Lamu Island

Lamu Island is a part of Kenya's Lamu Archipelago, and there is one town and three villages on the island. 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. Lamu is strictly Islamic, so be sensitive in the way you dress.

The island is linked by ferry to Mokowe on the mainland and to Manda Island. There is no motorized transport on Lamu Island. The road to Lamu is rough and while there are buses, the journey is tedious. There have also been armed attacks on this road in the past, so make enquiries before heading off.

Flying is the best way to reach this region of Kenya and there are affordable daily flights to Malindi.

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 tourists.

Lamu also has world class hotel touts, who have the persistence of insurance salesmen, so be polite but firm in declining.

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