A Father's African Safari Adventure: Traveling Southern Africa with My Young Daughters
Lonely Planet contributor Anthony Ham shares his firsthand experience taking his young daughters on an unforgettable African adventure. Amid triumphs and challenges, did this family journey live up to expectations?
Family Safari Challenges
The trip didn't unfold exactly as envisioned. Deep in a remote Zambian campsite, my six-year-old daughter V fell violently ill overnight. Isolated a full day's drive from the nearest hospital, tensions peaked the next morning when she spilled scalding water on her legs. In that moment, I seriously questioned my choice to bring them here. Later, around the campfire, with hyenas prowling just beyond the firelight, fear flickered in my nine-year-old C's eyes. What kind of father exposes his children to this?
Our journey began in Windhoek, Namibia, where we collected a 4WD camper and headed into the wilderness. For my daughters, aged six and nine, it was their first time on African soil. As a lifelong Africa enthusiast and writer, I wanted to ignite their passion for this captivating continent—before teenage years made family adventures uncool or too risky with wild animals and minimal comforts.
The initial weeks went smoothly with my wife M along. We spotted a leopard striding past at Okonjima—close enough to touch. In Etosha National Park, one of Africa's gems, they fell for elephants amid swirling dust. At Elephant Sands Camp in Botswana, the girls watched in awe as elephants drank mere feet away. They even got up close with meerkats on Botswana's northern plains.
Then M returned home for work. It was just us three, venturing truly off-grid.
"A father traveling solo with his daughters always melted the sternest immigration officials."
Navigating Border Crossings
We bid M farewell at Kasane Airport, Botswana, then crossed into Namibia. My girls were pros by now, double-checking passports and vehicle papers. Southern African borders can be chaotic—long lines, bureaucracy, occasional graft—but our family dynamic charmed even the gruffest officials. Essential tip for solo parents: Carry birth certificates and a notarized permission letter from the other parent.
Two hours later, past Namibia's Katima Mulilo, we entered Zambia. Botswana and Namibia were straightforward, but Zambia demanded endless paperwork: passports, customs, insurance, taxes, triplicate forms, and money changers. Clutching my legs amid the bustle, my daughters reminded me of my paternal duties like never before.
"No safari convoys like in Masai Mara or Kruger, or tourist throngs at Victoria Falls—we were truly alone."
By afternoon, we were en route to our Zambezi River campsite, The Magic Faraway Tree audiobook playing. Adventure awaited.
Liuwa Plain National Park
Liuwa Plain National Park is among Africa's most remote spots, nearer the DRC border than Lusaka. No crowds here—no lion-pride vehicle jams like Masai Mara or Kruger, no Victoria Falls tour buses.
Once poacher-ravaged, Liuwa thrives under African Parks, an NGO reviving endangered reserves. I documented its revival, including Lady Liuwa—the lone lioness who survived a decade solo. Now, it hosts Africa's second-largest wildebeest migration, with rebuilt lion prides.
At the park's edge, armed escort Tembo joined us with his AK-47. Over five days on these Serengeti-like plains, we greeted a lion-welcoming chief, met Lady Liuwa on a salt pan (her final public sighting; she passed soon after), and witnessed new males and cubs heralding recovery.
Lasting Impact on My Daughters
Black mambas lurked, waits dragged, but they overcame illness, burns, and hyenas unscathed. They gained independence—no iPads needed—spotting violet-backed starlings, tracking hyena dens, and scouting Lady Liuwa from the roof with Tembo.
"No shared language or worlds apart—yet they bonded instantly in Kandiana's dust."
In Kandiana village, under a mango tree, I interviewed elders while local kids approached our vehicle. Shy at first, C and V soon joined the play—bridging divides effortlessly. By Botswana's Kalahari, they were seasoned explorers.
They've since revisited Africa: Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Masai Mara, Amboseli. But Liuwa Plain remains our family's origin story of adventure, wildlife wonder, and African love.
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