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
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Email Julia Hubbel | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Superbly trained team, excellent adventure and a successful summit.
First, this is my third trip with eTrip Africa. That alone should tell you how I feel about this superbly-run, excellent boutique firm out of Arusha. That, and we are already planning our fourth and fifth trips. Repeat hirings speak to the level of trust I have in who they are and how they operate.
Back in July I contacted Ben Jennings, the director, about this trip, and he suggested that I take on Mt.Kenya. I accepted, having done Kilimanjaro with Ben's team precisely five years ago nearly to the day in November 2013. I took on a very serious training plan as I had before. This time Ben, his top three guides and I drove from Arusha to Nairobi together as a team, and took on this challenging and very different experience. It was rainy and cold, and we went up with a local team.
Two things are primary when you choose a summit team no matter which mountain or what country: their professionalism and commitment to safety. Professionalism is expressed in thorough preparation, from the safety briefing and detailed gear checks (done) to the nightly medicals which entail checking your oxygen levels, your BP, lungs, the whole gamut. While this can seem annoying at times when you would rather not have a cold stethoscope against your bare skin in the mess tent, these checks guarantee your safety and a healthy summit. Ben's team members were fun, funny, and dedicated. When the local Kenyan team sped up to an unsustainable pace (which can swiftly lead to altitude sickness), Caspar, one of Ben's guides, stepped in front of me and immediately slowed the pace in half to the proper Pole pole (slow slow) that protects me from any danger. Davis, another of our three guides, was in front of me a good bit of the time as well, and his green-gloved hand was regularly right there to help me get over a difficult rock or crag. Mt. Kenya is a much more challenging climb than Kili, and this kind of assistance, good humor and support made this experience not only much more fun but safer for me. While the mountain isn't as high as Kili, the physical challenges were greater, including sliding down a long scree field in the dark. Davis was just ahead of me shining his flashlight on the ground so that I could see where to put my boots and poles. That kind of attention goes a long way towards building your confidence as well as helping you master the summit. Ben has put a lot of time and money into developing his team's skills, and he was with us on this trip as well. I got to know him a lot a better, and they way he managed his team and used this trip as an opportunity to expand their skills (as well as his own). To this I would suggest reading https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/practical-leadership-earning-respect-in-the-field-e50c72995454. Ben and his wife Aurelie run Researcher's Rest in Arusha (highly recommended for comfort and food) and they have lived in East Africa a very long time. As a result, they have intimate, first-hand knowledge of the concessions, the trips, what's available, and they can make excellent recommendations based on your preferences. What I appreciate most about working with eTrip is that they know what I like to do and the kinds of experiences I want to have, so I simply need to let them know I'm coming and where I'd like to go. From there I'm guaranteed that I'll be safely ferried from place to place, I'll have a superbly trained guide, and by the time I go home, I will have a raft of stories and experiences (and thank you, no foolish accidents unless it's my own fault) to write about. The truth is that you can spend a lot more for your safari experience, but that doesn't buy you much other than a brand name. From brand new vehicles to his well-trained staff, Ben manages to keep his costs mid-range while also delivering a top of the line experience to his clients. He also- and this is essential- ensures that his employees are well paid and that they get upgraded regular training. This makes for cheerful, happy guides and porters, and that makes for a very good experience for you and me. Ben and I are now planning a scuba diving trip to an offshore island and a return to Kenya for me to ride horses in two different locations- and I can't wait. As a 66-year-old adventure traveler and prize winning journalist, I am very discerning about where I spend my adventure dollars. I've used guides all over the world and I also train leadership skills for the Fortune 500. As a result, I know a good firm when I see one, and eTrip does it right every time. If you have questions please email me directly. If I am in country will be happy to respond.
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Email Gina | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The trip that exceeded ALL expectations!
From beginning to end, the experience with e-Trip Africa exceeded all expectations. The process went as smoothly as anyone could hope - without a hiccup. The trip was customized to meet the requests of all 8 travelers; e-Trip was even able to help us with accommodations before and after the actual safari! Our guides (David & Alladin) were simply amazing!! Working together, and with other guides, they were able to find all of the animals that you would want to see while on safari - we were even able to see 3 black rhinos in the Ngorongoro crater where there is a population of only around 50 rhinos...WOW. The knowledge our guides shared and their passion for all things Tanzania helped to make this a trip of a life-time. All attendees from our group are experienced GLOBAL travelers and without exception, we all felt the same.
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Email Ron L | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely exceeded my expectations by an order of magnitude!
From start to finish this was an outstanding safari. Accommodations in the parks arranged by eTrip Africa were excellent, especially considering all were off the power grid. Our guides, David & Atilla were absolutely outstanding, exceptional subject matter experts, passionate about their nation, its parks, and the wildlife within, and just great guys to hang out with for 10 days. This was truly a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience made all the better by eTrip’s attention to detail and flawless execution.
Email Brett McKenzie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Brilliant from first Contact to saying Goodbye
I can not recommend E-Trip highly enough! I’ve travelled to 68 countries and dealt with a lot of operators - E-Trip were brilliant from my first email interaction. I sent email requests to 22 Safari operators asking for a recommendation 10 day Safari.
It was t my first time to Africa Ron safari and I wanted to see who could meet my needs.
