Introduction Lamu travel guide

Lamu travel guide: The golden sunsets, palm-fringed beaches, calls to prayer, white plastered Swahili villas and bougainvillea blanketed terraces…that is one enthralling island to mention the least.

Rich in records as a former buying and selling put up and overflowing with Swahili culture, Lamu is a tiny fishing village island that rests simply off the coast of Kenya.

Lamu ocean

It’s fortuitously nonetheless an area now no longer closely marked via way of means of tourists (ordinarily due to the fact it’s form of a trouble to get to), and has solidly secured its spot as certainly considered one among my pinnacle five locations to go to inside Africa.

Getting There

Lamu is one of these foreign places that takes a few more planning, effort, and persistence to get to. Especially in case you are touring in from outdoor of Kenya. You’ll handiest be capable of get entry to it from inside Kenya, so you’ll want to plot to at the least byskip thru Nairobi to get there.

Lamu travel guide/photo

Once there, it’s quite smooth to trap anyone of the various flights that go away from both Jomo Kenyatta Airport (NBO) or Wilson Airport (WIL) daily, normally with a brief prevent in Malindi – ensuing in a flight time of simply beneath hours.

Flights additionally go away from Mombasa (MBA), touchdown in Lamu simply forty five mins later. While I can’t in my opinion vouch for it, I trust it’s additionally viable to get there through bus from Mombasa or Malindi.

However, I become informed the roads may be very rough, so I could suggest incredibly flying instead.

Things to do

  • Festivals and religious celebrations
  • Beaches and watersports
  • Shela and Matondoni
  • Lamu Old town
  • Swim to Manda Island

Where to stay

  • Banana House: This is where we stayed and I absolutely loved it. Our Swahili-style room was lovely, the pool is gorgeous, the surroundings are beautiful and homely, plus they have an onsite yoga studio.
  • Jua House: A lovely and tasteful Swahili-style b&b in the heart of Shela, near Banana House.
Pilau and salad(kachumbari)
  • Peponi Hotel: The Peponi Hotel is a Lamu institution, perfectly positioned overlooking the bay with a gorgeous pool and a popular restaurant.
  • Amani Lamu: A beautiful villa in the sand dunes behind Shela. This place hasn’t opened yet, but it’s owned by a girl I follow on Instagram and you can check it out here.
  • Dudu Villas & Lamu Backpackers: If you’re on a budget, check out this hostel. It’s a little walk from the main part of Shela, but rooms start from around $8 so you can’t really complain!
foods available at the hotels
  • Lamu Town

    • Makubwa House: This is a lovely hotel, located in the Centre of the old town.
    • Jambo House: Budget accommodation in the heart of Lamu Town.
    • Lamu House Hotel: Lovely hotel is located on the waterfront. They have a nice pool and restaurant (Moonrise Restaurant) which is a popular meeting spot. I didn’t eat here but it gets good reviews.

    Manda Island

    • The Majlis Resort: The most luxurious hotel around, located right on the beach, overlooking Shela. Perhaps visit the restaurant for a special treat, even if you don’t stay.
    • Diamond Beach Village: This is a family-run eco-lodge, also located right on the beach, along from The Majlis Resort. This is a good choice that won’t break the bank.
Lamu foods

Best Time to Visit

Like the relaxation of the Kenyan coast, Lamu Island has tropical weather with excessive temperatures and masses of humidity all 12 months round. The freshest and maximum humid time of 12 months is the January to March dry season.

The July to October dry season is barely cooler and is an extra great time of 12 months to tour for people who don’t do properly in excessive heat. The lengthy rains close from April to early June and are excellent avoided.

Read Also: Mombasa travel guide

The quick rains (from November to December) may be an incredible time to tour due to the fact precipitation generally takes the shape of quick, sharp thunderstorms with brilliant sunshine in between. Rates for excursions and lodging are inexpensive at the moment of 12 months, and there are fewer tourists.

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Sabina Kamene