Lamu travel guide – Kenya

Lamu ocean

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.

Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve-Kenya

Watamu Marine National Park

About Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve

Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve is a protected area located on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya, about 140 kilometers north of Mombasa. It was established in 1968 and covers an area of 229 square kilometers, including the fringing coral reef, several small islands, and the adjacent coastal areas.

The park is renowned for its pristine beaches, crystal-clear waters, and diverse marine life, including over 600 species of fish, dolphins, turtles, and whales. The coral reefs are also home to a variety of invertebrates, including anemones, starfish, and sea urchins.

Visitors to the park can engage in a range of activities, such as snorkeling, scuba diving, and glass-bottom boat tours. There are also opportunities to go on guided walks, bird watching, and turtle watching, as well as visit local communities and learn about their traditional ways of life.

The park is managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service, and there are several eco-lodges and resorts in the area that offer accommodation to visitors. The park is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike and is considered one of the best marine parks in East Africa.

How to get there

By Road: Watamu is a hundred and twenty Kms north of Mombasa and 28km south of Malindi.

At Gede, that’s on the primary Mombasa Malindi Road, you switch closer to the Indian Ocean. 11kms from the primary street is Watamu itself.

By Air : Malindi airport is your arrival point.

By Train: The new Standard Gauge Railway, which became these days delivered in Kenya. Makes railway tour very famous in Kenya. You additionally get a threat to by skip through Tsavo National Park at the same time as at the train travel.

Wildlife

There also are Whale Sharks, Manta rays, Octopus and Barracuda as a number of the bigger species withinside the park. Watamu additionally, has one-of-a-kind species of Turtles as a 99% possible sea turtle. A turtle inside the ocean.

Famous Animals

Marine wildlife such as Ganges dolphins, giant crabs, balooga whales and giant leatherback turtles can also be found here. The park is also home to mammals such as jackals, jungle cats and black rabbits.

Best Time to Visit

Watamu Marine Park Due to its proximity to the equator, Watamu is warm all year round. October to April are the best months for diving, snorkeling and fishing. While turtle nesting and hatching is an activity all year round.

Solio Ranch-Kenya

Solio Ranch

About Solio Ranch

Solio Ranch is a privately-owned wildlife conservancy located in Kenya, East Africa. The ranch covers an area of 45,000 acres and is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including the endangered black and white rhino.

Solio Ranch was established in 1970 by Court Treatt, a British Army Officer who settled in Kenya after serving in World War II. In the early days, the ranch was primarily used for cattle farming, but Court soon realized that the land was better suited for wildlife conservation.

Today, Solio Ranch is one of the most successful private rhino breeding reserves in Kenya. The ranch is home to over 250 black and white rhinos, making it the largest rhino sanctuary in East Africa. In addition to rhinos, the ranch is home to a variety of other wildlife, including zebras, giraffes, buffalos, and over 100 species of birds.

Solio Ranch is also involved in a number of conservation and community projects. These include anti-poaching efforts, environmental education programs for local schools, and the provision of clean water and healthcare services to nearby communities.

Tourism is an important source of income for Solio Ranch, and visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, including game drives, guided walks, and bird watching. The ranch has a number of lodges and campsites for visitors, as well as a restaurant and gift shop.

Attractions

Solio Ranch is greater a sanctuary than a sport reserve. The small belongings is definitely fenced for massive animals. Picnic under an acacia on Soloi. Black and white rhino had been added for breeding, and the concentrations of those animals are 2nd to none here. Other flora and fauna consists of zebra, giraffe and buffalo. Antelope species consist of the stately eland, beisa oryx, waterbuck and impala.

Best time for visit

Wildlife viewing at Solio Ranch is ideal any time of the year, however heavy rains can disrupt safari plans. The reserve closes in November.

How to reach there

Solio Ranch is located 180km/111mi from Nairobi, that’s about 3 hours’ journey through car. The simplest manner to get to Solio is to set up a constitution flight to the personal airstrip this is placed 10 mins from Solio Lodge.

It is likewise feasible to take a scheduled home flight from Nairobi to Nanyuki airstrip, accompanied through a 30-minute switch to Solio Lodge. Getting to Nairobi isn’t tough because the town serves because the main gateway to East Africa. International flights arrive in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), 15km/9mi southeast of Nairobi.

Rate

YearSeasonTypeRates
202201 JANUARY – 05 JANUARY, 01 JUNE – 31 OCTOBER, 16 DECEMBER – 31 DECEMBERFamily CottageUS $ 1535
202201 JANUARY – 05 JANUARY, 01 JUNE – 31 OCTOBER, 16 DECEMBER – 31 DECEMBERRoomsUS $ 1150
202206 JANUARY – 31 MAY, 01 NOVEMBER – 15 DECEMBERFamily CottageUS $ 968
202206 JANUARY – 31 MAY, 01 NOVEMBER – 15 DECEMBERRoomsUS $ 845
202301 JANUARY – 05 JANUARY, 01 JUNE – 31 OCTOBER, 16 DECEMBER – 31 DECEMBERFamily CottageUS $ 1689
202301 JANUARY – 05 JANUARY, 01 JUNE – 31 OCTOBER, 16 DECEMBER – 31 DECEMBERRoomsUS $ 1265
202306 JANUARY – 31 MAY, 01 NOVEMBER – 15 DECEMBERFamily CottageUS $ 1065
202306 JANUARY – 31 MAY, 01 NOVEMBER – 15 DECEMBERRoomsUS $ 930