There are some places I’ve visited that feel like a distant dream. That cannot fully be described - only experienced, no matter how beautifully captured through writing or photography. Lamu is definitely one of them.
Rich in history as a former trading post and overflowing with Swahili culture, Lamu is a tiny fishing village island that rests just off the coast of Kenya. It’s luckily still a place not heavily marked by tourists (mostly because it’s kind of a hassle to get to), and has solidly secured its spot as one of my top 5 places to visit within Africa.
Lamu is a beautiful area in which to escape reality with a beach break! It is perfect for adventurous travelers and holidaymakers who fancy something a little bit different from the experiences offered by other Kenyan destinations. Historically important as a stop on ancient trading routes, Lamu is full of Arab, Chinese, and Portuguese influences, from its architecture to the traditional dhows that are characteristic of these waters. Lamu is certainly off the beaten track, but the effort to reach it is well worthwhile.
The golden sunsets, palm-fringed beaches, calls to prayer, white plastered Swahili villas and bougainvillea covered terraces…this is one enchanting island to say the least.
The locals use the term Lamu Tamu to refer to the vibe of the island and a lifestyle that is sweet, slow, and absolutely beautiful - our stay was all that and more.
Read also: Swahili Culture in Lamu
If you’re contemplating a visit to the Kenyan coast, put Lamu on your radar. Lamu is located on the Kenyan coast, close to the Somali border. It is one of the farthest coastal regions from Nairobi. This region has several Unesco Heritage Sites, including Lamu Old Town. It is the most well-preserved Swahili settlement in the East African region.
Lamu Sunset Cruise Gone Wild! From Storm to Calm | Kenya Dhow Adventure 🌅
Getting to Lamu
Lamu is one of those remote places that takes some extra planning, effort, and patience to get to. Especially if you are travelling in from outside of Kenya. You’ll only be able to access it from within Kenya, so you’ll need to plan to at least pass through Nairobi to get there.
To get to Lamu Island from South Africa, you would fly Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. You can either connect to Manda Airport (Lamu) at JKIA, or spend a night or two exploring Nairobi, and depart to Manda Airport from the small domestic airport, Nairobi Wilson. Flights to Manda Airport depart several times a day from Nairobi Wilson and are pretty affordable, depending on when you’re travelling and how far in advance you book.
Once there, it’s pretty easy to catch any one of the many flights that leave from either Jomo Kenyatta Airport (NBO) or Wilson Airport (WIL) daily, usually with a short stop in Malindi - resulting in a flight time of just under two hours. Flights also leave from Mombasa (MBA), landing in Lamu just 45 minutes later.
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We flew with Skyward Express, and the return flight cost 56,240 KES ($355) for two passengers. You can also fly Safarilink or Jambojet, although Skyward tends to be cheaper.
While I cannot personally vouch for it, I believe it’s also possible to get there by bus from Mombasa or Malindi.
I took a 13-hour flight from New York City to Nairobi which cost about $1,000CAD/$800USD and then a 1-hour flight from Nairobi to Lamu which cost about $100CAD/$80USD. Once we landed, we were taken to our villa by speedboat. Boat rides from different parts of the island are usually 500 KES, around $5CAD/$4USD. Kenya is a tipping culture, so it’s best if you have small bills on you to tip anyone helping you on and off the boat. We tipped between 50-100KES (about fifty cents to a dollar) every time.
Getting Around Lamu
There are no roads on Lamu Island, only alleyways and footpaths, so inhabitants travel on foot or by boat. Donkeys are used to transport goods and materials. Fun Fact: There are no cars on Lamu Island. You’ll see plenty of donkeys, a few motorbikes, many boats, but no cars!
The main means of transport is instead by donkey, which makes adds a certain peace and charm to an already idyllic island. It’s a contagious spirit since there’s a slow, easy-going pace to the island.
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Coming out of the airport, you’ll have to take one of these traditional sailing boats for a short ride to get to your destination. You’ll also take them if you go on any sunset cruises, snorkeling, or to get to any other surrounding islands. Don’t worry about finding a captain to take you, because as soon as you step foot onto any one of the beaches, they will come find you.
Because you’re on an absolutely gorgeous island, at some point you’ll want to go on a sunset boat ride using a dhow, a traditional sailboat, or take a day trip to another island on a speedboat. If that’s your idea of a good time, make sure to plan to pay upwards of 2500KES or $25CAD/$20USD per person for each trip.
