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:
- $3,469 to $26,018 per person per day (MXN, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Julia Hubbel | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
This is trip #6, and there will be more. As always, a perfect job.
Ben and Aurelie have carved a very special niche out for themselves in this market, and here's why. Ben doens't stop at the uber-service, careful planning, detail management and now critical hand-holding that is necessary with the swiftly changing Covid landscape. What keeps me coming back are these:
1. Superbly trained guides, the best in the business,not just on the mountain but in every country.
2. He supports and promotes local businesses, charities and NGOs which are doing it right, and he puts his money where his mouth is by helping local families, activities and business whose integrity he respects. That helps them, helps me purchase from the right places, and in all ways we all benefit.
3. If you find something extra you want to do, Ben will bend over backwards to fit in into your agenda. He is great at keeping in touch and more than once had to wave his magic wand to get me a travel certification that a website refused to deliver.
4. I have spent a lot of time with his guides, both on Kili and on Mt. Kenya. I continue to be deeply impressed. Seeing them again is like coming home to family.
This time around Ben sent me to some familiar places, such as Reseacher's Rest and Moshi, but he sent me far afield to game parks near Same, TZ and to the MamboViewpoint EcoLodge. Not only are these places both remote and stunning, they were both uncrowded and as a result, unbelievable. The Lushoto drive was a full cultural immersion and the game park near Same had unbelievable black rhino viewings. While other sites are better known and more popular, being willing to do a little driving paid off handsomely in both photos and a chance to see without looking over or past many other vehicles.
I also spent time at the breathtaking and remote Mara Eden resort,which is also way out of the way, so much so that the drive through the Maasai Mara just to get there and back were game drives. Those few days left me with my heart in my throat from what we were able to view, and as always with a most able driver, Simon.
I had revisited the beautiful and incomparable Ol Pejeta, which is worth every bit of the four-hour drive from Nairobi. That wants its own review, but in every way, it's not to be missed.This was my second time and with any luck not the last. Game viewings, as it is a conservancy, are guaranteed, and the best part is that you get a solid education as you explore, view, photograph or ride the various parts of the 90k acres. And see lions and their meals, which is something else again.
Finally, and I cannot emphasize this enough, Safari sites and Trip Advisor are, unfortunately full of advice on how to go cheap. Folks, if you go cheap, someone loses, and that is particularly true when I see unsubstantiated information about how the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project Partners "jack the prices up."
As a prize winning journalist and professional adventure traveler who has written extensively about, spent time on the ground with and done far more research than probably anyone else on KPAP, not only is that false but that kind of narrative perpetuates porter abuse on the mountain. ETrip, like other partner companies with KPAP, are committed to a fair wage, proper conditions, good training and the kind of treatment which ensures not only our safety but folks who are happy to see us coming. You don't get that when you shave too much off the cost of a trip. Travel is pricey, plan for it. Get good operators. ETrip gets my business every single time, and they earn that money.I have the deep satisfaction of knowing that those guides and employees who are affiliated with them are not worried about a paycheck and can concentrate on ensuring that my trip rocks.
Ben has become a trusted friend, for good reason. He has earned my respect many times over, and it is a joy to plan another trip. Which, with any luck, will be next spring.
Email Suzye | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Emmanual has an unbelievably sharp eye for spotting wildlife and is incredibly knowledgeable.
This was one of the best experiences of my life. It far exceeded any expectations I had. My mind was blown by how much wildlife we got to see. We watched a family of lions feast on a giraffe while jackals circled around, waiting for their turn! The landscapes were breathtaking, from the trees to the sky, everything was a treat for the eye. The accommodations were exceptional! I loved the pools and the gorgeous views of the river valley and getting to hear the animals at night from our room. One of the best parts for me was the food though. Every meal was an absolute delight. I want to marry that chef! On the last day the staff brought us a cake and sang and danced and it was the purest thing, my whole family was moved to tears. Ahhh please take me back there!
Email Keith Morgan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
We had an amazing trip!
