Lamu

Lamu’s multifaceted nature is deeply rooted in its 700-year history of continuous habitation, blending a culture influenced by Bantu, Arab, Persian, European, Indian, and Chinese traditions. Arabian influence is evident in the predominant Islamic religion and the dozens of mosques scattered across the island - the call to prayer regularly filling the humid air as one of the many songs of the island. 

Before venturing here, you should know that Lamu is no Watamu or Malindi- if you are looking for pristine white beaches and crystal-clear seas, this may not be your ideal destination. Nature constantly shapes the ever-changing landscape of the island, teaching acceptance and adaptability, as the possibility for sea activities depends on the wind and tides. The good thing is that, if you trust it, the island will surely find another adventure for you to launch on. 

It all begins in Nairobi - if you have a spare day and only a few experiences to choose, make them the Elephant Nursery, Giraffe Centre & the house of Karen Blixen, an appropriate incipit to your own slice of life in Kenya - and a 1 hour charter flight to the airport, located on Manda Island; a brief boat ride will take you to Shela, where your journey begins.

Curated and contemporary, Shela exudes a modern and sophisticated feel - Its tranquility, relaxed vibe, open spaces, and proximity to Shela Beach, among the best of the island, have made it a buen retiro for an enthusiastic tribe of international expats including Kate Moss, Barack Obama, Princess Caroline of Monaco and Sting. 

There is only one place that we would suggest to start your experience in Lamu: Hotel Peponi, whose name means 'place of the wind' and 'paradise' in Swahili—and paradise it truly is for many delighted guests. In the 1960s, the house was sold to a Dane and German couple who had originally planned to leave Africa after losing their house in the Kenyan Highlands - they decided to stop in Lamu, predictably fell in love, and gave new life to the hotel. Peponi is now the best place to sleep on the island - and to eat, thanks to its sea-front restaurant, serving spicy thai broth, biryani and mango cheesecake to guests basking on the bouganville-decorated terrace. 

The hotel offers several excursions: most feature Lamu's traditional vessel, the dhow, which has traversed the Swahili Coast for centuries, perfect to rent for a sunset sail featuring a delicious aperitivo or to cover the short journey to Lamu House, the oldest and most traditional part of the island. If you crave a half-day blissfully spent on the island’s best sea you can also sail  to Manda for lunch -  both Manda Bay and the Majlis Resort, an island oasis just opposite of Peponi, offer great bathing spots and swahili infused sea-to-table cuisine. As mentioned, it’s more about trusting than planning - excursions are only possible if the tides allow.

Your time on Shela can continue at Banana House. Despite offering delicious, healthy snacks and airy rooms, this serene place is actually named after one of the owners, Banana, husband to yoga teacher and founder of the Lamu Yoga Festival, Monika Frauth. If you want to experience the local yoga scene and practice the way islanders do, this is the place to go - head for a 15 minute stretching stroll from Peponi and enjoy a Yoga class followed by bhajia (dough fritters) and viazi (potato fritters). Balance is key, especially on Lamu.

To rapidly abandon any enduring trace of domestic routine, continue your wellness journey with a massage at Natural Spa: to extend the island scents and vibes back home, you can shop the beauty products they use for their treatments, produced with local ingredients grown in their farm such as moringa and neem tree, papaya and coconut. 

If gift-giving is your (self)love language, the tiny, boho boutiques filling the center of Shella are a must-visit. We highly recommend Aman & Aman Home, owned by South African designer Sandy Nornman - wearing her delicately embroidered clothes will transport you back the island feel even on the cloudiest, busiest of days.

Located just a few minutes north of Shela by dhow or motorboat, car-free Lamu Town stands as the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 for its tight-knit society. 

The architecture beautifully combines traditional Swahili elements—featuring white, thick-walled exteriors adorned with coral and wooden doors—with influences from Arabesque and Indian styles. The streets of the old town are so narrow that only donkeys can traverse them, creating a labyrinth of bustling bazaars, terraces, and benches where locals gather to chat, evoking a Mediterranean vibe where life unfolds predominantly outdoors, fostering effortless interaction between visitors and locals.

