Meet the Team - eTrip Africa
E-Trip Africa
- Located In:
-
United States
- Size:
- 20-50 employees (Founded in 2012)
- Member Of:
- ATA, IATAN, IGS, KPAP & CODE
- Tour Types:
- Custom mid-range & luxury tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $200 to $1,500 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
US
Email Joan | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Responsive
I was skeptical about the trip only because the cost was less than some tours and I was communicating with someone in another country but what they said was included was and everything was as promised! I loved the 8 day trip because we did more than the safaris including a beautiful waterfalls hike, bike ride, boat safari to a wildlife refuge and add on hot air balloon. All details were planned and all we had to do was be ready for Bernard in the mornings to take us on our adventures
US
Email Julia Hubbel | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
As soon as I am done with the last trip I am already planning my next with eTrip. That says it all.
My first experience with eTrip Africa was my climb up Kilimanjaro in 2013. I went up with Ben Jennings' wife, Aurelie, as I was solo on that trip with guides and our porter crew. The experience I had back then cemented what has become an ongoing love affair with East Africa and the many trips and experiences that eTrip continues to book for me. What sets eTrip apart for me includes:
1) custom designed safaris and experiences. They got to know me, and after a while all I had to do was tell them I was coming back, and I would get a laundry list of selected activities which closely fit the budget I'd given them.
2) Terrific guides: my favorite, Alladin, is also an engineer. His high-wattage brain is only matched by his high-wattage personality. His background in bush hotel management and guiding make him a perfect partner, and I know to request him early as he is much loved by other guests as well.
3) Ben and Aurelie work extremely hard to stay within budget limits but also let me know when and where an additional investment might make a very big difference in the quality of my time.
4) I get to stay at Researcher's Rest in Arusha, which has become like a second home, a graceful and stately place of tall trees, old woods and fine cooking for a most reasonable price.
5) In Moshi, I get to stay at Stella Maris, a fine hotel whose manager, Teddy Chewa, is also a high-wattage personality. Her hard work at the hotel makes a huge difference for the kids whose education and meals are supported by the hotel revenues.
6) It would be impossible to list all the ways in which Ben and Aurelie have done such a fine job of handholding with me and others not only as we are rookies in Africa, but most importantly as Covid has thrown so much of the travel world into a tailspin. I have learned to count on Ben to always and forever come in right under the wire with a document that I couldn't get in time or a way to fix a mistake on a visa application, or where to find a testing site to get the results just in time. That kind of attention to detail, not my strong suit, is part of why eTrip has earned my trust repeatedly. If I miss a flight, I'm not worried about it. Life happens, and these guys are pros.
7) I appreciate that Ben regularly directs me to operations, people, companies and charities who are doing good things in Africa. My tourist dollars are spent where they can do a lot of good, and I appreciate his passion for the community and the land where he runs his business.
8) I climbed Mt. Kenya with Ben and three of his guides, which gave me a unique opportunity not only to get to know his guides much better but also Ben, and watch how he worked with them. That kind of inside view gave me a whole other level of appreciation for the company, and is why I am planning a second summit attempt.
CH
Email Ylbere Sinani | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A professional and very experienced tour guide
The whole trip in Tansania was carefully organized and booked according to our requirements. We had a fantastic time, unforgettable experience for the whole family, E-Trip Team - thank you very much!
US
Email Chuck Scott | Experience level: over 5 safaris
honest and a good listener
My situation is rather unique as we have traveled Africa many times over an 18 year period
but we are repeat clients of E Trip Africa
IQ
Email Matt | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Superb Tanzanian Safari at Last Minute
Ben and eTripAfrica took excellent care of us at short notice, presenting us with an extremely competitive quote within two days for a trip within two weeks. From the time we landed at JRO until the time we departed eight days later, everything was planned and under the control of Ben's team. The first night at Researcher's Rest in Arusha was the perfect reset after a long trip and put us in the right frame of mind for the adventure ahead. Our guide, Alladin, picked us up promptly the next day and was an exceptionally helpful, accommodating, gracious, resourceful, and well-informed companion for our tour through Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire. He deserves high praise for finding excellent viewing opportunities for lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos, hippos, buffaloes, hyenas, warthogs, and all sorts of other creatures. This was no small feat during the height of rainy season, with high dense grasses and lots of mud and standing water covering the tracks through the parks. Alladin labored each day to provide us with a new adventure, and he delivered consistently. Our lodging was comfortable and relaxing at each stop, and we particularly enjoyed the Lemala Ewanjan and Serena camps, at which we were the only guests, which meant we had undivided attention and hospitality. Our final night was at the Lemala Mpingo Ridge camp, where the food, vistas, and comfort was off the charts. Our only regret is not spending more time there.
