ALAN MCSMITH SAFARIS
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    • WHERE WE GO
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    • ELEPHANT ENCOUNTER VIDEO EXPLAINED
    • CONNECT
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  • NATURE & LEADERSHIP
  • SAFARIS & TRAILS
    • RESTORATIVE LEADERSHIP TRAIILS >
      • OKAVANGO LEADERSHIP TRAIL
    • FLAGSHIP ENCOUNTERS >
      • Umlani specialist elephant safari
      • UMLANI safari
      • OKAVANGO WILDERNESS trail
      • DESERT ELEPHANT safari
      • ZAMBEZI LEGEND safari
    • SPECIAL DEPARTURES >
      • Umlani specialist elephant safari
      • Okavango wilderness trail
      • 2022 Private Wilderness Experience
      • Sound safari with Derek Solomon
    • SAFARI-SHOP
  • TAKING OUR LEAD FROM THE WILD: CONVERSATION TOUR '23
  • MEDIA

WHAT'S NEWS?








​

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

TAKING OUR LEAD FROM THE WILD
Conversation Tour to Holland & Germany / April 2023

Alan will soon be returning to European campfires not to provide you with an instruction manual on how to lead a meaningful and regenerative lifestyle, but rather I bring with me the messages I have learnt and continue to learn from the wilderness of Africa. Nature is the master teacher and all the answers can be found in her layers….

My message is an African one, but the chapters of the great book of life are universal. Answers can be found in all nature. Like a whale song travelling the oceans, it's not about one place; its about everywhere, everything, everyone. 


The truth is a "how to” manual about leading a conscious interconnected life has already been published. It is revealed within the wild landscapes around us, for our own stories are written in them.

​Details and dates to follow soon ... 
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DISCOVER MORE?
​HERE

LEADERSHIP RETREAT IN BOTSWANA
SEPTEMBER 2022

Thank you KOELLE SIMPSON and participants for being a part of such a special encounter to Hyena Pan and Little Sable camps in Botswana. Elephant, and elephant awareness, of course came standard! So many magical moments and meaningful discussions along the way.

Transformational wilderness experiences are most impactful around elephants; humbling, enchanting, fascinating and inspiring. These are the keystones to a language of the heart and healing, of infinite wonder.
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INTERVIEW WITH KEES KLOMP, THRIVE INSTITUTE, ZANDVOORT JUNE 2022

Exploring the interbeing between ourselves and the natural world … and our fundamental co-dependance. These are the keystones on which to build new systems that change our deeply flawed rules of engagement with the planet, with those of circular purpose.

THE CROCODILE, THE ELEPHANT AND THE TRANSFORMATION

A while back Alan survived a crocodile attack in the Okavango Delta, and what transpired was an episode of deep significance. This is a story of transition and understanding. Find the full article HERE.

Published in The New Financial Forum, December 2022.
Pic by Jens Cullmann.
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ELEPHANT ENCOUNTER ON CANVAS ... ALL THE WAY FROM AUSTRALIA

What a thrill to receive a special gift from artist Ross Tuck from Mildura in Australia ... a painting of one of  Alan's iconic moments during the seminal elephant encounter. We are truly honoured.
Thank you Ross!
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AMS LISTED AS "ELEPHANT CHAMPIONS"

We are honoured to be named as supporter on behalf of ELEPHANTS ALIVE. Our immersive encounters with wild elephants platform a great requirement to understand elephant consciousness and the complex conservation issues.

FOR MORE, CLICK HERE

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WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY LEGEND

Wonderful to bump into legendary photographer JENS CULLMANN (the one with the longer beard!) on safari in Botswana. Jens, in the name of wildlife conservation, has very kindly donated some of his spectacular images to our website

FOLLOW JENS' LENSMAN-SHIP AT:
https://www.instagram.com/jens_cullmann/

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MEANINGFUL EVENTS WITH
​JELMER TALENT LAB IN HOLLAND

Two memorable evenings spent in proud association with JELMER TALENT LAB (www.jelmer.nl) at Brooklyn Campus, Breukelen, Netherlands on 8th & 9th June 2022.

