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 marissa | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
We can't wait to go back and will obviously travel with E-Trip
I've been to S.A. a few times on luxury safaris. This was our first time to the Tanzania/Kenya region. Because there are so many operators, the most important factors for me in choosing a company were: price transparency, having a local office, and knowledgeable/responsive. Payment via online invoice was an added bonus.
We chose E-Trip Africa because Ben and his family are local (but he is ex-pat from US, so communication is much easier), and he was always prompt at responding, listened to what we asked for while sharing his insights, gave the price breakdowns for everything, and was obviously knowledgeable about the circuit(s) to give great recommendations. His correspondences were by far the most organized, and that carried over to our trip. Everything was planned perfectly and he met us for breakfast in Arusha. He obtained SIM cards for us ahead of time and even lent us a tripod when I left ours behind.
A lot of operators decline to show it, but line by line cost breakdown helped me choose our lodgings and transfers more effectively to stay within budget. We chose a mix of budget and luxury accommodations between Tanzania and Kenya and a small part overland and the rest fly-in and were thrilled with the trip. A lot of operators didn't want to quote both countries because of our time constraints (9-10 days) but our itinerary was a good pace for us and we were able to experience hiking around Ngorongoro, the greenness of the central Serengeti, and all of the perks of staying in the Mara North Conservancy. For first-timers, I think 3 areas was a great way to determine our favorite parts (but really they end up all being favorites) to concentrate on when we return. I do not hesitate to recommend this company to others.
NO
Email Karl & family of 7 - age 5 to 70 years | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible, unforgettable lifetime experience !
It's a risky task choosing a tour operator from all the options out there. The email exchanges with Ben however made it easy to choose E-Trip Africa. He and Aurelie was extremely responsive, dedicated and professional. We felt they would go the extra mile to make sure everything would work ut to fulfill our desires and satisfaction.
The tour became a success - to a large extent thanks to David and Eliamini, our two drivers. Two wonderful, friendly persons and excellent, knowledgable guides which we and particularly the 3 children got very fond of - they will be missed .
Ben, keep up the great work of transparency, humility and care that was extended to us throughout the safari.
I do not hesitate to recommend Ben and E-Trip Africa to friends and others.
CA
Email Soula | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful experience
Everything about our safari was incredible- the parks, the accommodations, and best of all, the driver-guides!
US
Email Krissy | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a lifetime!
From the moment that we inquired about the safari, from the moment we were dropped off at the airport had far exceeded our expectations. Since we had never been to Africa and this was our first safari, we didn't know what to expect so we had TONS of questions. Ben, the General Manager, answered all our questions from "Are their mosquitoes?" to "What kind and how often are we going to see animals?" Once he had all of our questions asked, it was time to book the trip. We booked our flight and trip 7 months in advance. As soon as we booked our flight, the airline decided to cancel/switch our flight several times. Ben was nothing but patient and kind when we were trying to figure out our arrival/departure dates. The safari was advertised as 8 days, but because our flight had to be changed so many times, our trip ended up being10 days. Ben had no problem tailoring a safari based on our needs.
The best part of the safari was our driver Alladin. He had 8 years experience and it definitely showed. He was very knowledgeable about the country, the wildlife, the landscapes, he could always spot the animals when it looked like nothing was there, and he always knew the best spots to view wildlife. If it wasn't for Alladin, our trip wouldn't have been the same.
I highly recommend booking a safari through ETrip Africa. This was a trip of a lifetime. We are definitively going to do this again!
US
Email Gerald Schuler | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The best guide made the best safari possible.
Our trip to Tanzania exceeded our hopes for animal viewing and a guide who understands and respects our needs. Our guide, David, was unbelievably able to spot and identify every type of animal. His personal connection with nature and his vast knowledge enhanced every aspect of our trip. The accommodations were perfect. The itinerary and daily schedule met our needs exactly. This was the trip of a lifetime. I would do it again in a second.
US
Email Andrew | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Experience
My wife and I contacted four different agencies to discuss our dream of an African Safari and E-Trip Africa was by far the most responsive and accommodating. We expressed our interests and Ben from E-Trip Africa tailored an itinerary that fit perfectly. We are active people and his suggestions allowing us to explore by both foot and car allowed us work off excess energy (didn't take long at those elevations!). Pre-trip communication was fantastic making us well-prepared for our journey.
