A UNESCO World Heritage Swahili town, no cars, only dhows and donkeys. The most atmospheric add-on for a Kenya safari finale, especially for honeymooners and culture lovers.
Step back 700 years
Lamu Island is Kenya's coastal jewel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose Old Town has been continuously inhabited since the 14th century. It's the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa: narrow alleys of carved wooden doors, mosques calling to prayer, dhows building on the foreshore.
Lamu has no cars. Transportation is by donkey, dhow or on foot. Day melts into night to a soundtrack of muezzin and ocean.
What to do
- Wander Lamu Old Town at sunset, UNESCO-listed alleys
- Dhow cruise (sunset, snorkel, mangrove)
- Manda Beach day trip, pristine, empty
- Shela village, the boutique-stay end of the island
- Kiwayu Island trip, uninhabited, pure castaway
- Maulidi Festival (annual, varies by Islamic calendar), one of East Africa's largest cultural celebrations
Where to stay
- Peponi Hotel (Shela), legendary boutique hotel
- Kizingo, eco-luxe on remote Manda Bay
- Forodhani House, historic Swahili houses for rent
- The Majlis, adults-only beachfront
How to get there
Daily flights from Nairobi (Wilson Airport) and Mombasa to Manda Airstrip, then dhow taxi across to Lamu (~10 min, $5).