You’ll take a lot of dhows.
What to Do in Lamu
Lamu Island, in particular, offers an impressive number of activities. These range from leisurely hikes through the sand dunes, which are ideal for guests who favor a relaxed pace, to motorbike rides all around the island - great for guests who prefer to be speedy!
Nothing. Lamu puts the art of doing nothing to practice and what makes it special is the absence of a typical itinerary. There are of course things to do - you can visit Lamu Museum, shop for incredible hand carved Swahili furniture at Saba Studio, shop for beautiful (though expensive) kaftans at Aman - but the real highlight will come in simply being there. As the Swahili saying goes: “polé polé“ or take it slow. Sit on a rooftop terrace with a cold hibiscus or passion fruit drink, read a great book, drink some amazing coffee, talk to some locals, or just take a stroll around Lamu or Shela Town during the day. As late afternoon approaches, go out on a dhow for a sundowner or any one of the amazing properties like the Majlis. This place is all about ease.
Three days is the sweet spot. Lamu is the perfect island to do little or nothing. I recommend plenty of rest, strolls, and dining out.
Explore Lamu Town
A visit to Lamu Old Town is another exciting excursion. This is one of the oldest and best-preserved of the remaining Swahili towns and as such has been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. The town’s pretty boutiques mix interestingly with its mosques, while the maze of alleyways provides a place you can enjoy getting lost in for hours at a time. Built-in coral stone and mangrove timber, the buildings are famous for their inner courtyards, verandas, and elaborately carved wooden doors.
There is so much history here, so spend at least one morning or afternoon casually strolling around and taking it all in. It feels like a moment frozen in time (quite similar to Stone Town Zanzibar, though much , much smaller), and is worth it if only to observe daily life in the colorful markets and winding alley streets. I’m personally a huge fan of Swahili design, so the architecture here was a real treat. Stop by for any one of the many wood carving workshops happening around town or just grab a quick bite from any one of the street vendors for a taste of local food.
I’m not a huge guided tour person, but I do them when I know I’ll gain more than just walking around on my own-even though I inevitably get tired and bored before it’s over. Despite the caveats, we did enjoy the first 30 minutes of our tour (it lasted two hours), and I would not advise walking around Lamu town on your own (although I did see a few tourists doing this). It’s not exactly a well-mapped-out city, and with the cultural differences, I was afraid to offend or go somewhere I shouldn’t be. Our guide charged us 2000 KES ($12), and the boat ride into the town cost us 1000 KES ($6).
💡 Know Before You Go: We were surprised by how much donkey poop was on the streets of Lamu town. If you’re super sensitive to smells, it might put you off. Also, bring a big bottle of water, especially if you’re visiting in the summer months.
The best part of the tour for me was all the silversmith shops we visited. Pop into as many as you can if you like jewelry. This was the highlight of our trip!
Relax in Shela Town
Two miles south of Lamu Old Town, Shela village has lots of friendly guesthouses and the most spectacular beaches.
Shela is often described as Lamu Town’s prettier, younger sister. Which I think is true, albeit a bit patronizing. It’s where you’ll find more of the high-end properties, where there are more tourists, and where you’ll find some white sand beach. Because the island is so small, it’s just a 45 minute walk along the water to get here from Lamu Town or about a10-minute boat ride.
Visit the Neighboring Islands
Because there’s hardly ever large crowds in this region, the neighboring islands have somewhat of lost in paradise feel.
You’ll have endless miles of white sand beaches to yourself (bring your own food, drinks, everything - don’t expect restaurants or bars to there either), and the chance to go snorkeling or sail through the mangroves.
For 12,000 KES, we took a 60-minute sunset dhow from 5:30 PM till sunset. The price also included snacks (a plate of samosas), and our hotel sent us with a cooler of drinks charged to our room. It was such a relaxing experience, and our captain was just the right amount of chatty. I almost took a nap on the boat.
The Floating Bar in Lamu is a must-visit. We took a dhow to The Floating Bar which faces Manda Island - enjoying a cool drink and watching the sunset with my friends was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Shoutout to Asif, aka Captain I’ll Be Back took us on all of our boat rides between the islands.
Lamu Beaches
I spent one glorious week exploring the beaches of Lamu. From the dunes down to the sea. A pathway from The Solar House to Shela Beach on Lamu Island.
