Lamu

East Africa's oldest Swahili town: a car-free UNESCO-listed stone town of donkeys and dhows, plus Shela Beach.

Lamu lies in the Lamu Archipelago off Kenya's northern coast, near the Somali border. Lamu Old Town, on the main island of Lamu, is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. There are no cars: people get around by donkey, on foot and by dhow, and life moves at a very slow pace. There are three main areas: Lamu Old Town (Lamu Fort, the museums, the waterfront promenade and the mosques); Shela village and its 12 km beach at the island's southern end, the place for boutique guesthouses and sunsets; and, across the channel, Manda Island (the airport, the Takwa Ruins and snorkeling at Manda Toto), with the more remote Pate Island to the north. It's hot year-round; Jul–Mar is the dry season and the best time to visit, while during the long rains (Apr–Jun) most resorts close. The southern monsoon blows strongly Jun–Aug, so check sea conditions before heading out on the water. Arrival: fly in a small plane from Nairobi or Mombasa to Manda Airport (about 1–1.5 hours), then take a 10-minute boat ride to the town jetty. The overland road via Malindi carries security risks and is not recommended. Allow 3–4 days. Note: this is a Muslim community, so cover shoulders and knees in town, and avoid eating and drinking in the street during the day in Ramadan. Boat fares are per boat, so agree on the price first. Before you go, check your government's travel advisory for northern Lamu County, and use a reliable guide for trips to Pate Island and beyond.

Top sights

• Lamu Old Town – The best-preserved Swahili stone town in East Africa and a World Heritage Site, where donkeys and pedestrians are the only traffic in the n…
• Shela Beach – A white sand beach stretching about 12 km southwest from Shela village, backed by tall dunes. It is quiet and the water is warm.
• Lamu Dhow Sunset Sail – Watch the sunset over the Lamu Channel aboard a traditional triangular-sailed wooden boat. You can add grilled fish and snorkeling on board…
• Lamu Fort – An Omani-style stone fort built between 1813 and 1821, once used as a prison and now a museum and the town-centre square.
• Lamu Museum – A museum in a former 19th-century British colonial residence on the seafront, showing Swahili culture, carved wooden doors and ivory horns.
• German Post Office Museum – The first German post office in East Africa, opened 1888–1891, recording Lamu's brief German colonial history.
• Swahili House Museum – A restored 18th-century merchant's house showing traditional Swahili domestic layout, wall niches and a wedding bed.
• Riyadha Mosque – A religious school and mosque founded in the late 19th century, and the centre of the annual Maulidi festival celebrations in East Africa.
• Lamu Seafront – A seafront strip on the east side of the old town, with a jetty, cafés, seafood stalls and moored dhows lined up in a row.
• Lamu Donkey Sanctuary – A donkey clinic run by a British charity, where you can learn about the lives of Lamu's 3,000 donkeys.
• Shela – A small white village at the southern tip of Lamu Island, home to boutique guesthouses and a Friday Mosque with an unusual conical minaret.
• Manda Island – An island across the water from Lamu with the archipelago's only airport, quiet beaches and secluded beach resorts.
• Takwa Ruins – The ruins of a 15th–17th-century Swahili town on Manda Island, with a great mosque and pillar tombs hidden in the woodland.
• Manda Toto Island – A small island off the outer side of Manda Island, surrounded by coral reefs and fish, and the most popular snorkelling spot in the Lamu ar…
• Matondoni – A fishing village on the northwest of Lamu Island, famous for hand-building and repairing traditional dhows, and reachable by donkey.
• Kipungani – A quiet village at the southwestern tip of Lamu Island, known for palm-leaf weaving and remote, empty beaches, with few visitors.
• Pate Island & Siyu Fort – The largest island in the Lamu archipelago, home to the ancient ruins of Pate Town and the 19th-century Siyu Fort, and little touched by to…

Where to eat

• Peponi Hotel Restaurant – A long-standing seaside hotel restaurant in Shela village facing the Lamu Channel, known for fresh seafood, sushi and s…
• Mangrove Restaurant – An affordable Swahili eatery on the seafront of Lamu Town, serving mandazi with milk tea in the morning and biryani and…
• Moonrise Restaurant – A popular restaurant on the seafront of Lamu Old Town, serving Swahili and international dishes; at dinner you can watc…
• Lamu Floating Bar Restaurant – A raft bar floating on the channel between Lamu and Shela, reached by boat; a distinctive spot for watching the sunset…

Itineraries

• Swahili Coast: South to North – Travel from south to north visiting Diani, Mombasa, Watamu, and Lamu to experience pristine beaches and historic towns.