Marataba Wilderness Trail

At age 17, Willem travelled to Africa for the first time, embarking on a Professional Field Guide Course. Once in the bush, he instantly fell in love and knew he would spend his career working with nature. Since then, he has accumulated countless hours on foot, with hundreds of big game encounters, allowing him to become a FGASA-qualified Lead Trails Guide.

He studied Conservation at university and worked in academia and sustainable finance. In 2025 he decided to leave his office desk behind and launch The Long Way, an outdoor travel company focused on wilderness expeditions on land and at sea. That's where he's happiest: out at sea or in the bush (on foot, of course).

Raised in the foothills of the Waterberg in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, Vaughn's connection to wild nature started early. He has guided across Madikwe Game Reserve, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, Marataba, and the Makuleke Region, working in both luxury lodges and remote trails camps. He later joined EcoTraining as their youngest Trails Instructor at the time.

Now based in Bern with his wife and two young daughters, Vaughn continues to lead private wilderness experiences in Botswana and South Africa. His guiding is grounded in a simple belief: time in wild places — especially on foot — helps us reconnect not only with nature, but with ourselves. Walking with elephants, in particular, remains one of the most humbling and powerful experiences he knows.