Key to success was having an excellent guide and a comfortable vehicle. E-Trip Africa came through in both regards. Our guide Silas was personable and well-versed on both animals and plants in Kenya. He studies the wildlife and is able to identify species (birds and beasts) from a distance while providing a synopsis of their characteristics. He is trustworthy and fun. He maintains a healthy network with other guides which helps him find things that other guides don't. Indeed, other guests at each of our camps were envious of the sights we enjoyed. Finally, his vehicle is the best we saw for handling the rugged terrain while providing a shady and cool enclave to observe the wildlife.
This was an excellent experience and we appreciate all that E-Trip Africa did to make it that way. We highly recommend them!
US
Email Sarah | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Remarkable in so many ways!
My planned this trip and worked with E-trip to work out all of the details so I am not familiar with the back and forth scheduling of the trip but what I can say is that it was the smoothest trip I have ever been on. Our trip was for almost 3 weeks, 2 different countries and we didn't have one detail or part of the itinerary that went awry. We had a delayed arrival and got in in the middle of the night, walked out to a sea of people in hopes of finding the person that was scheduled to pick us up. Gideon walked right up to us and welcomed us to Nairobi. The same experience occurred in Rwanda when Edmond picked us up. Everyone was welcoming, very prompt and made sure that we got to where we needed to go at the time we needed to be there. I can't say enough about the whole experience. The people, the land, the lodges, the flights, the transports & especially the Guides, all fantastic and fantastic just doesn't do it justice.
Great trip after a last minute snafu was resolved
Due to storms in the US, I missed my connecting flight to Kigali and was a day late arriving for a 3 day gorilla trek tour with E-Trip Africa. They were so very helpful in arranging a driver to pick me up at the airport and take me to meet up with my tour group. I still missed a day, which was unfortunate, but I arrived in time to do the gorilla trek. If I'd missed that opportunity I would've been so disappointed!
The hotel E-Trip Africa booked for us was lovely, as was our guide. I really enjoyed the entire experience and highly recommend their services to all my friends and family!!!
Email Deb and Bruce | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Highlight of my travels
Our Tanzania trip with guide Elisha from e-Trip Africa was absolutely amazing and we saw so many animals, beyond anything we had imagined. We stayed in fantastic locations, very comfortable and varied, and always had delicious meals and service. The people of Rwanda and Tanzania were so kind and thoughtful in every way. Elisha knew so much about his country, the wildlife and driving/guiding. We would hope to see a particular animal and next thing we were there, seeing it all up close. It was sooo sooo amazing, thanks to his knowledge and understanding of what we enjoyed. He was very adaptable, and we discussed our safari options each morning and afternoon to make the most of our time. The places we visited were all teeming with wildlife and we saw so many leopards, cheetahs and lions as well as thousands of elephants, giraffe, zebra, hippos, wildebeest and the list goes on. We were amazed by all the birds too, and learned so much about the animals and the circle of life. Our Rwanda mountain gorilla encounter had me in tears of joy - what a special experience. We were lucky enough to spend an hour with the Pablo family (25 gorillas of which we saw 22). These creatures are beyond beautiful and I could have watched them all day. Now we are busy telling all our friends about it and planning to take them with us next time. e-Trip Africa were excellent in organising everything, with replies to my emails coming within 24 hours (mostly less than that), even when we were on tour. Everything went smoothly and we would unreservedly recommend them to show you these parts of Africa. Thankyou!
US
Email Barry Collyer | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Trip of a Lifetime!
Our trip consisted of my wife, my 29 year old daughter, my sister-in-law and myself. The trip was from July 7 to July 16. We flew from Atlanta to Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro airport. We traveled from Arusha and visited Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongora crater, and the Serengeti National Park which included the northern Serengeti a few miles from Kenya. We flew back on our last day from the Lobo airstrip. We stayed at African Tulip, Tarangire Safari Lodge, Rhino Lodge, Nieleze Camp and Flycatcher Bologonji Camp (Reviews of these camps are separate but all were good). I selected ETrip based on the responses to our questions and the ability of the tour provider to adjust the tour to our requests. Ben Jennings is an outstanding person to work with and we expect to plan a repeat trip in the wet season. Our guide was David. He is a local with many years of experience. He taught us not only about the animals but also about the country. We left with a great appreciation for Tanzania. Our review and experience with ETrip is much like the other reviews: Outstanding.