My gf wanted to do something special to celebrate her 30th and we bounced between a few different locations/trips and finally settled on Africa. We have each travelled quite a bit but felt like a safari was more than we wanted to try to plan ourselves so we emailed several tour operators to get quotes/plans/proposals. eTrip stood out from the start with their very detailed proposal and cost breakdown as well as their quick responses, dedicated truck and driver/guide, and accommodations with Lemala camps.
Our driver, David, was a joy and knew not only every animal we saw but every BIRD as well [which is a huge feat with the variety present]. He kept our truck extremely tidy and I was impressed that it was even washed almost every night in the bush.
I would highly recommend eTrip and will definitely use them again when we go back [We've already talked about it!]
Email Amyn Husain | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Outstanding service, a flawless program with a keen eye on sustainability and ethics
Ben and Aurelie patiently organised a Kilimanjaro and safari itinerary for a group of 18 of us. Covid delays meant the trip was postponed for 2 years and each time the trip was rolled forward with minimal hassle. What a fantastic crew, superior and experienced guides, a looked after porter team and attention to detail at every corner. We had a 100% summit success and the lead guide’s pole pole approach paid off. I would recommend them to anyone, whether a small or large group. We loved the fact that they are socially conscious with a high standard for all staff accompanying us and no short cut measures to compromise the highest ethical standards. A superb memory.
CA
Email Kevin Medland | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Ben was like a family member or friend who just happened to run this tour;
had two weeks with e-trip; did 8 day Mt kili climb and then remaining days on safari; every part was outstanding; ben and his staff were amazing; i was in a group of 18 and everyone was more than pleased with accommodations, food, travel, guides, porters, drivers...all of it
highly recommend travelling with e-trip Africa
prices were competitive but not over priced
Email Laura M | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
An excellent experience overall
Our Tanzania safari was an amazing experience. We saw so much wildlife, it's hard to describe!
Despite all of the wonder of Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, the thing that really made our trip special was our incredible guide Elisha. You spend so much time with your guide - for us up to 10 hours a day for 8-9 days - so if you don't get the right guide it could really impact the whole trip. Elisha was knowledgeable, patient, warm, friendly, and a genuine joy to be with each day. We came away feeling like we'd made a wonderful friend, a somewhat strange feeling after only knowing someone a handful of days and given you likely won't see them again! I hope the management of E-Trip Africa realise how much of an asset he is to their company!
The organisation of the trip itself was very good. We really appreciated Ben's support and patience as we considered all the options available to us. His advice on accommodation was very valuable, including some insider knowledge on the ins-and-outs of each property which really helped influence our trip and ensured we could stay in line with our principles by supporting the best companies and people. We really appreciated his frank and insightful feedback which meant we ended up in 4 properties we were ultimately very happy with!
The only point of feedback we'd have for management was that it felt like once we paid up in full, the level of communication really dropped down. We ended up having to chase them up a week before departure for all the relevant details (with a holiday of this complexity and cost, earlier contact would have been nice). We'd also originally requested a specific safari guide based on a recommendation, and that was changed last minute, but we had to ask why we'd not been given the guide chosen. The change wasn't an issue (and clearly as above very happy with the alternative we were given!) but proactive comms on this would have been appreciated.
Once we were on the trip we heard nothing more from them, and had no follow-up on our return to ask how the trip was. It wasn't a huge issue as we had a great experience, so nothing to really follow up on, but that extra care and service to check in with how our trip was going / went was something I would have expected based on the excellent reviews, and at least for us personally it felt a little lacking.
Overall though, I would definitely recommend E-Trip Africa, especially making sure Elisha is your guide in in Tanzania, you will have a fantastic time! Despite the minor communication shortcomings, I would still give 5* overall! :-)
Email Lesa McNeill Nichols | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Skilled and fun team puts you in best possible position for wildlife photography
Simon and his team at E-Trip Africa made my photo safari trip an epic adventure. I was traveling with a small group of photographers and Simon was hired to make everything smooth from the moment I landed in Nairobi and the moment I left two weeks later. I didn't know when he picked me up at the airport what I would be going home with. It turned out to be a lot, including:
*Amazing photos of the Big 5-lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos and rhinos. On top of that we got photos of giraffes, a serval, cheetahs, hippos, warthogs, zebras, hyenas, antelopes of all types and a gazillion different birds (owls, eagles, herons, flamingos, rollers, weavers, etc).
