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
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
My expectations were high, but E-Trip far exceeded them.
For years I had dreams of an African Safari. In 2009 I started doing some research to plan the trip. I was put off a bit because the prices were so high. So I took an extra part-time job to save up the extra cash needed to make it a perfect trip. Then in 2012 we started doing the research again and it took us a while to find the right company, we sent emails to some 50 safari companies we found on this site and on TripAdvisor. We told them the parks we wanted to see, the dates and our overall budget. In the end E-Trip Africa was able to organize the trip at luxury camps and still stay within our budget. Several of the companies told us we would have to settle for a camping budget trip, which surprised me. Others told us they could not do anything within our budget.
When we arrived at the Nairobi Airport it was a little crazy, because there was a fire. The manager, Ben drove from the office in Arusha to meet us and introduced us to our Masai Driver named Joseph. Joseph was wearing Massai cloths the whole trip. Not only did he share a lot about his culture, but he was very friendly and never left a dull moment during the long drives. Ben and Joseph took us back to the hotel, where we had a briefing about the trip and he gave us a local telephone to borrow, which saved us some money when calling the folks back in the states.
We set-off the next morning and Joseph gave us plenty of good information during the long drive to Samburu. Driving past Mt. Kenya was amazing and then it was very dry in Samburu. The wildlife was nice as it was the first time to see Elephants outside of a zoo. We spent two nights there before heading to Lake Elementaita and Lake Naivasha. The Rhinos were so cool and I can't imagine people are killing them left and right to sell the horns to China. We stopped in Hells Gate to take a bike ride, which was nice as we had been spending too much time sitting in the car.
Then we went to the home area of Joseph. The Masai Mara... It was perfect to see the millions of wildebeest. Joseph had a very good sense of the wildlife and he could tell us what they would do. You can tell he really enjoys spending the time watching the animals. Twice I was a bit confused, because there were lots of cars around a kill and Joseph drove and parked about 300 feet away. Then all of the sudden the Lions got up and walked down to the water and shade near us, we had the best seat in the house.
The first two days we did not see any Cheetah. I was a bit down as I wanted to see them. I now understand that they don't like to be around all these other animals. So Joseph took us on a two hour drive to the middle of no where. And then all of the sudden he said look. We were alone, not another car in site. He said look very closely and there was a cheetah walking towards us. We sat for a few hours watching him. Then all of the sudden it bolted towards a small group of antelope taking one down. It was just like on Discovery.
The next day we headed back to Nairobi where we met Ben another time. He was really excited to hear our stories and Joseph was telling them even better than anyone. You could sense that Ben and Joseph also have a very good personal relationship. The next morning we were back to Nairobi Airport and then on our flight. A special thanks to Ben, Aurelie and the rest of the team at E-Trip Africa for organizing the trip. And an enormous thank to Joseph, who I now think of as my Massai brother.
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Email Patty F | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A delightful family Safari in Kenya
My family and I had a delightful trip to Kenya in early August of this year. We traveled with E-Trip Africa, who came highly recommended from one of the teachers at my daughter’s school, Mr. Jennings. Turns out his son owns and manages E-Trip. Since it is a big investment for a safari, we did compare many companies to be sure that we got the most out of our budget.
We were met at Nairobi by our guide Moses and the manager Ben. Since the flights were so long it made sense to spend two nights in Nairobi to get used to the time zone. During the first day we took our first game in Nairobi Park and then visited Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage. It was so nice to see the little guys come to take the milk. It is extremely sad that people are killing their mothers only for the Ivory. We then went to the Giraffe center and fed Giraffe.
We then went to Lakes Bogoria and Baringo as my husband is a bird fanatic. We had a great trip around the lake with a guide named Cliff. He was able to tell us so much about the birds and we had a nice walk around some cliffs to find different owls. Two days in this area was not enough, but we were anxious to see the animals.
Then we went to Nakuru. This park was very nice but the lake is very full and there were only a few flamingoes. We did get to see Rhino’s, which was one of the main goals of the trip as there is a good chance that they will disappear during my children’s lifetime. Also this was our first time to see Lions in the wild. They were just lying around, so it was a little disappointing. We then went to the Sleeping Warrior Camp, which was amazing. The night game drive was a real exciting experience and we saw an aardvark, which I guess is extremely rare. The next day we hiked to the crater and enjoyed the Hyrax around the camp.
