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 Sheila Lawver | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Our safari was absolutely amazing, I would like to thank Ben and his staff for a life time memory.
I ended up booking my safari with Ben and E-trip Africa for various reasons. First of all Ben helped me plan my itinerary, which was really helpful, as I did reach out to other safari companies, response times were a bit slow and my questions not all thoroughly answered, especially about travel to the northern region. I found a few of the tour operators didn't take the time out to help me understand that the trip I had originally wanted was really not feasible in the time frame I had for the safari, I felt they wanted to sell me what ever I wanted and truthfully it would of been miserable and we would of spend alot of time driving instead of enjoying the animals. However,Ben responded in a timely manner and was open to all my questions and help me understand the travel within the serengenti, as I had no idea what to expect, and was able to offer me feasible alternatives to exactly what I wanted to do and see. It didn't matter how many questions, he was very knowledgable and when I told him exactly what I wanted for accomodations he knew exactly what we were looking for and was able to give us options and helped us pick exactly what we wanted that allowed us to get the best value for our dollar. We were not disappointment in any of our accomodations and thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. We stayed in tented camps and each one gave us excellent service, and were unique within themselves. The safari tour was beyond our expectations, and the wildlife was plentiful. Our driver/guide was knowlegable and took care of my sister and I as if we were family. We could of not asked for a better person to show us around this beautiful landscape. The people of tanzania are kind and welcoming. I didn't want the safari to ever end. Thank You, Ben, I would recommend E trip Africa to anybody and when I decide to return this is exactly the company I would use again.
CA
Email Sarah & Adriano | Experience level: first safari
Amazing Tanzania, January 2017
From our first email exchange with Ben, there was something that stood out about E-Trip Africa. He was extremely responsive, knowledgeable and professional and we felt very comfortable knowing our trip was in such great hands.
From the accommodations (all very clean and well positioned) to the food, to the game drives - everything was fantastic. We cannot say enough wonderful things about our guide, Elisha. We were amazed at how well he knew all the animals and parks we visited and how incredible he was at spotting even the most hidden animals. He was very personable and definitely was a big part in making the trip so memorable for us.
We cannot say enough great things about E-Trip Africa. We are already talking about our next trip to Africa and we will definitely use them again and recommend them to our friends.
Thank you Elisha, Ben and Aurélie for this trip of a lifetime!
A well planned and diverse experience touching all aspects of Tanzanian life
The tour was well managed with great drivers who were always friendly and well informed. The itinerary was great, including a wide variety of wildlife in the parks and a very moving experience visiting markets and school in Karatu Village. The only shortcomings were the rather hurried drive through Lake Manyara Park after the stop at the hot springs, and the long drive to and from the Oldapi Gorge for quite a short stay. But these were minor problems and the whole experience was very enjoyable. The accomocations were excellent in all cases as were the vehicles.
Reply from E-Trip Africa
Posted on Mar 6, 2017Hi Roger. I am glad that overall you were quite happy with the trip. I also feel that your itinerary was rushed. We advised the organizers of your trip that they were trying to fit in too much. Of course it is hard to understand the distances to the different sights until you have been here. Hopefully, next time they do take our advice which would have given you more time to enjoy Lake Manyara National Park (one of my favorite parks) and also Oldupai Gorge. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to having you join us again on your next safari.
Email Scott heller | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
More than I ever Dreamed of....
We struggled getting answers from so many companies until we found Ben. He listened to all our needs and set us up on a trip of a lifetime! We are seasoned travelers and everything he said we would get came true. He set us up with super reliable venues and hand picked our guide. He was smart, clear and so full with info on every animal and bird. We chose to fly to South Tanzania and Ben actually met us at the airport to assure there was no confusion. Seamless, hassle free, super high quality. These characteristics were just what we want when spending a lot on travels in a maze of questionable operators! THe best we could have dreamed for.
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.
Email Carol B. | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Reliable, efficient when planning/booking the trip while listening to our wants and delivering!
