Search hotels in Lamu, Kenya

If you've never been to Lamu bear in mind that it is an island, relatively far from Kenya's main infrastructure. The good news is that there is a lovely airport and most of the hotels and houses will arrange passage on a boat from the airport, which sits on an island opposite. If you're a sensitive creature or an American unused to places that are not suburbs then Lamu may be a bit much for you. You walk everywhere, unless you take a boat. The island brims with history, being one of the centers of Swahili culture, with close ties to Oman and India. You can disregard the usual standard hysterical State Department warnings about Lamu. If something bad happens there, it could happen anywhere in Kenya, and Kenya is much safer than most State bulletins make out. Walk the Old Town. Chat with people. Don't get annoyed by the people trying to offer tours and such. Say no politely and they melt away. If they try again say, hapana (NO in Swahili), and smile. Eat the meat samosas, fish and lobster. Those are the mainstays of local food. Lamu House, where we stayed, had very nice breakfasts with surprisingly good coffee! I'd go for a week or two for your first time. Do keep in mind that there are two Lamus-- the UNESCO World Heritage town and the resorts on various islands. I don't know anything about the resorts except Peponi Hotel. It's at the far end of the island, about a 10-15 minute boat ride from the Old Town. Go to the main restaurant by boat one evening. Enjoy the glorious sight of the island slipping by and the vast Indian Ocean sky overhead. Order the most fabulous chicken biriyani you will EVER eat. It's also a very attractive hotel.

Shela is more relaxing and friendly than Lamu. It is a wonderful base to use to explore the wider area, reasonable walking or boating to Lamu and simple to organise trips to Manda. Plenty of eating options, from budget snacks and drinks to top end and walking and getting lost in Shela is such fun, not to be missed!

The people are so calm and kind Swahili food is so good 😊 i loved majlis resort.had food at mangrove and sailors restaurant.you can do a sunset dhow,sail to manda island,sail to kipunguti beach do snorekeling

Very nice town, with a rich culture. We were there for four days and three nights, which was enough for us. The first stay we visited Lamu and walked around and visited the museums, as well as toured the alleys. The second day we did a dhow trip over to the other island and then did the sunset cruise. The following day we wandered through the alleys of Shela and visited the beach. I would go back to visit the reefs and go snorkeling, as they are supposed to be pristine. I thought that Peponi has a fantastic restaurant and matched quality with price. Bahari restaurant was nice for breakfast, but didn't eat their for lunch or dinner. I ate at a couple other hotels for dinner. While their prices matched Peponi's the quality of their food did not. Perhaps for variety, it would be worth visiting the other hotels for meals, but if you are looking for a special meal, I would stick to Peponi's.

Lamu is a very unique place, but not a great place for solo women travellers - you will get a looot of unwanted attention and your personal space will be invaded constantly unless you are walking with a tour guide/ local. Most tourists seems to also spend very little time in Lamu town, but rather hang out in Shela or Manda

Went to celebrate my birthday and it was my first time in Lamu. A simple request to shiban house to make it feel special, ended up being the best birthday surprise ever...Sada thank you, my heart is overwhelmed by how you managed to surprise me 😊. Joseph took excellent care of us and was ready to help us around. I must say, I feel fulfilled even as I have turned a year younger 😂😊😂. Thank you mapenzi too for the awesome breakfast we got every day. Shela is the best place to be in lamu. You can access lamu town easily and learn so much about the history of it, ask for the best knowledgeable guy there called 'sunshine' locally. Its near peponi hostel and majlis resort. Make a point of doing the sunset cruise 😊 . Definately 10/10.