Why we started Eritrip
Our journey began with a simple vision: to create meaningful experiences that connect people with the beauty and culture of Eritrea. We believe in authentic travel that respects local communities and preserves natural wonders for future generations.
About the Designer
Eritrip was founded by Daniel Abbay, a London-based designer born in Ethiopia to Eritrean parents, and raised across East Africa and the UK. With over 20 years of experience in visual design, branding, and cultural storytelling, Daniel’s work is shaped by both his heritage and his global journey. Inspired by design pioneers like Harry Beck, creator of the London Underground map, Daniel applies clarity, structure, and emotional depth to how Eritrean geography and culture are experienced.
In a world where most travel guides and cultural materials about Eritrea were created by outsiders, often bulky, inaccurate, or disconnected from everyday life, Daniel saw an opportunity. Not just to correct what was missing, but to reclaim and reimagine our culture through Eritrean eyes.
What began as a pocket-sized travel guide has grown into Eritrip, a collection of beautifully designed tools that includes maps, posters, apparel, and a family board game. Each product is made to help people rediscover who they are, where they come from, and how Eritrean identity lives on across generations, continents, and time.
Eritrip is about pride, reconnection, and belonging and we’re honoured to welcome you into the journey.
The Start of Journey
The Evolution: A Board Game is Born
In 2025, Eritrip took a new shape, inspired by family game nights, my children, and a desire to help young Eritreans learn about their heritage in a fun, screen-free way. The Eritrip Board Game was born: a playful, educational, non-digital experience designed to spark conversations, teach geography, celebrate culture, and bring people together. Alongside it, we launched more posters and cultural tools, each one designed to make Eritrean heritage visible and interactive.
Rebuilding and Expanding the Vision
When the world shifted during the pandemic, so did my focus. I returned to Eritrip with fresh energy, not just to reprint the guide, but to expand the product line. I began designing new T-shirts that expressed pride and identity, and introduced language posters featuring the Ge’ez alphabet, aimed at helping diaspora families keep the language alive. The mission deepened: Eritrip would not just help people navigate Eritrea, it would help them hold onto it.
The Starting Point
By 2014, the Eritrip travel guide was completed. We launched it through Mosob, shared it on WhatsApp, sold it on Amazon, and introduced it at community events — including the 25th Anniversary in Bologna, Italy and Sweden. The response was encouraging, and for a time, momentum grew. But as life unfolded and challenges came, Eritrip slowed — though never disappeared.
A Personal Turning Point
In 2011, after years of working and serving the community, I travelled to Eritrea to rest and reconnect. My last visit had been in 1997, and I wanted to explore the country alone, with fresh eyes. As someone who loves travel and collects guides, I searched for something to help me navigate Asmara and beyond. What I found was limited and outdated. That's when I met Tedros, a remarkable gentleman who became a close friend and played an instrumental role in Eritrip’s birth. Tedros sourced guides, researched routes, and even carried out mystery shopping tasks, visiting cafés, hotels, and restaurants to evaluate service. His efforts helped build the foundation of the Eritrip guide. Additionally, Desta Haile, whose beautiful writing and editing helped shape the content into something truly meaningful. Eritrip wouldn’t exist without their contributions. That same year, I met my wife, a personal chapter that made 2011 not just a turning point for the brand, but a profound moment in my life.
The Foundation at Mosob
Eritrip’s roots go back to Mosob, the family-run Eritrean restaurant we opened in London in 2004. Mosob was more than a restaurant — it was a living celebration of Eritrean culture. Our guests came not only to eat, but to experience Eritrea: from the music and traditions to conversations about our history, and even having their names written in Ge’ez script before they left. It was in that space — between food and storytelling — that the idea for Eritrip quietly took shape.
Meet our team
Henry Otim
Project Manager
Fieven G. Tewelde
Adminstrator