Meet the Team - eTrip Africa
E-Trip Africa
- Located In:
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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 | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
ETrip gets ALL my Africa business - They are the BEST
Ben and Aurelie, Aurelie especially this time, put together a superb itinerary for me from start to finish for Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania (my second time there). ETrip knew me and my preferences from a previous trip in 2013 and did a terrific job of putting a smorgasbord of options from rafting the Nile to horsebackriding to gorilla and chimp tracking, and a return to do a longer camel ride with Mkuru Camel Safaris. Their guides speak excellent English, worked extremely hard to ensure that I got everything I paid for and that I enjoyed my trip. Alex, my Ugandan guide, took matters into his own hands when I got seriously ill and couldn't gorilla trek on the day I was scheduled. He worked diligently to make sure that I was able to go the next day- that's the kind of dedication that I truly appreciate.
Both Ben and Aurelie stay in very close touch during the planning process. One of the things I love about working with them is that they ask for a budget number and your days in country. They do their best to stay inside your number, but you also have to be realistic when you have desires, preferences and a lot of time to fill. I ask a lot of them and I also give a little when they send me their numbers back, and we end up with something I can't say no to. I also appreciate that they give me tipping guidelines so that I come prepared.
As for the tour itself, this was my fifth trip to Africa, so I'm no stranger to many of the challenges and issues of African travel. My expectations are very realistic, and I do a lot of reading in advance. Its important to balance what ETrip does for you with your own research and commitment to being open to new cultures and experiences so that when you run into bumps that inevitably happen, you aren't disappointed.
Aurelie was very open to my requests for less expensive places to stay, and also made sure I had a nice hotel waiting for me when I really needed one after a long time in the bush. There were times I think I can handle more time in a tent than I think I can and they plug in a nice place, and invariably I love them for putting me into a place with a fine bathroom and good food. They listen carefully, respond quickly, and after that it's up to us to make the most of our experiences.
This time I tracked gorillas, chimps and golden monkeys. I was also provided multiple opportunities to do village visits which were rich experiences in understanding the culture, language, and interaction of people/forests in the areas I visited. In some cases these ended up being as emotionally valuable as seeing the gorillas and chimps.
Absolutely amazing, lifetime experience
E-Trip Africa was amazing from the time the first email went out, they communicated instantly back and answered all the questions I had if not more. My expectations were exceeded from the pick up at the airport until the drop off, everyone we came in contact with was exceptional and extremely professional. Their desire for you to succeed was demonstrated in every aspect of the adventure. I would highly recommended them for Kilimanjaro.
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Email Kathy Barker | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Finding birds and relaxation in Kenya!
We had 9 days after a meeting in Nairobi, and wanted to see animals and countryside, with a focus on birds. E-Trip Africa arranged for a wonderful driver, Moses Kangara, and 4 bookings of 2 nights each (we wanted to be able to relax and listen to sounds and enjoy the wonderful places we were booked at, not just spend all that money to sleep). Making the arrangements on line was so easy, as the E-Trip folks were very responsive as the trip planning evolved. Every thing was much, much better than I imagined.
We stayed at:
Island Camp in Lake Boringo (watching a full moon rise over the lake from the cottage, bird guide for a walk on the island and another for a small boat exploration),
Sleeping Warrior Lodge in the Soysambu Conservancy (Best sighting- an aardvark on a night drive!),
Mara Eden Bush Camp in Masai Mara NR (giraffes and hippos seen from the campsite, big 5),
Malewa Wildlife Lodge in the Kiglio Wildlife Conservancy (along a river in the woods, listening to hopes and rock hydraxes screaming at night. Peter took us on some terrific bird walks).
Each place was so different in looks and landscape, but the same in the beautiful rooms and excellent service and delicious food (we are vegetarian and each place was alerted by E-Trip and made amazing and healthy dishes).
Everything and everybody completely exceeded our expectations. It was the trip of a lifetime.
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Email Seth | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good to know that these people actually exist
The bottom line: this is a glowing review of a longer than average trip (38 days) that was thoughtfully planned, meticulously arranged, and expertly executed. I have attempted to write the review I wanted to read when I was researching this. That is, one that contains information allowing me to relate our situation and desires to the experience of the reviewer so that we could make an educated decision. I’ve tried to break it into separate digestible pieces, so you can skip around to our thoughts on the company itself, our experience, our situation, etc. as you like. The information below was gathered from tour operators (this company and others), guides, lodge employees, local residents, and fellow travelers.
