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East Africa — light - 11 Days (Nairobi, Masai Mara, Amboseli, Moshi & Materuni)

4.1(18 reviews)11 daysStart and end in the trailhead
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Eleven days: the Mara, Amboseli, the Chagga slopes and the reef. The same route on a shared minibus in Kenya with lodges outside the park gates, and Stone Town only in Zanzibar.

Dust & Thorn
Runs this trip
Wildlife & birdwatching
Eleven days: the Mara, Amboseli, the Chagga slopes and the reef
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers

Top Highlights

  • Nairobi National ParkEleven days across two countries: savannah, a mountain and an island, with two flights to make it fit.
  • Rift escarpmentThe last two hours of road are bad and have been for decades.
  • Mara RiverOne full day beats two short ones — you can sit with a hunt rather than break for lunch.
  • AmboseliAmboseli's elephants against Kilimanjaro is the photograph, and the mountain is clear mostly at dawn.
  • Namanga borderFrom Moshi you see the mountain from the other side, and it is closer.
  • Materuni fallsThe Chagga have farmed these slopes for centuries and the coffee walk ends with you roasting and pounding your own.
  • Stone TownStone Town is Omani, Indian, Persian and British in four streets, and you can date a house by its carved door.
  • Old Slave MarketZanzibar was the largest slave market in East Africa into the 1870s and the cathedral was built deliberately on the site.

Itinerary

What's included

Included in the price

Accommodation
  • 10 nights accommodation as listed: hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Flights
  • The Namanga border transfer and the flight to Zanzibar
Transport
  • Shared airport transfer both ways
  • All internal transport as listed: coach, train or shared jeep
Meals
  • Meals listed on each day
Guide
  • Trip leader throughout, 1 guide per 15
Activities
  • All Kenyan park and conservancy fees, which are most of the safari cost
  • A full-day Mara game drive with packed lunch
Permits & fees
  • Mnemba dhow with marine park fee
  • All entry tickets and permits listed in the day-by-day

Not included

Insurance
  • Travel insurance
Optional
  • International or domestic flights to the start point
  • Personal expenses and tips
  • International flights to Nairobi and out of Zanzibar
  • Climbing Kilimanjaro, which is a separate eight-day trip in this catalogue
Additional Services
  • 5% GST and any applicable TCS
  • Most meals
  • Upgrades from shared transport to private
  • Kenya and Tanzania visas
  • Balloon over the Mara

Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.

Where you'll stay

All accommodations are subject to change

Nairobi Hostel

Hostel

Day 1

Masai Mara Hostel

Hostel

Days 2, 3

Amboseli Hostel

Hostel

Day 4

Moshi Hostel

Hostel

Days 5, 6

Stone Town Hostel

Hostel

Days 7, 8

Nungwi Hostel

Hostel

Days 9, 10

What you'll eat

10 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners across 11 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 11.

  • DinnerServed on days 1–5
  • BreakfastServed on days 2–11
  • LunchServed on days 2, 3, 4, 6, 10

20 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking

Operator

Dust & Thorn
4.1 (18)

Based in Arusha

Profile
One other operator runs this tripThe same trip, at their own price, group size and refund window.Acacia Line₹3,94,999See all 2Compare

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Customer reviews

Overall rating
4.1/5
Based on 18 reviews
Review summary
Food
3.9/5
Guide
4.0/5
Itinerary
4.1/5
Transport
4.0/5
Accommodation
3.9/5
Tour operator
4.3/5
Sort by:Recommended
4
A
Arjun Pillai – Ahmedabad2026-05-07 · Verified booking

Excellent sightings and the guides clearly knew the area. Would send friends their way.

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3
A
Ananya Gupta – Bengaluru2026-05-07 · Verified booking

Sightings were thin on our dates, which is luck, but the drives felt rushed. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down.

Reply from Dust & Thorn

Thank you. We've taken the point about the transfer and are reviewing it.

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5
D
Dev Chatterjee – Jaipur2026-05-07 · Verified booking

East Africa was quieter than I expected and the camp was comfortable. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Never went hungry, and the tea appeared exactly when it was needed.

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5
K
Karan Shah – Jaipur2026-05-07 · Verified booking

Early starts, but that's where the wildlife is. Well run. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves. Would book with them again.

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4
P
Priya Nair – Pune2026-05-07 · Verified booking

Excellent sightings and the guides clearly knew the area.

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5
I
Ishita Ghosh – Ahmedabad2026-04-09 · Verified booking

Early starts, but that's where the wildlife is. Well run. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Worth every rupee.

Reply from Dust & Thorn

Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to see you on another trip.

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5
A
Aditi Rao – Kochi2026-04-09 · Verified booking

Excellent sightings and the guides clearly knew the area. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Crew were professional without being stiff about it. Worth every rupee.

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5
S
Sameer Khan – Chennai2026-04-09 · Verified booking

Excellent sightings and the guides clearly knew the area. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it. Would send friends their way.

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Questions people ask

One other operator runs this trip. See all 2 side by side →

₹2,68,599per personNext 6 NovEMI from ₹22,384/mo