Wildtrip

In 2023, my family and I went on a seven-month road trip through southern Africa. After visiting many beautiful places and having more than a few adventures, we struggled to answer the question we were asked again and again after our return: “How was your trip?”

Wildtrip answers that question

Rather than acting as a simple log of visited places, the visualization aims to convey the rhythm of the journey — the changing pace, long stretches on the road, and the constant sense of risk that comes with camping in the bush.

Design

The trip followed no fixed schedule or route. A dark visual style felt most appropriate for its spontaneous, wild character. Location colors are inspired by the campfires we lit in remote places under star-filled skies.

Data sources

The primary data was collected by me during the trip and can be downloaded here. Place coordinates come from Google Maps. Country boundaries and hillshades were obtained from Natural Earth. All pictures were taken by us.

Tools

R, QGIS, D3.js

How to use

• Adjust travel speed and press play to watch the journey unfold over time.
• Hover over countries, places, the timeline, and statistics to explore.
• Click countries, places, or the timeline to zoom in and navigate.