The topics? The ancient wisdom that nature and Bushman communities afford us. And what its so relevant in modern society. And what its fundamentally crucial to tune into what the natural world is telling us.

PRIVATE WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE
​WITH NATUCATE - JULY 2022

Alan recently returned from another epic 14-day wildlife feast in the Okavango Delta in Botswana ... this is proud association with NATUCATE.

​Operated in collaboration with the African Guide Academy, the fortnight was spent exploring the Okavango by vehicle, on foot and by dugout. Fabulous encounters, wild wilderness moments and riveting conservation conservations were all part of the fare. Beautiful people, amazing company. Look out for our 2023 departure dates!
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HOW ALAN McSMITH CREATES WILDERNESS SPACE

​ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY MARCELL KAMPMAN OF
HAPPYPLACES PROJECT

​​The wisdom of natural leadership defines what Alan McSmith is all about. He believes that you can develop a compass that helps you make choices that really matter by being in touch with your wisdom and intuition. This requires that you consciously pay attention to what touches and inspires you, make space for what is within you, and see nature not just as a place but as a way of life.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

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EUROPE SPEAKING TOUR
MAY/JUNE 2022

Alan recently completed a 4-week speaking tour to Germany, Netherlands and Belgium. The subjects? How the inspiring values of nature and solitude can transcend our lives in modern societies.

Perhaps the most fundamental desire a human being strives for is the desire for stillness. Or contentment, or belonging. Nature can provide this.

DISCOVER MORE @
https://www.alanmcsmith.com/speaker.html​

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ALAN'S TALK
IN AMSTERDAM

Watch Alan's story of stories unfold in a presentation and discussion with Kees Klomp of The Thrive Institute, a leading environmental and sustainability initiator in Holland.

Filmed at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam on 1st June 2022. (https://dezwijger.nl/programma/alan-mcsmith-tour)

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT
THE THRIVE INSTITUTE
​AND THEIR VALUABLE WORK @
thrive institute.nl

2022
​EUROPE SPEAKING TOUR

Check out the timeline of events and happenings of the tour on our LinkedIn page 

CLICK HERE

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ARTICLE IN NEW FINANCIAL MAGAZINE

EXCERPT: Tracking places us in the present moment, allows us an opportunity to peek back and learn from the past, and simultaneously glance ahead and scan the future.

READ @
www.alanmcsmith.com/articles

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PRIVATE SAFARI GUIDING WITH NATURAL SELECTION

It is a sincere privilege to be listed as a  private guide in such prestigious company with one of the leading safari operators in the world: Natural Selections. 

​This means more exclusive access to some of the most productive age viewing regions and camps in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and beyond.

VISIT THE LINK @
https://naturalselection.travel/private-guides/

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THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF COMMUNITY ECOLOGY

A new article published in New Financial Forum about the ancient wisdom of traditional Bushman communities, and the impact of ecological and nature-inspired philosophies on leadership and social impact. The origin of the Ubuntu philosophy.

READ @
http://newfinancialforum.nl

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2021 SPECIALIST ELEPHANT SAFARI DEPARTURES

@UMLANI BUSHCAMP

Spend 3 nights/4 days with Alan at UMLANI BUSHCAMP following the Timbavati elephant herds. Discover more about their fascinating behaviour on foot or by game viewer. A donation for each safari is made to ELEPHANTS ALIVE in direct support of conservation projects

16th to 19th October
and
​29th October to 1st November

Discover more details HERE
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ANOTHER ESSAY PUBLISHED IN THE NEW FINANCIAL MAGAZINE

 EXCERPT: Knowledge emerges from within. Look deep into the eyes of a seasoned Bushman tracker, a wise Indian shaman or an aboriginal elder and you will see the difference.