Our trip finished with 4 days in Masai Mara. It was like a scene from a National Geographic film. The wildebeest were all over the place. We got to see lions hunt some down, which was amazing but I don’t know if I could watch it again because I don’t even like the sight of blood. The experience could not have been better. We stayed at a tented camp called Mara Eden Safari Camp. All through the night you could hear the animals, it was really a full experience. The camp managers were a riot and we really had a nice time by the campfire with them.
We returned to find the Nairobi airport nearly burnt to the ground. Ben had everything worked out and the whole process was rather smooth. We got on our flight back to civilization, with the fondest memories and the desire to one day return.
Short Trip to Tarangire and Ngorongoro
My partner and I recently returned from a conference in Arusha and had the opportunity to visit Tarangire National Park and Ngorongoro on a short trip organized by E-Trip Africa. Tarangire is a fabulous park - we saw numerous elephant, 5 lions with 3 cubs, several herds of zebra, impala and wildebeest, and even a rare leopard on a "sausage tree"!
We then continued to Ngorongoro where we spent the night on the crater rim, so that we could get down to the floor early in the morning. The views are amazing and we had the most magical sunset. The crater was filled with animals. I wanted to see Rhinoceroses, which we saw 4 in the first few hours. Our driver was fabulous - his knowledge, experience and passion made the trip quite enjoyable!
I would love to return to spend more time here. Not sure if we will focus on the Serengeti or the Southern Parks on our next trip, or maybe both :)
US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Up close!
I have wanted to see the African wildlife since I was a child and eTrip Africa helped me realize my dream. They took my list of species I wanted to see and designed a trip just for me and my husband. It would have been a nightmare for me to try to do it myself - not like travel in Europe and other places. But they did it painlessly for us and cheaper than I think we could have managed. The wildlife was incredible! We had great drivers/guides who knew so much and managed to find everything I wanted to see and get me close enough to really get a good look. We took 2500 photos and almost all are great. Some may even be National Geographic quality! I can't wait to go back again. We spent about 14 days and it was the most incredible thing I have ever done!
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Email Julia Hubbel | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
From the Southern Circuit to the top of Kilimanjaro
Looking out at Kilimajaro from my hotel window this morning is like an otherworldly experience. Ben Jennings, the owner, was grilling me (as is his habit) last night about the service, food, if I was being pressured to summit. He's constantly improving, pushing to get better, and in all ways trying to take E-Trip Africa to another rung higher. My experience of them began back about June through a Trip Advisor referral and it's been top flight ever since. To keep this relatively short and sweet, the first thing that Ben does is spend a fair bit of time understanding- how much experience (this is my fifth trip to Africa) what do you want to do (adventure, out of the way, totally cool stuff, already saw the animals), and basically getting a sense of who you and what you want to spend. The parameters set, he gets to work. In no time I had some options that I grabbed: a camel trek, a Kili climb, and he was able to negotiate a trip to the Southern Circuit which fit my preference for fewer tourists and more bushcamp experience. Ben fought hard for me in terms of cutting costs, and I accommodated where I needed so it was a two way deal. On Kili, since I was going up solo, Ben sent me with his wife, who was excellent company.
The Kili trip deserves extra mention because this is his team. He has top flight guides, and a crew of porters and cooks together for six years. They earn a living wage so that they don't have to maneuver for tips, and that means they are happy, friends, and work well together. This makes for an excellent experience on the mountain for all involved. August, his top guide, and Ignas, the assistant guide, were fun and funny, but also highly attentive to medical issues, very focused on safety, extremely well informed, and when I had a knee go wonkers on the way down from the summit, they helped me down safely.
Contrary to popular lore, we got no hardboiled eggs on our plates. The food was flat out delicious. Ranik the cook spoiled us with his changeups every day and once he learned I loved his soups, I was treated every day with zucchini, leek, I can't recall them all, but I got every last drop out of the bowl, and begged for seconds and thirds.
I am already planning a month with E-Trip Africa in January 2015. From now on I will use them many times over.
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Email Margie Klemm | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Mt Kilimanjaro Rongai Route
I summited Mount Kilimanjaro via the Rongai Route in seven days in November 2013 as part of a charity climb. The trip was amazing. Our group contacted e-Trip Africa on the advice of another group that summited June 2013. From our first contact with e-Trip Africa to our farewells from our climbing team at Marangu Gate, the entire experience was wonderful. Everyone we dealt with was professional and knowledgeable. We were uncertain at the start of the process on which route we would take and for what duration. e-Trip answered all our questions and gave us unbiased advice on the pros and cons of each route. They took the time to answer our million and one questions with patience and never once did I feel I was given a rushed answer. The climb team was superb and their professionalism helped give me the confidence that I needed to make it to the top. Climbing Kili is not for the weak of mind or body and finding the right partners are critical in my opinion. From our first meeting in Moshi with the head guide Caspar and his team I felt we were in good hands for the coming week. The food was great – there were two picky eaters in our group and neither one went away hungry from any meal. The camps were clean and orderly and the climb team made sure our experience was fun and safe. Ben Jennings worked with us before and after the climb and was a large part of us being successful. We are already talking about taking another group back in 2015 for charity, we will use e-Trip Africa again.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The Lemosho Route: An Amazing Journey!
