CA
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professionals
Mara in june . Seeing big five in 2 days. Ashnil Camp is perfect camp to enjoy.
Good view, room and food .
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Just absolutely fantastic.
Best safari trip I’ve ever been to. Raymond was patient, kind and made you get the most of the trip. We saw everything we wanted and even more. He took good care of us. Couldn’t have asked for any better guide than him. Recommend him the most! 11/10!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
As soon as I am done with the last trip I am already planning my next with eTrip. That says it all.
My first experience with eTrip Africa was my climb up Kilimanjaro in 2013. I went up with Ben Jennings' wife, Aurelie, as I was solo on that trip with guides and our porter crew. The experience I had back then cemented what has become an ongoing love affair with East Africa and the many trips and experiences that eTrip continues to book for me. What sets eTrip apart for me includes:
1) custom designed safaris and experiences. They got to know me, and after a while all I had to do was tell them I was coming back, and I would get a laundry list of selected activities which closely fit the budget I'd given them.
2) Terrific guides: my favorite, Alladin, is also an engineer. His high-wattage brain is only matched by his high-wattage personality. His background in bush hotel management and guiding make him a perfect partner, and I know to request him early as he is much loved by other guests as well.
3) Ben and Aurelie work extremely hard to stay within budget limits but also... Read more let me know when and where an additional investment might make a very big difference in the quality of my time.
4) I get to stay at Researcher's Rest in Arusha, which has become like a second home, a graceful and stately place of tall trees, old woods and fine cooking for a most reasonable price.
5) In Moshi, I get to stay at Stella Maris, a fine hotel whose manager, Teddy Chewa, is also a high-wattage personality. Her hard work at the hotel makes a huge difference for the kids whose education and meals are supported by the hotel revenues.
6) It would be impossible to list all the ways in which Ben and Aurelie have done such a fine job of handholding with me and others not only as we are rookies in Africa, but most importantly as Covid has thrown so much of the travel world into a tailspin. I have learned to count on Ben to always and forever come in right under the wire with a document that I couldn't get in time or a way to fix a mistake on a visa application, or where to find a testing site to get the results just in time. That kind of attention to detail, not my strong suit, is part of why eTrip has earned my trust repeatedly. If I miss a flight, I'm not worried about it. Life happens, and these guys are pros.
7) I appreciate that Ben regularly directs me to operations, people, companies and charities who are doing good things in Africa. My tourist dollars are spent where they can do a lot of good, and I appreciate his passion for the community and the land where he runs his business.
8) I climbed Mt. Kenya with Ben and three of his guides, which gave me a unique opportunity not only to get to know his guides much better but also Ben, and watch how he worked with them. That kind of inside view gave me a whole other level of appreciation for the company, and is why I am planning a second summit attempt.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely fantastic, caring, interesting and all around a great person
We got to see the big 5, very good value for money, very reliable and the tours were so much fun. Truly a once in a lifetime experience!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Attentive and thorough, going the extra mile.
We have used Seven By Far for 5 different trips across Kenya, including the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, and Watamu. Sylvester and his crew are always quick to respond to our requests for options, providing us a good set of options to choose from. Each trip has gone very well, and we have always enjoyed our times. We have benefited from Sylvester's dedication to our experience a few different times when the lodges we were staying at weren't delivering as expected because he will get them on the phone and make sure they give you what you expect (or more!). We also like working with the company because it is Kenyan owned and run, which matters a lot to us!
TR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Personal, professional and perfect really. I couldn't fault them.
White plains safari were able to accommodate for a large number of students l, all of us new to Kenya, across a number of reserves and parks.
From being picked up at the airport we felt welcome and safe and the drivers were great guides through city scape as well as being aptly cautious and dareing during sightings. At first I wanted to stay in the jeep with Charlie for the whole trip but having the opportunity to ride with David and Joseph and others was no less awesome. Would do the whole thing again in a heartbeat.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Luxury Safari stunning setting, amazing wild life
Meagan from discover Africa smashed it! We had a fantastic experience, a once in a life time trip.
Meagan was happy to help with any questions, responded quickly and understood our needs. Although at the top end of our budget, the experience was well worth it, with all the fine details taken care of.
We arrived via a private chartered plane (which I got to have a go of flying!) to a private air strip where our guides were waiting for us.
The accommodation and setting was stunning, on the rivers edge with mountains and wildlife surrounding us. Food was delicious. The staff were super friendly. Activities were well planned and lots of incredible wildlife spotted. We even had an elephant visit our garden!
It was a big expense for our group but it was well worth the spend. We are so happy with the memories we’ve gained and would recommend to anyone who wants a bit of exclusive luxury.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Unforgettable and very informative safari tour
We booked the 4-day and 3 nights Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru mid-range/luxury private safari for two. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience with seeing the Big Five. Daniel, our guide was so knowledgeable and always tried to meet our needs. The price performance ratio was good and organization was fast. We booked the tour just a few days beforehand. We would definitely book that tour again! Asante sana Beacon Safari team!
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Very well organised, prompt communication and good service.
We took the four day safari to Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. It was a great experience, very well organised, the pickup and drop-off from the airport and the accommodation and meals the day before and after make it all a very convenient experience. Nelson was very prompt at answering questions on WhatsApp and before booking, he sent us a clear plan and price and it all went ahead as planned.
We saw lots of animals, our guide had unbelievable eyesight and he was very experienced and spotted animals in the craziest places, which was amazing!! We missed him saying a few sentences about the parks to introduce them but when asked questions he was very knowledgeable. The food was amazing, really tasty, fresh and varied. The vehicle was comfortable and there were plugs to charge phones in both the vehicle and the dining halls of camps.
The reasons this review is 4 starts:
The camps were better than expected, clean tents, clean toilet facilities, most had free wifi and it was... Read more well organised with the chef and camp staff setting everything up for our comfort. However it would have cost little extra effort to make sure that there was toilet paper and hand soap provided and that the sleeping bags and pillows are washed. They were very smelly. Luckily we had a roll of toilet paper in our bag but I can't imagine what we would have done in the middle of nowhere without any. The washing I think is simple and part of basic hygiene, especially when travelling with a limited amount of clothes, you don't want them to be smelly like the sleeping bags.
There was no wifi or hot water in the hostel for the night before and after. Again, we had a sim card so wifi wasn't a massive issue, but I think most travellers would either expect wifi or expect to be warned to buy a sim card. Same with the cold water. On the safari I understand that it's difficult to provide and we kind of expected that and coped. But it would have been nice to know there is none in the hostel either.
Overall it was a great experience and we would book again without hesitation, but these few things are simple to improve and would have a very positive effect.
