Retreats In The Wild will host Under The African Sky in Namibia’s remote Bwabwata National Park, from 3 to 8 July 2026.
This is indeed where that elephant herds still move freely along ancient migratory routes. The Kwando River cuts through dense floodplains. Nights arrive without city noise, artificial light or interruption.
Under the African Sky Retreat
Here, in one of Africa’s last truly unfenced wilderness areas, that Retreats In The Wild will host Under The African Sky this July.
Held at Nambwa Tented Lodge, part of African Monarch Journeys, the five night retreat brings together fifteen guests for an immersive experience shaped by consciousness work, nature, breathwork, storytelling and meaningful human connection.
The retreat is facilitated by Brett Shuttleworth, Joe van Niekerk and Tinolla Rodgers, three individuals whose lives followed very different paths before converging through a shared understanding that nature, honest storytelling and embodied experience have the power to shift how people see themselves, their lives and the world around them.
The Retreat
Under The African Sky is intentionally intimate, with only fifteen guests attending. The retreat unfolds through consciousness work, storytelling, wilderness immersion and embodied practice within the setting of Bwabwata National Park.
Rather than following a rigid schedule, the experience moves at the pace of the land itself, creating space for stillness, honest reflection and meaningful human connection.
Nature becomes both the setting and the teacher, while story becomes a pathway into deeper self awareness and personal insight.
Mornings begin with conscious connected breathing and somatic practice guided by Joe van Niekerk, designed to expand awareness and dissolve the barriers between individuals and their highest potential.
Brett Shuttleworth facilitates consciousness sessions rooted in lived experience and transformative storytelling, guiding guests through deeper awareness, perception and the patterns that shape how they move through life.
Tinolla Rodgers anchors the experience through connection to the land, presence and the natural rhythm of the wilderness environment.
Traditional sweat lodge ceremonies unfold through successive rounds, or “chapters”, where nature and narrative converge in experiences of reflection, healing and personal transformation.
Evenings gather around the bonfire for the sharing of wisdom through deeply personal stories, while HoJo traditional martial arts with wooden swords becomes a moving meditation where each action contributes to a deeper understanding of inner mastery, presence and conscious living.
The retreat also includes sunrise boat journeys on the Kwando River, guided game drives through Bwabwata National Park, bush walks, a private island dinner beneath the stars and an expressive art session at The Sijwa Project, African Monarch Journeys’ artisan and community initiative.
“Twelve percent of every retreat booking is reinvested into the Mayuni Conservancy through The Sijwa Project, African Monarch Journeys’ community and conservation programme, which transforms waste into purpose and supports skills development in the surrounding communities.”
Throughout the experience, guests are introduced to practices and rituals intended to become practical tools for conscious living, emotional awareness as well as ongoing self actualisation long after the retreat has ended.
Nambwa Tented Lodge
Nambwa Tented Lodge sits inside Bwabwata National Park within KAZA, the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, the largest wildlife conservation area on Earth.
The lodge is indeed one of only a handful operating from inside the park itself. Ten elevated luxury tented suites overlook the floodplains and elephant pathways below.
There are no fences between guests and the surrounding wilderness. In fact, wildlife moves freely through the landscape, creating an experience that feels deeply connected to the natural rhythms of the land.
Nambwa operates as a joint venture with the Mayuni Conservancy, with twelve percent of every booking returned directly to the surrounding community.
Retreat Details
Location: Nambwa Tented Lodge, Bwabwata National Park, Namibia
Places: Fifteen guests only
Facilitated by: Brett Shuttleworth, Joe van Niekerk and Tinolla Rodgers
Inclusions: Accommodation, all meals, game drives, boat cruises, bush walks, retreat facilitation, Sijwa Project session, park fees and sustainability levies
Exclusions: Flights to Namibia and transfers to Nambwa
For more information: www.retreatsinthewild.com/webinar-under-the-african-sky
Website: www.africanmonarchjourneys.com/retreats
About the Facilitators
Brett Shuttleworth is a former professional rugby player, international model and Hollywood actor who also went on to become a consciousness teacher and retreat facilitator. Following years marked by personal upheaval, identity loss and reinvention, he founded Smiling Soul Retreats and developed HoJo Consciousness Training, facilitating retreats and human transformation work internationally for more than twenty five years.
Joe van Niekerk earned more than fifty Springbok caps and captained RC Toulon during one of the club’s most successful eras. After retiring from professional rugby, his own healing journey led him into breathwork, somatic practice and conscious leadership work across Costa Rica, Mexico and South Africa. Today he facilitates experiences centred around nervous system regulation, embodied awareness and resilience.
Tinolla Rodgers, founder of African Monarch Journeys and Retreats In The Wild, was born in Namibia and built a long career in safari hospitality before co-founding African Monarch Journeys with her late husband, Dusty Rodgers. After his passing, she carried the vision forward independently, building one of Namibia’s most distinctive purpose led wilderness hospitality brands rooted in conservation, community and meaningful travel.
“I believe nature remembers what humanity has forgotten. When people feel safe enough to soften and reconnect to themselves, the process happens naturally.” Tinolla Rodgers, Founder, African Monarch Journeys
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