About us:
My fiancé and I are both 30-something, fairly active professionals (students until quite recently) who were lucky enough to get time away from work for a long trip. We enjoy outdoor pursuits, good food, and wildlife and are comfortable with a range of levels of luxury (i.e. camping to five stars). We are relatively well traveled and started out thinking that we would do much of this on our own. After a good amount of research we eventually concluded that doing East Africa on our own would likely lead to an inferior trip at a higher cost in terms of both time and money. That was absolutely the right conclusion in retrospect. We were after experiences rather than pampered luxury. We would prefer comfortable camping in the middle of the national park to the posh luxury lodge isolated from its surroundings by walls, fences, etc. As it turns out, you can’t stay in the middle of many of the national parks in East Africa without stepping up to some (rather high) level of luxury so we ended up staying in fairly nice places that were well worth the experience. We wanted a private journey, just us and a driver/guide. We weren’t sure we could afford it, but in retrospect it was well worth the relatively small additional cost. If we had a couple of friends that we knew well, it would have been OK to have them along, but I wouldn’t have wanted to spend hours on safari with strangers who have different interests and priorities. It’s just not the same trip. In very broad strokes, I would describe us as relaxed but discerning travelers.
Our trip:
A very brief version of our itinerary:
Kenya - Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli
Tanzania – Kilimanjaro hike, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro, Serengeti
Uganda – Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Jinja
Zanzibar, Mafia islands
What stood out most to us about the logistics of our trip was the incredible amount of research that went into planning it. They had quite obviously been to every place they sent us, and had a discerning eye for the variables which would make the experience pleasant. It wasn’t just that they placed us at a comfortable place near to what we came to see or do. It was that they placed us at the comfortable place with the English speaking manager and the good food and nice rooms in quiet and beautiful surroundings that was near what we had come for. The level of thought and consideration for what the trip would actually be like as a whole was very impressive. Other companies who sold “customized” journeys seemed to be selling some combination of modular experiences. Something along the lines of: “combine the Tarangire module with the Ngorongoro module and the Serengeti module” where each module is a self-contained unit of a specific lodge and experience. Not so with E-trip. They listened to what we wanted, asked questions to clarify, and then gave us experiences and lodging that suited us. We weren’t tied to something simply because the tour company had pre-arranged itineraries or agreements with particular places. It was a truly customized journey, designed for us by people who took the time understand what we valued. I think much of this is a product of the fact that they live in Tanzania and are very plugged into the culture and economics of the area.
After the planning was all done and we started our trip, I had expected that there would be bumps in the road. It seemed impossible to me that we could spend nearly 40 days traveling by car, boat, and plane across three countries and countless language and cultural barriers without something getting dropped somewhere along the line. Nope, it was all to plan without a hitch. I’m still dumb founded by it. As an example, it was day 30 something of the trip and we had driven from the east coast to the west coast of Zanzibar to take a tour of Stone Town before our flight out to Mafia. The detailed itinerary we were given more than four weeks prior said there would be a driver to take us to the airport at noon. After we met up with our tour guide and walked around Stone Town for a few hours, we returned to where we had met our guide to find a driver whom we had never met waiting for us. We hadn’t called him, our guide hadn’t called him, he was just there. It’s quite likely that he had received at least one phone call from E-trip in the day or so preceding our arranged meet, but at the time it seemed like logistical wizardry. Thirty something days into a trip and the guy is just sitting there waiting for us 10 minutes before we were supposed to be there. What’s more is we had come to expect this kind of treatment. It’s hard to overstate the value of being able to relax into the journey knowing that someone skillful has taken care of every little detail and you really don’t have to spend one second of your time in Africa thinking about how to get things done. Looking back at the itinerary, the driver’s phone number was on our itinerary along with phone numbers for every lodge, driver, etc. during the trip just in case, but we never needed them. That’s how well it was planned. I think it would be extremely difficult to plan a 40 day journey around my home town without something going wrong, and these guys did it across three countries in Africa which speaks volumes about how tight of a ship they run.
The company –
They are run by a husband and wife team (American and French ex-pats) who live in Tanzania with their young son and are intimately involved in making sure things go well. They both have a long history of trying to make this world a better place and of doing so in Africa specifically (peace corps, etc.). As a result, they are very knowledgeable about the geographic, social, and political climate in the areas they work. This sets them apart from the vast majority of other companies who will tell you that they operate locally, but in actuality they charge you what they will, take their cut, and then outsource your trip to somebody on the ground in Africa. The locally owned companies we came across seemed to do OK, but it’s not the same as someone who understands western culture but lives the day to day in Africa. There just isn’t a substitute for that combination. If you have a problem, and somebody has to call somebody on another continent to try to fix it, it’s not likely to go as well as if you hop on the cell phone provided to you at the start of the trip and call the owner of the company.
