Charline Ribotta departed from her home country of France in a Toyota Hilux, equipped with a Front Runner rooftop tent and modifications of her design. She has been overlanding solo for more than a year now, with hopes of continuing full-time travel indefinitely.
Her original itinerary was to traverse the Middle East and cross to Africa by sea. But the outbreak of war against Ukraine shut down shipping options from Oman. In a radical shift, Charline covered 5,000 kilometers from Turkey to Germany in four and a half days. From Hamburg, she was able to ship her truck, named Rafiki, to South Africa. In April 2022, her solo journey began through the African continent. To date, she has driven through South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. From Kenya, she headed south, returning to South Africa recently.
Malaria and Assault on the Road
Though Charline is a fountain of positivity, even after recently enduring malaria, an assault from police, and an attack from a gang. She was prepared for malaria and took a rapid autotest at the outset of symptoms. After a positive test result, she began the six-pill Coartem 80/480 treatment.
But nothing could prepare her for the subsequent assaults from people in her path. In northern Namibia, she was stopped by a pair of policemen. She typically doesn’t pull over when police flag her down because of widespread corruption. This time, she says, “I made my first mistake after one year on the road. I got out of the car with my papers.” One of the officers grabbed her phone. She insisted he return it and noticed the other officer was filming her. The officer who took her phone started hitting her chest and neck. Fortunately, another vehicle approached slowly, giving Charline the opportunity to jump into her truck and escape.
Less than two weeks later, she experienced her most traumatic event yet. While Charline was leaving the parking lot of a large mall, two cars approached at high speed and boxed her in from the front and behind. Twenty men approached, insulting Charline and pulling on her clothing. While attempting to drive away, several men jumped on her rooftop tent and rear bumper, trying to damage whatever they could. The parking lot guards closed the gate, trapping her in. Charline breathed an initial sigh of relief when she spotted a police car approaching, but her hope for protection soon evaporated. When the gang demanded money from Charline, the officer forced her to ride in his police car sitting beside one of her attackers. They drove to an ATM machine, where she made a withdrawal from her bank account. The stipulated funds were handed over to Charline’s aggressors, and the conflict ended. Under the extreme circumstances, Charline felt there was no choice other than to give the gang what they asked for.
This string of events, including a campground theft, nearly caused Charline to abandon her travels. For the first time, she was afraid to drive alone—afraid to simply be alone. “My first solution was to leave Africa as soon as possible,” Charline shared with me. “My parents couldn’t sleep anymore, thinking of the worst. It made me feel sad and guilty. But the number one priority was to rest and to feel better. Thanks to travelers I met, I could rest with a Namibian family in the southern part of the country. I ended up staying with them for a month. They treated me like a family member. I had my own bedroom, a roof, a real mattress, a hot shower, potable water, and great meals. I felt loved and safe.”
Even in the midst of trauma, Charline had the wherewithal to follow a rule she set for herself when she was younger: “Never make decisions when feeling down; this always results in the worst decisions.” Instead of leaving Africa, she started sessions with a post-trauma therapist. “Today, I feel incredibly better, I feel me, and the fear has completely disappeared. I do not want to leave Africa, not at the moment. I still have so much to see. I still have so much to learn.”
From Childhood on a Boat to Solo Travel in Africa
The origin story of this courageous overlander traces back to her childhood. Born in Paris 35 years ago, Charline Ribotta came of age on a 20-foot sailboat alongside two brothers and a sister. Her experiences at sea formed her view of the world. She came to value this simple way of living, quitting her job in 2019 to travel farther. She flew to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and lived with different tribes in southern Sudan, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Following that season, Charline rented a Hilux in South Africa and roamed the southern end of the continent until caught by the pandemic in 2020. Repatriated to France later that year, she had a sense of loss. It was only a few weeks before she decided to buy her truck and return to Africa as soon as the world opened up again.
After that Hilux rental, Charline couldn’t envision herself driving anything else on her return journey to Africa. Fortunately, the Hilux’s reputation as the most reliable and popular bakkie on the African continent means spare parts and accessories are readily available at affordable prices. “You have no idea how proud I am of Rafiki,” Charline glowed. “It has taken me everywhere, any time, on all terrains: the rainy season, mud, deep sand, uphill, water, in the dunes, on rocks, gravel roads, dirt roads, whatever.” She has driven 35,000 kilometers so far with no mechanical issues.
As a full-time overlander myself, I admire Charline’s practical approach to her vehicle build. While some have viewed her truck as underequipped, the alternative view is that Rafiki is purpose-built with a focus on the essentials. “Simple things are my favorite. I couldn’t afford more sophistication, but even if I could, I’m not sure I would have equipped it more.” Mechanical elements were Charline’s focus, starting with a reliable 4×4 base and adding quality, all-terrain tires, suspension, full skid plates, and a snorkel with a cyclone head.
After nearly a year and a half of continuous travel, Charline would like to add solar panels and auxiliary lighting, and another roof rack for jerry cans. She would also like to upgrade her front bumper and switch to a hardshell rooftop tent.
Captivated by the Mother Continent
As someone who hasn’t visited yet, I’m always intrigued by the grip Africa seems to take on everyone who goes there. Charline was captivated by the continent and its people after her initial visit in 2019 and 2020. No sooner was she forced to leave by the pandemic than she wanted to return. “I find there is something powerful and addictive about Africa. The first time I stepped on Mother Continent, I could feel something magical and mesmerizing. It’s fascinating to say the first human life was found in Africa, and the oldest civilization in the world is still living in the Kalahari Desert [the San people].
“Africa is also the only place on earth where you can spot all your childhood favorite animals in their natural habitat,” Charline continued. “And if you go on a self-drive or walking safari, it’s even more impressive. Everyone can be touched by Africa, whether for the abundant wildlife, tribal communities and their unique traditions, its oldest civilization, its art, or its intense history.”
Charline took a unique approach to overland travel in Africa. After she had to scrub her Middle East plans and ship into South Africa, she decided to travel with no itinerary. “I’m normally organized, and I simply forgot to be who I used to be. It feels damn good. I don’t feel pressured or disappointed. I just live life day by day, coping with surprises along the way. It’s interesting to see how certain experiences and encounters shape the route for me, naturally.” More than anything else, she says the African continent has taught her humility, tolerance, and hope.
Dreaming Beyond Africa
Charline finances her travels by living frugally and saving aggressively. “I’ve been working since the age of 15. My parents raised me with the idea of ‘If you want something, work for it.’ So, I did. After receiving my master’s degree, I found a dream job in London. I started to save money as much as I could. Plus, I’ve never been a party girl. I never liked going shopping and never enjoyed eating in a restaurant. It helps a lot, trust me.”
She recently announced her new dream to continue overlanding around the world, perhaps undertaking the Middle East, Pan-American Highway, Greenland, or the Silk Road next. Charline is nearing the end of her savings, so she is actively pursuing ideas to fund this life on the road she has come to love. To this end, she launched a Patreon account filled with behind-the-scenes perspectives, travel details, and exclusive photos.
Every long-distance traveler is inspired by something or someone. Inspiration is all well and good on bright mornings when the birds are singing. But when the day goes sideways, inspiration can seem too abstract to actually live by. Charline is different. Even when confronted by malaria and violent gangs, she possesses the self-discipline and positivity to see her journey through. Perhaps this is why she is an inspiration to others.
Follow Charline’s adventures on Instagram, YouTube, and her blog. You can enable Charline to continue her travels by supporting her on Patreon, where you’ll receive behind-the-scenes access to her incredible solo journey.
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