Embarking on a journey as daunting as Mt Kilimanjaro took a degree of level headedness in almost every stage, from choosing a travel company to gear selection to final summit night courage, but the reward of Uhuru Peak and the view from the Roof of Africa makes every test more than worth it. The best piece of advice I could give anyone contemplating the climb is to have confidence in every decision you make let this carry you to the top!
The keys to building this confidence are gained by doing thorough groundwork before you reach Tanzania in the areas of physical conditioning, gear selection, and guide company selection. While I was going through this process I was interning in South Africa where I did not have a lot of time or the available resources to devote to training or finding the right gear, so in hindsight I learned that tour company selection is one of the most important choices you make, they end up being the glue that holds what training, gear, and confidence you have together and if you make the right choice they’ll help you make up for any area in which you’re lacking.
That being said, the company I choose was E-Trip Africa and I could not have been happier with my selection. From my timely pick-up and conversation with Ben at Kilimanjaro International to our thorough pre-trek team meeting, I had full confidence I would make it to the top. Our lead guide, Caspar, was heavily suave with experience and led us through a detailed examination of all our gear making sure we had was up to par, with a convenient rental company representative there to offer any needed supplies at a very reasonable rate.
As we set out along the Lemosho route my team of six trekkers quickly realized we would be rubbing elbows with several other groups as we had chosen a full moon hike (still definitely recommend this despite the crowds, they thin out closer to summit). This close proximity to other groups for the first few days allowed us to eye the other amenities offered by other companies and we quickly realized how lucky we were in comparison. Our “dining hall” tent (A.K.A. the Jack O’ Lantern) allowed us to enjoy our frequent warm beverages and near gourmet meals in protection from the elements, and our team consistently surged past on the trail, always pausing to say jambo, to have camp set up for us at the next site.
The unique dynamic energy that each and every member of our team brought to the journey became essential in trying times of fatigue, sickness, and hardship. Caspar quickly adapted to any unforeseen circumstances ranging from impromptu birthday celebrations to accommodating a team member who felt the affects of AMS. An important aspect I hadn’t thought about in a company was how well they are able to adapt to different fitness levels within a group, something that Caspar and his team did very well. Summit night he timed our ascent perfectly to watch the sunrise from Stella Point. Definitely recommend!
ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
On Stop East Africa
Since I was a child, I had dreamt of traveling to Africa. But life passes and those dreams fade. On my 50th birthday, I realized that life was passing quickly and I was missing out, which was my reminder of my dreams of African Elephants and the Snows of Kilimanjaro.
I happened to get the contact of E-Trip Africa by a chance encounter at business dinner. On first contact, they listened to what I had dreamt about. And after a few days they put together some options of tours that could work for me. Aurelie also gave me some other suggestions that I did not even know where possible.
Knowing that I am not getting younger, I also decided that Kilimanjaro was either now or never. So I ended going to East Africa for six weeks. I spent some of my trip with my wife and the trek with two old friends. What really amazed me was the ability for Aurelie to organize and manage our trip in three different countries. She had also visited every hotel and done each of the activities that she proposed to me. Now that is a dream job, if I have ever heard of one.
We started our trip with six days in Kenya. Many people told me to stay away from Kenya due to
terrorism, but I felt completely safe, even in the massive city of Nairobi. The people were very nice and my guide Joseph is now like family. Masai Mara was very nice but crowded and on several occasions Joseph, as an Honorary Park Ranger, intervened to put some very disorderly Chinese in order. He even was picking up trash when he saw it. Joseph is a nice man that cares for the environment and wants to see a better future for his two children. We then went to Lake Nakuru and spent two great nights at Sleeping Warrior Lodge. The night game drives were very cool. And Joseph could always say what the animal was just by the color of it´s eyes in the spot light.