E-Trip was very transparent in cost and a very trustworthy company. We booked a wide arrange of destinations with several different types of accommodations with our requests and with their suggestions and guidance. Our safari drivers were very informative and accommodating. Everything was upfront and detailed in the itinerary. They were able to book us our Kigali city tour and Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda and 3 safaris in Tanzania. They also setup flights and transportation to and from the airports for us within the countries. I couldn't have been more pleased with my adventure in Africa with E-trip Africa.
Email Jeff | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
8 day Kilimanjaro and 10 day safari
Fantastic experience. They coordinated both my solo trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho route as well as a 10 day group safari afterwards. Aurelie and Ben were responsive via email with answering questions prior to the trip and made some very valuable recommendations that made the trip even better.
The support crew for the successful trek, led by the guide Ignas, did a great job and I couldn't have asked for more. Everyone was very friendly, supportive and hard working.
For the safari our guide David was amazing. We started calling him the animal whisperer as he seemed to know where the animals were going to go before they did. He always seemed to know exactly where to drive or park the vehicle to get the best view of the animals.
ES
Email Eva | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Helpful and reliable
Ben was extremely helpful and patient trying to accommodate all our requests during the preparation of the trip. Our guide, David, was excellent: good driver, wise guide, and enjoyable company.
The car was in good condition, although we had a small problem with one of the tires.
The lodges and tented camps were correct and very convenient, in good locations. The Researchers' Rest in particular is an unpretentious B&B which had everything we needed for our first night in the country, comfortable and very good value.
The safari was short and well optimized. David planned every day carefully and helped us to identify the animals and birds we found. He really enjoys his job and makes it enjoyable for the customers!
When we returned to Arusha at the end of the safari Ben took us to the rental company where we had booked a car, and made sure everything was in order before leaving us.
We find it very important to find someone reliable in a country like Tanzania, which is not easy for independent travelers. And the staff of E-Trip Africa are reliable people.
The only reason to give 4 stars instead of 5 is that we found the package a little overpriced, and we didn't liked too much the tented camp in Serengeti (Nieleze), although this is not E-Trip fault! Apart from that everything was really good.
Email Cara | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
You can count on E-trip
E-trip consists of a couple who live in Arusha. With such a small operation you get to know the people well and get excellent service. We exchanged dozens and dozens of emails planning the trip. They answered every single question we asked. They made us feel comfortable and prepared for our first trip to Africa. When we had a hiccup with an airline (NEVER fly Precision Air) Ben was immediately in action on the phone trying his best to help us with Precision customer service. It was great to have someone to call whenever you needed help. E-trip offered competitive pricing and was the only company we spoke to that provided a detailed break-down of costs, which we appreciated because we knew what we were paying for.
We got to meet the E-trip family when we stayed at J&J Guesthouse. They live upstairs and the bottom floor, a very nice, British style home, is a bed and breakfast, where you can also eat dinner with the other guests. We got to talk to the other guests about their trips and we were able to talk to Ben about our trip and ask any questions we had about the upcoming safari. The house and grounds were very nice and we enjoyed staying there. The home-cooked meal was very good.
We spent almost 1 week in Uganda with our guide Milton. He is the best guide you could wish for. He speaks very good english and so we were able to learn a lot about the culture and the parks. He took very good care of us. We did chimp trekking as well as gorillas, which is not to miss. We highly recommend going to Uganda, because of the wildlife and culture, but also because Milton took such good care of us and was so interesting to talk to. In addition, he is passionate about animals and the environment and has worked at the National Parks. Your guide is with you about 12 hours a day and is critical to a successful trip. Make sure to tip well. They work so many hours and give such great service.
Our guide in Tanzania was David. David has been a guide for 20 years and so he knows the parks very well. The wildlife distribution depends on the time of year and he knows exactly where to look for each animal. If we were self-driving we would have seen 10% of what we saw with David. He stopped for as long we wanted for any animal. As soon as we stopped he turned the car off so we could take good photos.
Amazing trip. We will be sending our friends to E-trip.