*A deeper view of Kenyan daily life and culture
*A deep appreciation for the food-especially the fresh fruits and vegetables. Like nothing I had experienced before.
*Memories of bright red, purple and pink skies at sunrise and sunset
*A Kenyan music playlist put together with input from all of the guides
*A moment I will never forget-being surrounded by an elephant herd at sunset right in front of Mt. Kilimanjaro
There are too many moments to review. Simon and his team worked to create these moments for us. They did it with skill, humor, teamwork and camaraderie. It was truly an epic adventure! I would go on safari with them again and again.
Email April Cohen | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent Professional Safari Company
E-Trip Africa did a phenomenal job organizing our safari, providing timely updates in the lead-up and executing everything without fault. Our guide Dickson was top-notch and extremely knowledgeable about all the animals and areas that we went to. We saw all the animals we had hoped to see and were extremely fortunate to see rare animals too--I credit E-Trip with their professionalism and background for making our safari experience a true success! I would recommend them to friends and family without hesitation. Our hotels and campsites were also high quality and the food we ate was also excellent.
IE
Email Colm Fitzgerald | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
eTrip Africa are an excellent tour operator that provide tailored safari experiences for all budgets
eTrip Africa delivered a superb safari experience for my partner and I in Tanzania. I contacted several tour operators for quotes outlining what we hoped to see and eTrip Africa responded promptly with a suggested itinerary. Their general manager Ben then helped to revise and build our final mid-range safari itinerary over the course of a week or so of emails. He was really patient and helpful and, unlike other operators, there were no boilerplate emails - it was clear they paid attention to customer needs. Ben even agreed to skype call before final payment.
Thereafter, we provided all necessary documentation to eTrip Africa and the safari itself was really well organised from our arrival at the Researcher's Rest in Arusha. A big shout out to Eddie and Joseph who went out of their way to help us with our onward travel after we returned from safari. Plus the food was great there! Our safari guide, Samson, was hugely knowledgeable about the wildlife we saw and gave us great insights into Tarangire NP, Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Caldera ecosystems. He was very helpful and friendly throughout and we were delighted to have had Samson as our guide. Our accommodation and lunch boxes were excellent throughout including the beautifully located Tarangire Safari Lodge.
All in all, we felt eTrip Africa delivered a superb safari experience with excellent value for money and would be happy to recommend them to any visitors looking to go on safari in Tanzania.
Email Janina ( Nina) | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Expertise and professionalism combined with individual needs was the name of the game
My friend arranged the trip with Ben from E-Trip Africa for 4 of us including herself.
I understand communication and service was excellent with a swift response to our many questions and enquiries. We felt we could rely on Ben and his team to deliver exactly what was requested of them and we weren’t disappointed.
Obviously it was the holiday of a lifetime and I questioned splashing out that amount of money ,but it far exceeded all of my expectations and was worth every single penny( and more).
Our driver and guide on safari- Alladin was amazing. An absolute wealth of knowledge who went out of his way to make sure we had the best experience possible. Nothing was too much trouble for him and it was all down to him that we saw and heard all the fantastic sights and sounds that we did. All this coupled with him having a great sense of fun and laughter made the almost 2 week safari seem like a family adventure, whilst at the same time learning about our amazing surroundings.
We stayed in 4 different camps which were all excellent with wonderful staff and wonderful food and it was so exciting moving onward each time- almost like going on another holiday. And of course the journey to each tented camp involved another wonderful safari experience.
Would highly recommend every thing about this trip from our initial contact with E-Trip Africa through to our very last day when we sadly had to say goodbye to our wonderful Alladin