So, who are we? The fact that you’ve ended up on this website probably means you already know us. We’re not exactly social media celebrities — and, to be honest, we’d very much like to keep it that way. But anyway, here’s a quick introduction. The masterminds behind this whole plan are us: Marijn and Arjan. We’ve been together for more than 17 years now, during which we’ve managed to do quite a few awesome things. Our slightly unhealthy love for Land Cruisers has taken us to some pretty amazing places (and an impressive number of garages), with the absolute highlight being our overland journey across Africa, some 12 years ago. In more recent years, we’ve kept the adventures a little closer to home. After moving from the Netherlands to Norway in 2021, Northern Europe has become our playground — and Norway, in particular, has provided plenty of opportunities to get outside. And while our love for Land Cruisers has remained remarkably consistent, our family situation certainly hasn’t. After a few rather chaotic years, we now have the responsibility of raising three wonderful children: Carel (8), Louise (7), and Olav (3). Over the years, they’ve become seasoned campers themselves, and they’ll now have to put those skills to good use on the southern hemisphere. And while we’re dragging the kids along on this adventure, with all the pros and cons that come with it, our beloved and loyal dog Lola will be staying behind in the Netherlands. With her black coat and advancing age, we’d rather spare her the heat, the long journeys and all the creepy-crawly hazards that come with a year in Africa. She probably won’t complain.

That’s a very good question. And, from a rational point of view, one that is actually rather difficult to answer. Because let’s be honest: spending ten months travelling on the other side of the world with a car and trailer is, by definition, a financial disaster. Exposing three children to a completely different environment, with all the challenges that come with it — including strange animals and unfamiliar viruses — isn’t exactly easy to justify either. Not to mention taking our kids out of their familiar learning environment for a while, only to convince ourselves that we can somehow handle their education ourselves without any formal teaching qualifications whatsoever. So no, there really isn’t a rational explanation for this. But then again… Why are we doing it? Time has a funny way of disappearing. Every now and then, something gives us a little shock and makes us stop for a second: *Wow, are they really that big already?* And that’s life, isn’t it? Life is what happens while you’re busy .. But what if, just for a little while, we could slow down time? Not forever. Our ordinary life — the one we actually quite like and fully intend to return to — will still be there waiting for us. But what if, for a while, we could live in slow motion. Together. Spending 24/7 with three small children in the confined space of a car, a trailer and a few tents could easily be seen as a recipe for disaster, or at least a social experiment. We prefer to look at it differently: as an opportunity. An opportunity to really experience each of our children at this particular stage of their lives. To discover an amazing continent together, to be amazed by it alongside them, and to create a shared memory that will hopefully stay with all of us long after the dust has settled. At least, that’s the theory. We’re writing all of this before we’ve even left, with our previous experience as the only real benchmark. Because, let's be honest. There is also a reasonably good chance that the whole thing will implode within a few weeks. Because we’re all getting on each other’s nerves... Because the heat will push everyone to boiling point. Because sleeping in tents with three kids is fun on a campsite for a few nights, but considerably less charming when someone has to climb the ladder at 3 a.m. with all kinds of creepy animals around. Or because the lack of a proper shower — or the occasional ice-cold one — will eventually take its toll. Well, there’s really only one way to find out, isn't it?

Twelve years ago, we set off without much of a plan or a fixed route — and it turned out to suit us rather well. Over the course of nine months, we crossed 13 countries and covered more than 35,000 km. And we’re going to do much the same this time around. Just a whole lot slower. The idea this time is to slow down, take our time and actually enjoy the places we find ourselves in. Of course, there will be distances to cover and miles to be made, but that’s not going to be the main focus. For that reason, we’ll most likely stick to the southernmost part of Africa, with Zambia being our northernmost point. Starting in Cape Town, we’ll head north, much like we did 12 years ago. From Namibia onwards, we’ll let the seasons, the roads and the general flow of things decide where we go next — eventually making our way back to Cape Town in December. And what about all those national parks along the way? Surely we’ll need to book campsites months in advance? Well… probably. But we’ll worry about that when we get there. And if all else fails, we have a hotline. Mark Bland from Routes Rediscovered will be keeping an eye on things from the sidelines, helping us make sure we don’t drive straight past too many of those hidden gems.

It’s a familiar story — and certainly not the first time it’s happened to us. Once one Land Cruiser is sold, it’s only a matter of time before the next one finds its way into the picture. With a heavy heart, we said goodbye to our beloved 80 Series, which has now found a new home with an enthusiastic owner here in Norway. And just like that, the road was clear for a serious successor. With the help of Paul Marsh, a true legend when it comes to overland and expedition travel, we managed to get our hands on a rather special Land Cruiser 79 Double Cab. A full 28 years younger than our 80 Series and with just 25,000 km on the clock, it’s still very much in its infancy. In the run-up to our departure, Paul is helping us fine-tune the setup, suspension and everything in between. But none of this is happening on our doorstep. The new Land Cruiser is already waiting for us in Cape Town…

Over the past few years in Norway, we’ve gained plenty of experience travelling with a trailer — with a rooftop tent on top and all our gear packed inside. And since Africa isn’t exactly a place that lends itself to being explored from the comfort of a caravan, a trailer was once again the obvious choice. YouTube did its part too — guiding us through countless reviews, questionable opinions and an impressive amount of nonsense before helping us settle on the right one: the Metalian Maxi. A seriously tough trailer with enough storage space for a family of five, yet still light enough to tow without making the Land Cruiser work overtime. With 165 litres of water and a large fridge, the two probably most important features are already taken care of. The rest will be filled with clothes, schoolwork, toothbrushes and, most likely, a huge amount of dust.

Well, yes. That’s a tricky one. Neither of us is a trained teacher. And while Marijn has some experience tutoring rebellious teenagers, teaching your own three children feels like an entirely different league. So, this is where it comes down to trust. Trusting that whatever we lack in actual teaching skills will be more than compensated for by an almost unreasonable amount of new experiences. Trusting that exposure to different cultures, different languages and completely overwhelming landscapes is, in itself, a pretty decent form of education. And trusting that our main job is simply to guide them through the compulsory bits of the curriculum without completely ruining everyone’s mood. As you can probably tell, this is far from a done deal. We don’t entirely know how this is going to work either. We’ll figure it out as we go. But we have faith. And if that’s not enough, there’s always the option of saving up for some serious tutoring when we get back.