A father who took his three young children camping in the Sahara Desert to challenge their “boundaries” revealed trolls branded him irresponsible for putting them in “danger” – after 30 scorpions encircled their tent. Faraz Shibli, 40, journeyed to Tunisia with his wife, Bryony, 41, and their youngsters – Oswin, six, Idina, four, and Alaric, one.
The adventure-seeking father explained the family discovered rural Tunisia, lodging in caves carved into rock and venturing deeper into the Sahara with local guides before pitching camp in an isolated section of the Sahara Desert on April 11.
Faraz, from Aynho, West Northamptonshire, revealed the location had been suggested by local Amazigh people and sat roughly 45 minutes from the nearest town. However, when they discovered the scorpions they were compelled to dismantle their camp.
Despite critics accusing the parents of endangering his children, the father believes it proved an “important lesson” in adventure and risk – and knowing when to exercise judgement. He also maintains he should be permitted to let his six-year-old son visit the park independently – as it “builds confidence for adult life”.
View 3 ImagesFaraz says they were forced to flee the Sahara Desert in the middle of the night after spotting nearly 30 scorpions around their tent(Image: SWNS)
Faraz, a barrister, explained: “We didn’t panic. We showed them to the kids and tried to stay relaxed, but we ended up having to whack a couple with our shoes.”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
“We counted around 29 scorpions around and crawling up the tent. There were also big spiders and dung beetles, but the scorpions were venomous – especially dangerous for children.
“It’s important for kids to learn that when something becomes too dangerous, you make a judgement and leave. We didn’t make it through the night in the Sahara, but the kids were so excited by the experience.
“My son even took a framed scorpion into school for show and tell and was telling everyone about making fires in the desert.”
The family had abandoned plans for a trip to Pakistan owing to tensions in the Middle East, opting for Tunisia instead. The adventurous father enjoys travelling frequently with his children, regularly taking them on road trips. This year he chose to take them to a remote desert location.
However, as night closed in and the family settled down for their evening meal, Faraz spotted movement in the sand surrounding the tent. He said: “When we got there it was just this empty patch of desert with dunes everywhere – no sign of anyone at all. It was peaceful and beautiful.
“The kids were running around the dunes and making sand angels. We collected firewood together and started cooking dinner on the fire.
“There were no major signs of scorpions or spider problems at first. I’ve spent a lot of time in deserts before and I’ve come across scorpions, but it’s not normal to see that many in one place.
“We think because it had been around 26 or 27 degrees during the day, the scorpions had hidden from the heat and all come out at night. Even the guide said it wasn’t normal.”
View 3 ImagesFaraz Shibli with his family in the Sahara Desert(Image: SWNS)
Faraz revealed the family remained composed to prevent alarming the children, but swiftly recognised the circumstances were turning perilous. The family opted to leave the campsite and made the journey back overnight to another location they’d visited earlier during their adventure.
Faraz, who frequently embarks on expeditions and has previously traversed Mongolia with camels, explains that travelling has been woven into his life since childhood, thanks to his father, who was raised in northern Pakistan and journeyed overland from Wales to Bangladesh in the 1980s.
Now a father himself, he and his wife routinely take their children on extended trips during parental leave, including road journeys across Europe and Scandinavia and visits with remote families in Fiji.
He maintains that outdoor adventures help children switch off from screens and develop greater independence. Faraz explained: “The more time kids spend inside on screens, the more parents need to push outdoor experiences and disconnection from technology.
“When you’re sitting in the dunes together, you actually talk to each other and interact properly as a family. It was real family time that you don’t often get in the modern world.”
View 3 ImagesFaraz had travelled to Tunisia with wife, Bryony, 41, and children – Oswin, 6, Idina, 4, Alaric, 1 – after scrapping plans for a trip to Pakistan(Image: SWNS)
The father-of-three noted that responses online were mixed after videos of the trip went viral, with some claiming he was endangering his children. However, Faraz maintains there is value in exposing children to carefully managed risk. He remarked: “People have different levels of comfort with travel and risk. I wouldn’t suggest everyone should take their kids camping in the Sahara.
“But it’s good for children to push boundaries and experience how other people live. I think kids today are losing independence. If I sent my six-year-old to the park on his own, I feel like someone would call the police, and he would be returned to me – that’s sad – he should be able to go alone.
“I’m not talking about throwing them in the deep end, but gradually exposing them to adventure and the outdoors builds confidence for adult life. Maybe growing up they don’t exactly need scorpions crawling around them – but they certainly need more confidence.”