Start your visit from the veggie and meat markets are a mandatory stop - here crispy, salty, and sweet scents and flavors harmonize in a sensorial and bustling portrait of the island - it’s a good example of how the everyday life of inhabitants proceeds undisturbed as locals purchase herbs, spices and flowers and visitors amaze at their first taste of a sticky samosa. 

For a peaceful break after the market bustle, head to Whispers Cafè - with an atmosphere as soft as as the name suggests, this beloved spot perfectly puts to use the ingredients of the nearby market in finely mixed juices and smoothies, home made cakes and healthy snacks to enjoy in the palm-fringed courtyard. Once recharged and ready to find your personal talisman from the island, head to the Baraka Gallery, right next to the cafè: a self-defined treasure trove, Baraka specializes in collecting beautiful and unique pieces from across Africa, from hand-carved furniture to exotic jewelry and hand woven textiles. 

As an afternoon activity, we highly suggest the Donkey Sanctuary: together with egyptian-looking cats, donkeys are the most common animal on Lamu, essential companions in everyday life on this car-free island. Since its opening over 30 years ago, this seafront sanctuary has been advocating for their welfare, saving thousands of donkeys which were no longer able to work. 

Our favorite hotel in town is Lamu House - two Swahili homes facing the Indian Ocean, connected by an interior courtyard and beautifully redesigned by architect Urko Sanchez to create a perennial sense of openness. Even if you overnight in Shela, consider staying for dinner: a great place to linger in before heading back is La Banda - try the Swahili curry, featuring fresh coconut milk and spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, and cloves.

Not all Lamu visitors choose to adventure to Kizingo - but those who have decided to visit the wildest, remote part of the island, swear by its detoxing, grounding potential. 

If you identify yourself as an adventurer or simply crave a well-needed detox from the usual hustle and bustle, you’ll find no better place to unwind than the Kizingo Eco Lodge: no technology needed when life serves floating beds made of woven palms and coconut leaves, natural breeze flowing through the windowless bandas, and a sea perfect for snorkeling with dolphins that grace visits shores from October to March. 

Nature is omnipresent at Kizingo - nestled among sand dunes, the lodge has no roads or artificial paths, relies on solar power for its energy, and incorporates local materials such as mangrove wood and palm leaves in its buildings and Traditional thatched makuti roofs. 

If nature seeking made you hungry, head to the restaurant - serving a swahili-inspired menu traditionally cooked over coconut charcoal fire and employing only fresh, local and sustainably sourced ingredients; these include veggies and herbs grown by head gardener Alex and exclude meat or chicken. Fish, yes - if sourced sustainably through line-caught methods by local fishermen, a practice aimed at safeguarding the local fish population.

Any destination features a special place locals suggest to visiting friends - the kind they treasure and want dear ones to know of, as they believe represents the true soul of a place they have grown to love. 

For Lamu, this place is Manda Bay—an unspoiled, secluded location that filters its visitors from the very start. Flights connecting Shela to Temu are usually operated by very small charter airplanes, which not everyone is comfortable with. The privately-owned Manda resorts reward the more adventurous with a quintessential island experience: sleeping in a palm-thatched cottage, with windows open to the susurrous sea and soft white sand dotted with doum palms and coconut trees.

The days are just as enchanting: you may want to explore the 2,500 hectares of protected bushland, spotting monkeys and Cape buffalos - a small herd that Manda Bay has custodianship on -  placidly grazing; or maybe you’d rather kayak in the mangrove forest, admire the ruins of a ninth-century arabic town, or enjoy sailing and fishing excursions on traditional dhow boats. Take some time - in this newly islander spirit -  to visit the newly propagated reef started by the association Ocean Trust, which has chosen Manda as a starting point for their  project to rebuild the coral reefs on the East African coastline. 

To end here our journey on Lamu seems appropriate, as Manda Bay encapsulates the true essence of the island - a multifaceted corner of the world gladly open to visitors and yet fiercely protective of its identity and heritage; to adapt and cherish, with no expectations, is the best way to experience it.