Ben and Aurielle ( Owners) provided a customised itinerary options ad stood out from any other operators I contacted. It was obvious they have visited the various camps they recommend to stay at and promptly answered any Q’s I had.
Once arriving for safari my primary clothing g bag was lost by Airline - Ben firstly lent me clothes and he took over responsibility to get my bag to me 2 days later - The bag loss was t E-trips fault but that’s the kind of service they provide their customers.
David our private guide for the whole 10 days was simply superb - experienced guide with vast knowledge of animals behaviour and was funny and always looking after my daughter and I. His ability to see animals we couldn’t see was amazing and as an avid photographer always managed to position the vehicle for best photo positions.
E-Trips custom Land Cruiser is roomy, New , well maintained and comfortable on what can be rough roads.
The camps and lodges we stayed at were superb and food was always of high quality - as were lunch boxes provided each day.
Finally the fact that E-Trips bank account is in USA gave me piece of mind when making payments for the trip.
I unreservedly recommend the E-Trip team as a brilliant Lifetime experience provider for your safari trip.
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Email Jessica | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Another great trip!
This was my second trip with E-Trip Africa (previous one to Rwanda for gorilla trekking). As always, able to put together a great itinerary that fits my schedule. Guide was great. Really enjoyed myself and will continue recommending to friends & family!
CA
Email Jackie Koh & Glenn Mullan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
It's perfection I couldn't plan alone.
The best part was the tour agent Ben Jennings! He was the most efficient tour agent ever in our travel history. Everything was planned with clear communication and transparency. Ben responded on even the smallest questions with long and detailed explanation. We would definitely recommend to all our friends and followers (facebook and instagram) to go to e-Trip Africa and ask for Ben Jennings.
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Email Kirk Smith | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great Experience!
Everything went smoothly from beginning to end. Our guide, David was knowledgeable, experienced and attentive and had a great eye for spotting game. He was a walking encyclopedia of birds, animals and plants and we also learned a lot about Tanzania in the process. The communication we received from eTrip before the trip was great and we were very well prepared for our safari. Probably our best vacation ever and we travel a lot.
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Email Phuong and Tri Le | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional, maticalous, communicatand went out of their ways to make sure we had a wonderful trip.
This is definitely one of the best trips we have been on. The trip allowed us to see so many animals and surrounding nature. Pictures we took did not do justice to what we saw - seeing thousands of Wilderbeasts and Zebras migrating across the plains is an amazing and breathtaking sight - In awe, I breathed and took it all in. The tour operators, Aurelia and Ben, were very attentive to our needs, communicated thoroughly, and made sure our trip goes smoothly. They made sure that camps and lodges had special gluten free diet for me (a request I made at the last minute). Our guide is professional, friendly and very knowledgeable. He went out of his way to make sure that we saw as many animals as we can; he was able to spot the animals well in advanced and positioned us in good spots to see and take photos of the animals. Game drives were amazing; early and late game drives enabled us to see cheetah and lions up close (few feet away) as well as enjoy beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Food and accommodations were great. Camp/lodge sites were serene and beautiful, service at the camp was excellent and food was delicious and exceeded our expectations. I was told by my friends that this was not camping but glamping as we slept on comfortable beds, had hot shower and full toiletry inside the tent. I highly recommend this Safari trip in Tanzania fro e Trip for those who want more adventure and seeing more of animal migration.
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Email Julie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Affordable custom safari trip
We went on a wonderful 16 day safari with eTrip in Kenya.
My husband and I picked eTrip because we could choose exactly what we wanted to do for an affordable price. We changed our minds several times before embarking on the trip as to which parks we wanted to visit and for how long, but Aurelie was extremely patient and took time to answer any questions that we had. We also appreciated the many (with each change!) break down trip cost attachments that she sent.
For each park we wanted to visit a preferred lodge to suit our budget was suggested but we certainly did not need to stay in that lodge if we didn't want to. Most of the time we did stay in their suggested lodges and we were more than happy with their choices.
As our trip was a long one, we were a little worried about spending so much time with one tour guide/driver, especially as we had never done a non-independent trip like this before. We needn't have worried - our driver David was knowledgable, patient and, most importantly, a lot of fun! Not only did we learn a lot about the animals we were seeing but we also learnt a lot about Kenya and its people.
The land cruiser we traveled in was very comfortable and we always felt safe. Overall we had a wonderful experience and can whole-heartedly recommend eTrip.
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Email Chase | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic safari, great communication, great people, amazing animals!
I have been to Africa a number of times and have gone with a few different outfitters, but right away E-Trip stood out to me. Their communication from the beginning was far superior to other companies who didn't really seem to listen to our wishlist, but Aurelie and Ben totally got it. I imagine I was annoying with numerous emails going back and forth, but they did an incredible job and putting something together. Once in Kenya, our guide Simon was fantastic. As a guide myself, I couldn't believe how well he could spot and track animals. All the lodges we stayed at were brilliant and the wildlife viewing across Amboseli, Navaisha, and the Mara was out of this world. We saw so much and got plenty of great photos and videos to bring home. One of the greatest things about Simon is he knew when we wanted to stop or move on without even asking us. He was very in-tune with what we were doing and was so relaxed about our safari schedule. Overall it was a great trip and I will absolutely use E-Trip again when we visit East Africa. A big thank you again to Ben, Aurelie, and Simon for helping put it all together!