FIND THE ARTICLE @
https://www.alanmcsmith.com/articles

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EUROPE SPEAKING TOUR

It is a huge honour to be visiting Holland in May/June this year to co-create meaningful wilderness presentations in collaboration with the beautiful & inspiring organisations THRIVE INSTITUTE and THE THRIVE.
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ARTICLE PUBLISHED

Check out Alan's article NATURE & 2021 in the NEW FINANCIAL FORUM. The following is a teaser ...
In fact, I cannot be sure where my job ends and my personal space begins, or where the boundary of my office and my home actually is. Or if it even exists at all. My life is a declaration to share both, and to respectfully suggest that the human experience cries out for harmony with nature
Read full article HERE
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Inspired by Willem Vreeswijk, NFF is a leading natural-leadership focussed platform that promotes new and regenerative financial models. 

SPECIALIST ELEPHANT SAFARI
@UMLANI BUSHCAMP

Alan recently led and hosted a specialist elephant-interest safari at one of our all time favourite camps, Umlani in Timbavati. 

4 days of walking driving and stalking, discovering more about the fascinating behaviour of elephants, as well as their intrinsic ecological value in maintaining wild and vibrant ecosystems.

This in collaboration with ELEPHANTS ALIVE platform a greater awareness of elephant conservation. Proceeds of the safari are donated to the EA project fund
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OKAVANGO DELTA
PRIVATE WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE

We are thrilled to have co-led a unique wildlife and wilderness experience in the Okavango Delta in Botswana in July/Aug. Proudly in partnership with NATUCATE and The AFRICAN GUIDE ACADEMY.

14 days spent on foot and by vehicle exploring a vast and exclusive concession, this unravelling animal behaviour and ecology, with meaningful conservation conversations as part of the fare. Our mammal sightings list included an incredible tally of 36 species.

​2022 departure dates coming soon!
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WILDERNESS GUIDES ASSOCIATION

As an invited member, Alan is the first African guide to register with the European Wilderness Guides Association. The group facilitates networking structures for leadership programs, wilderness encounters and conservation initiatives around the world.
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VISIT
​WEBSITE

ELEPHANT CONSERVATION

AMS has teamed up with Rhino Grohmann's Rhino Safaris to operate interactive elephant awareness safaris in the Great Kruger, SA. This is collaboration with leading conservation organisation Elephants Alive. Proceeds of the safaris are donated to their operational and fieldwork costs.
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JULY ELEPHANT SAFARI @ UMLANI

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DISCOVER MORE

VIDEO


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​ALAN AT TEDX AMSTERDAM, 2011
​
Remote campfires are normally the place, but much like Crocodile Dundee, Alan occasionally ventures out into the big smoke to speak at European boardrooms and events.
SEMINAL ELEPHANT ENCOUNTER 
​Alan's incredible interaction with a wild bull has over 50M views. Discover the story HERE
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A MESSAGE FROM NATURE
​The most advanced species ever known has been brought to our knees by a virus, which technically is not even a living organism. Why?
INTERVIEW WITH ALDITH HUNKAR
​
Exploring the jungles of Amsterdam and bringing a stone from the Motherland to 600 people at the TEDx event.
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WHAT CAN NATURE TEACH US?
The earth is the prime source of understanding and knowledge. The gateway to this is simple attention: a little space between our mental and physical worlds; our intentions and consequences. A redemptive stillness to reflect.
SPECIALIST ELEPHANT SAFARIS
One such safari is based from Umlani Bushcamp in Timbavati. The safari may focus on elephant, but the slow pace and attention to detail provides us with clues about the whereabouts of other game. 


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SNIPPETS

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​ZAKOUMA NATIONAL PARK, CHAD

Chad? What's out there? Endless brutal desert, camels and wild nomadic people for sure; only crazy travellers go there. So Alan went. And then there is Zakouma; a most unexpected and spectacular wildlife bonanza! An incredible story of a remarkable transition from despair and extreme poaching to one of bounty, renewal and sensational safaris. Alan is one of a handful of guides to have led safaris to Zakouma in the daunting wet season ... an explorers dream beyond expectations. Inshallah!
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​ENNEDI NATURAL & CULTURAL RESERVE, SAHARA DESERT, CHAD

Imagine a seep of clear cold water emerging from desert springs in a sandstone gorge, somewhere in the Sahara. A legendary oasis lost in time. The 4 dwarf crocodiles that live here are seeing out time. Evolution before our eyes. "Because of this day, and those crocodiles in the pool below, I commit to living with less impact than before", writes Alan. The primitivity of the desert, and it’s conservation, is essential for us all.

