African Adventure Safaris
- Located In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2011)
- Member Of:
- Field Guides Association of Southern Africa
- Tour Types:
- Customizable private tours and fixed group tours
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $136 to $220 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent and professional, had a great tour of Botswana!!
The trip was fantastic!! i especially enjoyed the knowledge of Anthony Washford who guided us on the trip, he was an amazing guide and new just about everything about the wildlife of this amazing country. I also enjoyed the fact that we camped wild most of the time and were so close to nature especially in Central Kalahari Game Reserve. We saw male lions fighting right on the edge of the campsite which was a thrilling experience. I would highly recommend Botswana to anybody who would like a taste of 'real Africa' and Anthony really made our trip for us!
US
Email Bryan Cockel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Getting out to see the real Africa
We retained African Adventure Safaris for a one month trip through Botswana, ending at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Botswana is still a wild place and if you want to get away from the structured tented camp/concession arena and get out there, AAS is a great choice. Antony "Ant" Washford has decades of experience in the African bush and his on-the-ground skills are absolutely invaluable. Beyond that, Ant is not only a great host, but a fantastic storyteller and knows how to run a bush camp. Ant is absolutely encyclopedic about birds, wildlife and ecosystems, so if you're interested in more than just the "big 5" (lion, buffalo, rhino, leopard, elephant), he's great - having said that, we did see alot of, and all of, the "big 5" as well. To that end, Ant is a great tracker and takes the time to explain what he's reading, which is fascinating stuff. Just sitting around the fire swapping stories with Ant is worth a million bucks. Finally, part of getting out to see the "real Africa", that is, camping in the bush, is the adventure of it all and that includes running into challenges and solving them. Again, that's when you want to have the years of experience of some like Ant Washford and African Adventure Safaris where the attitude is that everything is an adventure and in good spirits. We'll never forget our time with AAS and Ant Washford in the Botswana Bush. Can't say enough good things.If you want to hear more about some of the fantastic experiences we had with AAS, check out my blog: www.bryanjanetravels.com. (By the way, I"m not related to anyone at AAS, nor am I receiving any compensation of any sort for these comments - just a small payback for a fantastic experience)
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime!
After having travelled a lot of the world I felt that Africa was missing on my map. I love to travel independently, but with Africa I thought I would be better off booking a tour especially as I wanted to see the wild and remote parts of Botswana. Friends recommended Anthony Washford and African Adventure Safaris, because they didn't only feel safe in the bush with him but also felt that they could totally be themselves and relax in his company. I also decided to go with his company because their itinerary covered unusual destinations with a ring of adventure to them: Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Nxai Pan, Khama Rhino Sanctuary. I loved the trip, its roughness, fun spirit, the camping adventure in the wilderness, nights around the campfire and the relaxed attitude. I left the tour having found new friends. Anthony burns for wildlife and will pass his passion on to you and offers you the opportunity to leave civilisation behind. I loved it and will be back!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
These tours are wild!! Africa untouched!
My wife and I did a trip to Botswana with African Adventure Safaris last year and we were really blown away. It was our first time in Africa and we did not know what to expect, we were looking for a camping safari as this is the way that we like to travel in other countries and were a bit concerned in the beginning about camping in the wilds of Africa. Anthony really made us feel at home and safe and led us on probably the best trip we have ever done! We saw so much wildlife on the tour and went to some places where we did not see another tourist for days which is one of the things Botswana is renowned for. I especially enjoyed sitting around the campfire at night listening to the sounds of the bush and the stories that Anthony had to tell were amazing, he really has a passion for the bush and wildlife and we were lucky to have him personally guide our tour. We will definitely do another trip with him in Africa, he warned us that we would catch the Africa bug and we are definitely hooked!! The food was great, it is amazing what can be cooked up on the fire, we were expecting to loose weight! Our visit to Victoria Falls was great and it was also nice to have a bit of luxury at the end of the trip, we were really spoilt. Having travelled extensively in South America and Asia we were looking forward to something different and I know now why they say Africa is a must for all!! A big thank you to everybody else that made the trip possible, Ephram and Matanta in the Okavango and especially to Bev in Victoria Falls who made our stay there so enjoyable! We will see you again I am sure.
CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Kalahari experience!
Anthony Washford is simply the best. He can spot the most elusive of animals or birds, he is at one with the bush and he is incredibly fun too. What a great trip camping and viewing wildlife on walkabouts in the Kalahari desert, and touring the Okavanga Delta by Mokoro canoe. The experience is one I will never forget and one I would love to repeat one day soon!
