Brit family cut short Sahara Desert holiday after scorpions surround tent

A dad who took his three young kids camping in the Sahara Desert to push their “boundaries” said trolls accused him of putting them in “danger” – after 30 scorpions surrounded their tent.

Faraz Shibli, 40, travelled to Tunisia with his wife, Bryony, 41, and their children – Oswin, six, Idina, four, and Alaric, one.

The travel-loving dad said the family explored rural Tunisia, staying in caves dug into rock and travelling deeper into the Sahara with local guides before setting up camp in a remote stretch of the Sahara Desert on April 11.

Faraz, from Aynho, West Northamptonshire, said the spot had been recommended by local Amazigh people and was around 45 minutes from the nearest town.

But when they spotted the scorpions they were forced to pack up camp.

Despite trolls accusing the parents of putting his kids in danger, the dad feels it was an “important lesson” in adventure and risk – and when to make a judgement call.

He also feels he should be able to let his son, six, go to the park alone – as it “builds confidence for adult life”.

Faraz, a barrister, said: “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.

“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 scrapped plans for a trip to Pakistan due to tensions in the Middle East and headed to Tunisia instead.

The adventurous dad likes to travel often with his kids – often taking them on road trips. This year he decided to take them to a remote spot in the desert.

But as darkness fell and the family settled down for supper, Faraz noticed movement in the sand around 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.”

Faraz said the family stayed calm to avoid frightening the children but quickly realised the situation was becoming dangerous.

The family decided to abandon the campsite and drove back through the night to another place they had stayed earlier in the trip.

Faraz, who regularly travels on expeditions and has previously crossed Mongolia with camels, says travelling has been part of his life since childhood thanks to his father, who grew up in northern Pakistan and travelled overland from Wales to Bangladesh in the 1980s.

Now a dad himself, he and his wife regularly take their children on long trips during parental leave, including road trips around Europe and Scandinavia and stays with remote families in Fiji.

He believes outdoor adventures help children disconnect from screens and become more independent.

Faraz said: “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.”

The dad-of-three said reactions online were mixed after videos of the trip went viral, with some accusing him of putting his children in danger.

But Faraz insists there is value in exposing children to carefully managed risk.

He said: “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.”

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