We are already thinking of when we can do another safari, and we would happily turn to Ben and his team to organize another for us. We recommend eTripAfrica 100 percent to others, and have already referred friends motivated by our adventure.
US
Email Vivek Kapoor | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I would book again with E-Trip Africa
E-Trip Africa created our itinerary for 8-days of safari in Kenya and I believe it was perfect. After the trip I felt like one in a life time experience. I think everyone should do a safari at leas once. Our guide Simon was great. He was very knowledgeable, kind, and easy going. E-trip was very responsive while we were booking over the internet. They were able to answer all our questions before the booking, during, and after us booking the safari.
My friend and I are already thinking of another safari in other parts of Africa and we will definitely reach out to E-Trips.
US
Email Monique Lipman | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Blown away beyond expectations
This was an incredible, utterly life changing trip that Ben put together for us! We loved the accommodations, had once in a lifetime sightings on safari (leopard on the road in Ngorongoro, a black rhino about 50 feet away in Serengeti), and a seamless, easy navigation of the country with wonderful staff the whole way.
Specifically, our guide, Elijah, was fantastic. He was kind and personable and felt like one of our group rather than just a tour guide. He had an uncanny ability to see the most far away animals and always placed us perfectly where the animal was headed, even when other cars were already crowded around. He gave us the best view and opportunity to appreciate observing the animals, something which I felt set him and this tour company apart from all the rest.
US
Email Sevak Tsaturyan | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely the best tour company we have ever dealt with (and we are a traveling family :).
We connected with Ben and his team at e-Trips through a friend referral. Ben came highly recommended and his entire team exceeded our expectations by a huge margin. What I appreciated most was their patience and flexibility to get us the absolute best value for what we needed and wanted as a family from this vacation. It took us nearly 2 years to plan this unforgettable experience. Our first year plans didn't pan out due to Covid, second year there was a civil war in the country we were living in at the time so we had to evacuate and change our plans again. Ben patiently helped rearrange it all, consistently stayed in touch and worked out every little detail from meals to Covid tests and getting us the most discounts at lodges. This became, for all of us from the 5 year old up to a picky teenager, the best ever family vacation. And trust me- we have been to some other incredible places you only read about in travel magazines. During the planning of our experience, Ben was up front and honest about best time to see what we wanted to see, he understood our family needs and our budget, - and planned exactly what we wanted rather than what was best for his bottom line. I truly felt he had our best interest in mind the whole time and the result of the trip showed this.
During the Safari, everything went very smoothly and magically thanks to having all the logistics worked out ahead of time. There were no surprises, no extra fees, no unwanted or annoying stops at tourist trap shops. The lodges were top notch, the meals excellent, the Toyota Landcruiser we used for the Safari was new, clean and super comfortable. Our guide David, was extremely professional, kind and experienced. David knew how to spot wildlife and had excellent knowledge on all species from their biology to their habits during the day. He spotted an elusive Black Rhino a mile away, a leopard camouflaged high up in a tree, or a tiny chameleon on a side of a fast moving 'highway'. We witnessed magical moments of driving through the Great Migration, seeing wildebeests calving, hyenas chasing away vultures to enjoy the leftover game, lions hunting zebras and warthogs, dik-diks playing in front of our balcony at sunrise, and many more. The whole time during the safari we thought we were casting a National Geographic nature documentary.
Needless to say, we highly recommend e-Trips for the planning of your next experience. To really experience Africa in its purest form, rather than a tourism trip, Ben is the right guy to contact.
US
Email Angela Essex-Hans | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent!!!
Etrip Africa was absolutely outstanding in our booking process, and right up to our departure.
We had a wonderful safari, Ben was honest and through about accommodations, prices, choices.
We ended up with Lemala camps and we were throughly pleased.
Our driver David was exceptional. He was spotting things that were impossible to see! Amazing actually that someone can see a lions head, or owl in a dark tree...
Another thing that we enjoyed was Researchers Rest... read up on the history and it is a perfect way to start a safari...
We could not be more happier with our safari . Thanks to Etrip Africa
SK
Email Ivo Roštár | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Experienced tour operator, excellent communication skills and reliability.
We went to visit mountain gorillas in Rwanda. We also chose the operator according to the references found. His approach to preparing the trip was excellent. We got a quick answer to all the questions. He was able to advise us on choosing accommodation. The agreed price corresponded to what we actually experienced. We also appreciate our guide and driver Edmond.