A Swahili town that
never stopped being one.
Lamu Old Town is the oldest continuously inhabited Swahili settlement in East Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, covering roughly sixteen hectares of coral-stone houses, carved doors and streets too narrow for vehicles. There are almost no cars on the island. Transport is on foot, by donkey or by dhow, and that single fact shapes the pace of everything. Shela, a walk or short boat ride from the town, has twelve kilometres of open beach behind the dunes.
Northern Kenyan coast
Lamu Old Town
Ideal length of stay
Best conditions
Why visit Lamu
Not a preserved ruin. People live and work in these houses, which is what makes it worth seeing.
Donkeys and boats. The absence of traffic changes how the whole island sounds and feels.
Coral-stone walls, inner courtyards and carved doors that are still made on the island.
Twelve kilometres of sand, and usually close to empty even in peak months.
Sailing here is transport rather than a tourist activity, and the boats are still built locally.
Lamu asks you to slow down, and works badly as a one-night stop.
What there is to do
Old Town Walking Tour
A UNESCO World Heritage Site walked on foot, because there are almost no cars on the island.
Dhow Sailing
Traditional lateen-rigged boats, best taken late in the afternoon when the wind drops.
Shela Beach Day
Twelve kilometres of open sand south of the town, and rarely crowded.
Lamu Museum Visit
Swahili material culture, dhow building and the history of the archipelago in one compact collection.
Mangrove Channel Tour
Boat trips through the mangrove channels between the islands, best on a rising tide.
Marine life and wildlife
Dolphin
Bottlenose and humpback dolphin work the reef edge, most often seen on an early boat trip.
Sea Turtle
Green and hawksbill turtle feed on the seagrass and nest on these beaches between March and July.
Mangrove Kingfisher
A coastal migrant that arrives in the mangrove channels around April and stays into the second half of the year.
Dhow Fish
Kingfish, tuna and barracuda beyond the reef, which is what the local dhow crews are actually fishing for.
Crab Plover
An unusual black-and-white wader that roosts on the sandbanks in flocks and breeds nowhere near here.
When to go
The coast runs on two monsoons rather than a dry and wet season. Both have their advantages.
Kusi season
The south-east monsoon. Cooler, breezier and dry, with the best conditions of the year for being outdoors.
Kaskazi season
The north-east monsoon brings hot, still, humid days and the calmest, clearest water for diving.
Short rains
Brief afternoon storms that clear quickly, warm sea and noticeably lower rates.
Long rains
The wettest stretch, with reduced visibility underwater and some hotels closing for maintenance.
Add Lamu to your trip
Lamu is reached by a short flight from Nairobi or the coast, and rewards three nights more than one.