I then headed down to Tanzania and met Jorge and Carlas for our Kilimanjaro Trek. Our guide Casper really gave us a wonderful 8 days on the Lemosho Route. Even though there was some rain, I could not have asked for a better experience and the challenge to get to the top was fantastic. I am not in the best condition physically, but this was endurance and a challenge in your own mind.
After the trek I left my trekking friends to meet my wife in Mafia Island. This untouched island is a perfect place to relax and enjoy fantastic diving. Our hosts at Shamba Kilole were very friendly and prepared perfect food, but that can be expected from Italians. Five days was not enough and I hope to return one day.
We then flew to Ruaha National Park to enjoy again an untouched park that has few visitors. This park was very nice and the lions provided us several exciting moments. Unlike Kenya, we did not see another car for several hours and you could really have a nice feel of being in the wild of Africa.
Next we flew to the Northern Circuit. Tarangire, Lake Manyara and then into the Ngorongoro Crater, where the wildlife was only slightly denser than the tourists. This part of the trip was not so great. The crater is a must, but with all of the other tourists and even a few loud rundown vehicles really distracted from the experience. Also, Oldupai Musuem is a complete waste of time and money. Aurelie and our guide both talked it down, but did I listen?? Lesson learned and shared. The Serengeti however, was better as we only spent two days in the Seronera Area before heading to the North. Again, a perfect site at Sayari Camp, where there was the chance to get out and enjoy nature secluded from the masses. Four days here was perfect and we even got some great time close to a Rhino, not to mention some fantastic Wildebeest River Crossings.
Last on the list was Rwanda. Again, this was a welcome surprise. Most people are uneducated about the country. They only remember the war and genocide and assume it is still a war torn place. It is not. It is beautiful and very warm country. The smiling faces and friendly people were unlike the rest of our trip. People were helpful and not aggressive at all. Even in the touristy shops. Gorillas were fantastic and the trek was surprisingly easy both days. Also, the visit to see the rare Golden Monkey was worth the extra day in the area.
Rwanda is another place that I hope to return to one day. The country is booming and the people are quite different from their neighbors. I think that sums it up. A trip this long has so many great stories and not enough place to write them all.
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Email Nick Smith | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A Life-Changing Trek at 50 Years Old
For my 50th birthday, I wanted to do something very special. I had never done anything big and I realized it was now or never. Well there is nothing bigger than Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa. Little did I imagine how life-changing a trip up Mount Kilimanjaro could be. After tons of research, I cautiously chose E-Trip Africa to run my trek. You are putting your life into someone else’s hands, so this is quite a big decision. I could not have been more pleased with this outfit, from the beginning to end! The staff is unbelievably professional, friendly & knowledgeable. It does not take long to see that they have had very good training from plants on the trail to safety. The crew quickly became family, as these guys are not only professional but honest hard working people that are warm and kind. I was beyond surprised at how good the food was. I mean there are no roads to drive that stuff up the mountain, so everything has been carried by hand. Davis the guide has over 10 years as a guide, not counting when he was a porter and assistant guide. I was told by E-Trip that Davis recently placed first in a Mountain First Aid course, getting the highest marks in the class. There was no doubt in my mind that this was true, as he was even giving medical advice to another company that had a sick person in their group. As a 50 year old, I did not really focus on the summit, but on having a great experience, as I figured there was not much chance I would make it all the way up. I chose the Lemosho route over 9 days, to have plenty of time on this beautiful mountain. In the end, I had a great life-changing journey and also was successful on my summit night, thanks to an exceptional crew. On a side note, I was really touched by the work that E-Trip Africa is doing with the Mailisita Foundation, in providing education to disadvantaged youth in the Moshi area. I am glad to know that they work to give back in a very concrete and measurable way. I plan to return to the school soon, to volunteer to teach computer classes to the kids.
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50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kilimanjaro summitted thanks to Davis
I am a Catholic priest and was giving a retreat to Mother Teresa's sisters in Kenya when I thought it would be nice to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. After contacting five recommended safari operators, I chose E-Trip Africa because the manager, Ben, called me back within a few hours and talked honestly with me. I've been greatly impressed by how he runs the company: he's a man of honor and integrity and is not out to make a lot of money, but to share the love he and his wife (owner of the company) have for Africa. He operates according to Tanzanian government guidelines regarding porters' wages, conditions, etc., which many companies do not do. We took the Machame 7-day trek and found the staff delightful and professional. Davis, our guide, especially, really managed the trek well, and without him we would not have made it to the top. Davis, like Ben, really enjoy their work. I recommend E-Trip for any trek or safari in Africa, and plan to go with them again.