Lamu Island

Lamu Island is a part of Kenya's Lamu Archipelago, and has managed to stay unspoilt and untouched by the mass tourism and development that has hit much of Kenya's coastline . As Kenya's oldest living town, Lamu has retained all the charm and character built up over centuries.

Children play in the narrow streets, Muslim men chat on street corners and women in their black buibui eils busy themselves through doorways. Most houses have a rooftop which is used as a patio - indicative of a society where 'hanging back' and 'catching the breeze' is important. Visitors to the island can stay in one of these Swahili-style Lamu villas where sandy-toed days stretch out into tropical rooftop evenings.

Lamu is strictly Islamic, so be sensitive in the way you dress. There is just one car on the island and it belongs to the mayor so donkeys are the main form of transport as well as dhows and speedboats.

Getting There

Flying is the best way to reach this region of Kenya and there are daily flights to Lamu. The airport is located on the neighbouring Manda Island from where you will be collected by your hotel or lodge and transferred by boat across the channel to Lamu town (10 minutes), Shela Village (20 minutes) or further afield (up to 45 minutes).

What to See and Do

• Walking tour of Lamu old town with a local guide - approx. 3 hours.
• Visit the Museum and Old Fort in Lamu town which have been nicely restored and have some fascinating displays
• Go shopping for beautiful clothes, kanga's and kikoys, leather work, carved wooden furniture, and silver jewellery
• Hang out in the famous Peponi's Bar in Shela Village on the water
• Dhow sailing trips to the Takwa and Manda Ruins on Manda Island
• Snorkelling between the months of November and March when the water clears and the wind drops
• Swim with dolphins form Kizingo between November and March
• Walk the 14 km beach to Kipungani village - the less athletic can hire camels - and have lunch at Kipungani Explorer Lodge
• Kayaking trips into the Mangroves

History

The island has a long history and by the 1500s it was a thriving port, exporting timber, ivory, amber, spices and slaves. When the Portuguese arrived, it surrendered without a murmur and in the mid-1800s it became a subject of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, which nominally controlled the whole coastal strip until Kenya became independent in 1963.

Until the 19th century dawned, Lamu's economy was hinged on slave labour and with the abolition of slavery it declined rapidly. That is until the advent of tourists. In the 1960s Lamu was up there with Katmandu as a hippy hangout and it has since been taken over by a much more sophisticated but still rather bohemian traveller who have bought the old villa's and restored them to their original grandeur.

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