It has been my experience in the past, that people who have a heart and strive to lift the world around them are not necessarily the most business savvy. That is absolutely not the case with these two. They are quite business savvy; they understand the expectations of western tourists, and embrace the accountability which that requires. They do business in an incredibly responsible and transparent manner which allows you to make value judgments about your experience ahead of time and to feel as though you’ve contributed to making things better in Africa afterward. It became clear when we were researching that companies charge a premium for the service of arranging a trip for you (which is reasonable), but will not detail the costs associated with that service or even the individual portions of the trip like the price of a particular lodge. That makes it very difficult to make value judgments about what things are really worth to you. These guys took the time to answer our emails thoughtfully, to discuss things over the phone in great detail (via skype), and to get an idea of what we wanted not just what we were asking for. At each step they told us what each individual thing would cost so we could talk about what things we really valued. In addition, they don’t own or operate any lodges of their own, so they don’t have any conflicts of interest when it comes to picking a place for you to stay. This is a big deal and one many companies aren’t necessarily forthcoming about.
In the end, the level of research and effort that went into constructing our customized trip was clearly so far beyond the 40 or so other companies that I communicated with, at a lower and transparent cost, that the choice became obvious. I even spoke with a few tour operators who wondered aloud how it was possible to arrange the trip we took at the price we paid – they simply couldn’t do it. Suffice it to say that I think you would be foolish not to at least call/email them to see what they can do for you. Do it and you will see what I mean.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Uganda/Rwanda trip well done!
We are an American couple in our mid-20's wanting to travel around Uganda and Rwanda on a budget, and E-Trip Africa did an excellent job suggesting activities in our interests that progressed nicely. We also wanted to be able to have a few days of navigating the countries on our own, so we were given a great itinerary that gave us some days of freedom while providing private transport to the locations that would be most necessary. All of the accommodations were clean and well-staffed; those that provided meals had delicious food! We had no trouble on our trip and our driver, David, was very helpful and punctual. We felt like we had a satisfactory balance of adventure and comfort all within our budget, and would highly recommend E-Trip Africa as a tour operator!
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
I got help with gorilla permits!
My sister and I were planning an independent trip through southern Uganda and wanted to purchase gorilla and chimp permits in advance to make sure we didn't miss our chance to see them. After emails to many different companies and even the government agency that issues the permits, E-trip Africa was the only company that was helpful and responsive to our needs. For a reasonable fee, they arranged the purchase and delivery of the permits. I'm very grateful to Ben for all his help and knowledge. If I had gone with an organized tour, I would absolutely have chosen E-trip Africa simply because of their excellent customer service!
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Efficient pleaseant and reliable all equaed to a very enjoyable trip
All expectations were met and even exceeded. Replies to queries were immediate accurate and honest. E-trip have a good understanding of the area and how things operate and the CEO was on hand to meet us and make sure everything went according to plan.
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Experience!
If anyone plans on hiking Kilimanjaro or doing Safari, I wouldn't recommend using any company other than E-Trip Africa. We did Kili, Safari and Zanzibar and the experience was beyond anything I'd ever expect. They were easily available to us via phone and email prior to the trip for any questions/recommendations. They put together several proposals and quickly revised them as our group finalized our trip. The personal service was better than anything I'd ever seen with a travel company. The owners met us at our hotels before and after the hike (3 or 4 times total while in Tanzania). For Kili, they hand pick their guides and they all have medical training. Our vitals were taken every single day to ensure our health during the hike. There were no shortcuts in terms of gear or crew members. The entire trip was flawless and meticulously planned. And for added assurance, the company is registered in the US. If I could give E-Trip Africa 100 stars I would.
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35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
wonderful experience
E-Trip did such a wonderful job and the entire time I felt completely taken care of and no detail was overlooked. All the staff was so great, from the porters to the guides, all were professional and were exceptional in every way. I was a little nervous about the whole trip, as this was my first big trip abroad and wasn't sure what to expect and the whole trip was beyond amazing and I left with so many great memories and have E-Trip to thank for that. The food was excellent..our cook was fabulous, we never went hungry and looked forward to our delicious dinner every night!
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20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very memorable experience!
I traveled to Tanzania with three friends in July 2014 with the assistance of E-Trip. Ben and his team planned our entire 15 day trip, which included a 7 day trek on Mt. Kilimanjaro, 2 day Safari, and 3 days in Zanzibar. E-Trip was incredibly accommodating to our needs and answered all of our questions prior to and during our trip, which even included a pre-trip Sykpe session. Ben and his team were very knowledgeable about the country, culture, and travel options for us. We felt very prepared (even with the help of a detailed packing list) and were able to accomplish everything we hoped to in Tanzania. All of us made it to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and we felt safe and taken care of during the entire trip by our guides and trekking team. E-trip provided us with a detailed itinerary outlining our schedule and travel plans for each day we were in Africa. We also appreciated the personalized attention that we received from Ben and his team, as we met with Ben at three different occasions to discuss our climb and next steps in our itinerary. I can speak for myself and our entire group that we would HIGHLY recommend E-Trip to anyone who is planning on or even considering traveling to Africa. We all had incredibly memorable experiences and enjoyed every moment of our trip.