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​AFRICAN PARKS TRAINING CONTRACT

In 2019 Alan was contracted by the African Parks network to design and lead a guide training course on behalf of the Tinga Camp, Camp Nomade and the community guides. There is no guiding qualification structure in Chad so the mission was to create one as it never been formally done before. An exceptional 6-week long adventure unfolded! Good old fashioned human being-ness was abound in a country once considered as the “dark heart of Africa".
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GUIDE TRAINING

A long standing associate of EcoTraining, the largest guide training institution in Africa as a contract trails guide and tracker trainer. Alan's base was in the Makuleke Contractual Park, northern Kruger; the remotest big game enclave in South Africa. These opportunities are invaluable to participate in future legacies within aspiring guides and conservationists.





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IN THE NEWS



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NEW FINANCIAL MAGAZINE 2021
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PERMACULTURE.UK 2017
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KOSMOS JOURNAL, 2017
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AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC, 2019
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ELEPHANTS ALIVE, 2020

          CONTACT US

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ENQUIRIES

SARAH MCSMITH
WHATSAPP: 0027 (0) 76 183 2040
EMAIL: info@alanmcsmith.com

SPECIALIST GUIDE

ALAN MCSMITH
WHATSAPP: 0027 (0) 83 472 4783
EMAIL: ​wild@alanmcsmith.com

HEAD OFFICE

AMS SAFARIS & SERVICES CC
PO Box 1565, Hoedspruit, South Africa
WEB: ​www.alanmcsmith.com

 IN COLLABORATION WITH
​

Elephants Alive is an established NPO located close to Hoedspruit SA and have been monitoring elephant ecology in the region for 18 years. They continue to break ground in promoting and developing a harmonious existence between elephants and people.
RHINO SAFARIS
Rhino Safaris is owned by long-time colleague Rhino Grohmann. Specialising in German speaking tours and safaris, Rhino continues to deliver meaningful and masterfully hosted safaris. Rhino has teamed up with AMS to support elephant conservation with ELEPHANTS ALIVE by pledging a percentage of safari costs for safaris to Timbavati and Klaserie.
AMS has been using Umlani as a Timbavati safari base for over 20 years. Owned by the Schiess Family, Umlani has clung onto its authenticity and philosophy, and continues to offer meaningful safari encounters, minus the bling!
Footsteps in a long- standing operation/booking office for Oddballs and Delta Camps, bases for our Okavango Delta wilderness trails.
BushLife Experiences is a Dutch based safari operator who understand the finer things of safari life ... small groups, adventurous activities and unpretentious destinations. We do great work together!


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​INDUSTRY AFFILIATION

  
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​WILDERNESS IS NOT A PLACE, IT'S A WAY OF LIFE. THEN THERE ARE ELEPHANTS.



Banner Wildlife Photography ©Jens Cullmann: instagram or  www.jenscullmann.de ​
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©Alan McSmith Safaris 2021

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  • WELCOME
  • ABOUT
    • WHERE WE GO
    • WHY & WHO
    • ARTICLES
    • ELEPHANT ENCOUNTER VIDEO EXPLAINED
    • CONNECT
    • Terms & Conditions
  • NATURE & LEADERSHIP
  • SAFARIS & TRAILS
    • RESTORATIVE LEADERSHIP TRAIILS >
      • OKAVANGO LEADERSHIP TRAIL
    • FLAGSHIP ENCOUNTERS >
      • Umlani specialist elephant safari
      • UMLANI safari
      • OKAVANGO WILDERNESS trail
      • DESERT ELEPHANT safari
      • ZAMBEZI LEGEND safari
    • SPECIAL DEPARTURES >
      • Umlani specialist elephant safari
      • Okavango wilderness trail
      • 2022 Private Wilderness Experience
      • Sound safari with Derek Solomon
    • SAFARI-SHOP
  • TAKING OUR LEAD FROM THE WILD: CONVERSATION TOUR '23
  • MEDIA