Below are some comments that we have but were not provided elsewhere online:
(1) You need an experienced tour guide. We noted that several of the guides from other companies were just kids and I could not see following their lead. Our guide (David) even provided directions to some of the other guides. He did not use a map or GPS due to his many previous trips and experience. He spotted things that we would have missed. He predicted the animals behavior and we were very lucky to have him.
(2) You need reliable transportation. Most of the vehicles are Toyota land cruisers that have modifications like an increased wheel base and of course the raised roof so you can stand and see/photo the animals. We noted several vehicles with problems. Our driver felt a problem in the drive train and took a slight detour to have the vehicle checked and adjusted. A delay of an hour. He was making sure the vehicle would be ok for the trip to the northern Serengeti. He knew what he was doing and made every effort to make sure the vehicle would be reliable. I am amazed that these vehicles can take the punishment as the roads are very rough....rough from the standpoint of ridges across the road like thousands of little speed bumps. The driver/guides do not go slow they just charge on at normal speeds. So ask the age and condition of the vehicles. Also ask if the vehicles are open air instead of the raised top type. IF open air....you will be eating a lot of dust.
(3) Going to the bathroom. Being a guy this was of course no concern for me. However I was traveling with three women. I was pleased to find all the parks (except for the northern Serengeti part) to have good bathroom facilities. The need for a bathroom was never an issue. In the northern part of the Serengeti we did have to "check the tires" and the women adjusted well to this. This was also no real issue.
(4) Money issues: Once you leave Arusha do not expect to find an ATM. However in Arusha there are many ATMS. Bring cash in US dollars (I am American) but other currencies are also accepted. However the US dollar was widely accepted everywhere. You can also use the local currency you take from the ATM. But you have to guess how much you will need or take a hit when you exchange it back to your currency. Once you leave on Safari you only need cash for non-included meals, drinks (cokes, wine, beer) and any stuff you desire to buy. You also need to plan to pay (tip) the guide about $20 to $25 (USD)per day and the camps about $7 per day. Don't go half way around the world if you are going to cheap out on this....they earn these tips.
(5) Packing: You need to pack for half the days you will be traveling. For example for our 10 days we took 3 to four outfits. Bring some concentrated soap and wash your socks and underwear...wear some clothes more than once. Bring toothbrush, your meds, a hat, bug spray, stomach med, camera gear and a battery powered alarm clock. Bring a flashlight, light shoes (flip flops) to wear at night when you get up to use the bathroom. Leave all the "I might need" at home. Bring wet ones or similar towelets.
(6) Camera Gear. I left the heavy full frame Nikon at home. I used two camera bodies (Panasonic micro 4/3) so I did not have to change lenses in the dust. One camera had a 35 - 100 2.8 and the other had the Panasonic 100 - 400mm. The photos are outstanding. You need your chargers for the batteries and a blower for the dust. I brought a 42.mm f1.2 that I never used. I took about 6000 photos of which 25% are keepers.
While in the Serengeti ETrip arranged for a Bush Breakfast via the Nieleze Camp. This was an awsome experience.
ETrip arranged nice hotels at the start of the trip concluding in tent camps. This was a nice progression and the tent camps were fun and part of the adventure. A bucket shower is filled with hot water before dinner time. If you shower in the morning...it is going to be a cold shower. There is bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth. The beds in the tents are comfortable. Hearing the animals at night (including a lion roaring in the distance) was part of this great experience. One morning we woke up to see elephants passing by our tent.
ETrip has a guest house that allows you to rest and shower before your flight. This is a wonderful place and another advantage that Etrip offers over the other companies.
We spent several days on safari and you would think it would get old after a while. We were out in the bush from about 8 to 6 PM. Every few minutes was something new and we never got bored. We were lucky enough to see two river crossings. The second was a little disturbing as the wildabeasts (about 5) got their foot stuck between rocks and were easy pray for the crocs. They just took their time and picked them off. One was very sad as it finally got loose but could not get ashore due to the weight of the croc holding on to its hindquarters. This is part of the life cycle in the wild.
Box lunches were ok...not great...but good enough to do the job. Dinners were excellent except in a few cases (Rino Lodge was ok but not as good as the other places).
The trip planning by Etrip (Ben Jennings), implementation (David) and overall experience was nothing less than outstanding. We will be talking about this trip for a long time...and the above does not even scratch the surface in describing our experience. Up to this trip a previous trip to Egypt and Cambodia were my top trips. This trip with ETrip easily tops them.