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Passion for Adventure
We worked with Anthony and Anne for a year, fine tuning what we wanted to do and see, and the result was a three-week adventure in Botswana that we will not forget. From the moment we met Anthony, his passion to get back into the bush was intense and contagious. After spending the summer in Nova Scotia, he seemed itching to get back into his comfort zone, and we were the beneficiaries of that itch. He made a three-week camping trip seem easy, showing up with a rig that was fully equipped with tenting and picnicking gear, extra water, sleeping bags. While he was fully prepared, there was nothing formulaic about the preparations - he was able to accommodate our low-carb diet without concern, he was prepared to stop for anything we wanted, and detour for a shopping break here, a bathroom break there, and a photo-stop to capture the perfect African sunset. Beyond all that, his knowledge was stunning - there wasn't a bird he couldn't identify, not only to the species, but to the subspecies and color variation. He could identify them by their calls, and before we left, our bird list had well over a hundred sightings. As we drove over the sandy roads, he would suddenly pull to the side and look down, spotting the tracks of lions, leopards, hyenas and on and on. He made it all interesting - whoever knew all the things you could tell from elephant dung? how many different ways termites contributed to both the natural and human ecosystems? And so much more. It was a different style of safari - not always easy and not always comfortable. But it was filled with the things you can't imagine and we will never forget.
AT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Up, close and personal
We wanted to experience Africa this time "up, close and personal", after having spent time in a luxurious lodge in SA. That didn't do it for us. We felt privileged, but not connected. We wanted to do a walking safari and be really close to the African Earth and Animals. Then a well travelled friend of mine told me about African Adventure Safaris. And that was the lucky draw of all time! Within a week, Anne and Ant organized everything for a private tour for us 2! So amazing the communication and organization upfront, but that was only a taste of what was yet to come: Anthony is not only a fantastic guide with a knowledge that is at eye-sight of those of the Bushmen, inspiring and able to translate his love for the bush to the guests with a passion and dedication - he is superman in one person: a nevertiring driver, coping with bumpy, waterfilled roads with the patience of a Buddha and an adventurous spirit at the sime time; a 5* chef of the al fresco cooking - very creative and delicious, he is a brilliant story teller of his experiences, he just makes you comfortable and part of nature. And this is a wonderful, rare gift. We had the time of our life! Visiting the Rhino Sanctuary, Central Kalahari (in lush green!), Okawango Delta, Moremi and Chobe, we had such phenomenal encounters with the beauty of the mammals, birds and the jaw dropping landscape. We wish we were still there. We are graceful and thankful - also to Anne, Anthony's lovely girlfriend, who was so supportive and great to have around - for this once in a lifetime experience! We will definitely travel again the magic soil of Africa - with African Adventures Safari!
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Namibia: extraordinary landscapes,great people, exciting adventures, what a trip!
This is the third trip I have undertaken with Anthony (Ant) and each has been amazing. Botswana/Zambia, Uganda and Namibia. Each trip has been beyond my most extravagant dreams, exciting, unpredictable, enormous fun. Anthony is amazingly knowledgeable about animals, plants, and landscapes, and is always good humoured. He is extremely competent dealing with all the unexpected things that happen in Africa and always comes through. A good (and inventive) cook, the food is excellent. I travel alone, and with a small number of fellow travelers the group very quickly bonds under Ant's influence. A great guide, raconteur, driver and all round good guy. I thoroughly recommend African Adventure Safaris to any one who wants a taste of 'real' safari travel!
DE
Experience level: over 5 safaris
African bush - the best place to be...
I have been to Botswana a couple of times for more or less days with other tour operators before who were absolutely fine but the trip with African Adventure Safaris in person of Anthony Washford “Ant” just outranges any of my former experiences. Why is that? It is a mixture of the places that Ant has chosen for his tour which are for the major part unspoiled. The Central Kalahari and the Nxai Pan are just mind-blowing with so much to see topped by camping wild in relative loneliness but also for the more known places like Savuti or Moremi Ant has chosen real great spots to camp. Ant himself is not just a great host who has an amazing knowledge and a passion for the bush and its animals that you cannot resist but I also would like to mention that it was amazing to see how he interacts with the locals with a good mixture of respect, humor and kindness – they just love him. Most of us don´t want to go on holidays without good food – Ant is a good cook, don´t worry about this! I had a blast sitting on the camp fire after dinner, listening to the sound of the bush or to one of Ant´s stories. I have been in Africa for like 12 times and I if should make a guess – I would recommend African Adventure Safaris and so Ant (I´ll go to Madagaskar with his company in next March)! It is the places you go but since you cannot force nature or weather it is also the company/the guide on your side who makes your trip memorable.
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
fabulous trip to north Namibia
Just returned from 16 day safari in north Namibia expertly led by Anthony Washford. We travelled with a small group of six and our guide and leader Ant. Brilliantly organised .Ant has a passion for Africa and Wildlife.
He is very knowledgeable and resourceful and will go out of his way to show the very best on offer. We visited very remote parts of Namibia and came across amazing wildlife and landscapes. I would highly recommend this trip.