Lamu is a Kenyan archipelago said to have about 65 islands. Most visitors end up staying on Lamu and Manda. These two islands alone have huge stretches of wonderful beach. Manda Toto is a pretty little coral reef island with sandy shores that is normally visited as part of a day trip. The further-flung Kiwayu is one island I totally recommend visiting - but only if you plan to stay overnight for about two nights minimum.
The brilliant news is that you won’t have to stress about which beaches to visit and which beaches to skip in Lamu. Lamu’s beaches are unlike any others I’ve visited along Kenya’s coast. Space. That’s something all the beaches in Lamu had in common. No hordes. No tiptoeing over people’s towels. And much to my surprise, little to no beach boys (anyone familiar with East African coast will be familiar with the presence of beach boys selling their wares on the beaches of Kenya or Tanzania). I visited in December, just a week or so before Christmas and New Year’s - which, on paper, really should have been Lamu’s busiest time. Yet, the beaches never felt crowded. Quite the opposite. There was plenty of space for privacy.
While I absolutely basked in the peace and quiet of Lamu’s beaches, it was clear that this lull brought a different feeling for locals. Many people I talked to shared a quiet dismay at just how slow business had been since Covid-19.
Manda Island and Shela Village (on Lamu Island) are the most convenient islands to stay if you want to be super close to the beach. Lamu Old Town is the only exception since the town isn’t directly near a white-sand beach. For me, Kiwayu Island takes the crown as being the place to stay if you want to base yourself one of the most remote and incredible beaches in the whole of Kenya. However, like I’ve said, Kiwayu is pretty remote.
This felt like the most family-friendly beach in Lamu. Especially as on Sundays, families from Lamu Old Town walk 30 minutes to Shela, gathering near the Peponi stretch of beach for a day of swimming and relaxing. Shela Beach is also perfect for watching the sunrise in Lamu.
Manda Beach gets the sun all day long. For the best views at sunset, walk north, past the Majlis hotel toward Ras Kitau. One thing I really loved about Manda Beach is the natural shade from acacia trees lining the sands. This beach is has to be my own favourite. Mainly because I spent so much time here. We staying at Tanga Nyusi - a bungalow that’s literally on the sands.
Where to Stay in Lamu
There are so many incredible private boutique style villas and resort properties that you can stay in during a visit. Some of my favorites include:
- Rentals & Villas: Forodhani House, Bembea House, Jaha House, Habibti House, Fishbone House, Ndoto House, The Moon Houses, Baytil Ajaib, or Lamu Houses
- Hotels & Lodges: The Majlis Resort, Peponi Hotel, Kizingo Lodge
A bonus to all of these places is that they also have incredible restaurants and/or settings that make them great to come, relax, and hang out in.
We stayed on Shela Island and enjoyed strolling to Peponi’s and other surrounding areas for lunch. Our hotel advised against going out after sundown for safety reasons, so we kept our dinner plans to the hotel restaurant.
I recommend staying on Shela since Lamu Old Town is not as scenic to me. Most of the hotels and nice restaurants are there. We stayed at Kijani Hotel on Shela island, and we loved our time there. The food in the hotel restaurant was reliably good, and when Peponi’s had no crab, Kijani’s crab dishes were available. If you want a more luxurious experience, two other options are Peponi Hotel and The Majlis-the latter is on Manda Island. This means you’ll need to take a quick boat to try out most of the restaurants on Shela.
Pool overlooking Majlis Beach on Manda Island in Lamu, Kenya. The hotel grounds sit just metres from the shore on a portion of Manda Beach. The good news is that the Majlis doesn’t feel overly resort-like, impersonal or detached from the spirit of Lamu.
If your stay on Lamu Island is for more than a week, I would highly recommend that you book a locally-owned villa, especially because most villas come with a cook who will prepare fresh food for you every day. Our villa at Tunusuru House was bright, airy, and extremely comfortable. I want to give a special shoutout to the staff there, especially Mauris, Syria, and Chef Robert for making our stay an incredible one.
What to Eat in Lamu
While the food scene on Lamu is nowhere near as bustling as Nairobi’s (my favorite Nairobi restaurants here), the one thing they do excellently on Lamu is Swahili food. So we gorged ourselves on curries while we were here.
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