after it is a way of honoring the people, culture, and traditions that existed here long before us.