Lamu Old Town

I stayed for two nights in a renovated traditional house along one of the narrow alleyways of the Old Town of Lamu. I enjoyed being woken up by the call to prayer (this is a conservative Islamic society) and having a hearty Swahili breakfast in the morning. Due to the thick walls, my room was quite dark all day, but a breeze and vitamin D (handy for the muslim ladies who in the past weren’t allowed to get out) is provided in these houses by the interior courtyard, open-air sitting areas and a rooftop terrace. It wasn’t easy to get into such a house in the past – there’s a massive wooden front door plus an attached waiting area outside (pictured). Many such houses still exist in the Old Town, often bought by foreigners since they are too expensive for locals (not only the purchase but also the renovations and the upkeep).

I walked the town’s streets many times, once also with a private guide. The starting point is the central square, which lies behind the white ‘Welcome to Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site’ arches and in front of Lamu Fort. The fort was built at the coast, but there is now a block of buildings and a corniche in between on land reclaimed from the sea during the British period. The square is a popular meeting place and there are benches all around for (mostly) men to linger about. 

From here you can walk into …

Ignore my pictures.I tried to get the collage to do LAMU but that didn't work after all so now it's like a Central America facade every town spells out. It should really be "LAME" though.

I flew in from Nairobi which is almost daily. You can also fly from Mombasa and Malindi, with a few other smaller towns as less frequent opens. I was originally going to drive up to see things on the way but the mainland town won't be safe for your car and you'll waste money hiring it for that long anyway, not to mention then drive back down south to return the car. When you arrive by plane you get on a ferry (public is 200sh at 2024 rate) or a private boat for 500 especially necessary if you staying at Shela. Usually a hotel will arrange meetup. Staying at Lamu has several choices. The seafront hotels are a safe bet and they have restaurants too. I stayed at a smaller one that was still clean and spacious. I am not sure I want to recommend staying in Lamu though. As a foreigner you are going to spend more time in Shela as that's where the restaurants are, bars and it's much cleaner. The prices on the island are higher than the rest of Kenya but that seems normal. Shela, by the way, is very touristy with Maasai vendors, boat and motorbike rentals and all the entertainment you are looking for. There is nothing in …

In August 2016, I flew on Airkenya Express from Nairobi to Lamu. I ignored at my peril the admonishment on Airkenya's ticket to only travel with soft-sided luggage. Airkenya apparently runs an ancillary business selling soft-sided luggage to tourists as they immediately offered to sell me a duffel bag, in which I repacked my belongings, and they stowed my hard-sided suitcase until my return. (I ended up donating the Airkenya-branded duffel bag later in my trip to the guide who accompanied me during my visit to Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi, so it was money well spent.) Lamu Airport is located on an island across the channel from Lamu's old town, and ferries await arriving passengers for the 10-minute crossing. I stayed at Subira House, which was built 200 years ago by the governor of the Sultan of Zanzibar (http://www.subirahouse.com). Due to Lamu's proximity to Somalia and some recent incidents, there were very few tourists in Lamu and I was the only guest at Subira House. The highlights in Lamu were wandering around the old town, visiting the Donkey Sanctuary, which works to improve the health and condition of Lamu's principal means of transport (https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/project/lamu), and eating and drinking at Peponi Hotel in nearby Shela village (http://www.peponi-lamu.com).

Other than for its population of 5,000 donkeys roaming the narrow streets among kanzu-clad men and women in flowing buibui robes and 40 mosques, Lamu looks like any other ancient Islamic town. The only motor vehicles in the ancient centre are a Land Rover belonging to the District Commissioner and a tractor owned by Lamu County Council.

Yet Lamu is a Mecca of sorts. More than 20,000 Muslims visit Lamu annually to mark the holy Maulidi Festival that also attracts tourists from East and Central Africa, Europe, North America, the Indian sub-continent and the Middle East every August.

Lamu is an own world, little planet by itself. Time runs slower, the heat forces You to a slower path. The streets so narrow that no car can pass, but still, look out not to be overrun by a donkeytransport. Its like Africa 100 years ago, with some mix in of the 21th century. People of all tribes can be seen in town, if lucky even half bare-breasted Maasai-woman may walk down the beach front, with all her traditionel jewellery around her neck. Bearded black arabs with their "Fez", totally black muslim woman with only their eyes visible and less conservative swahili woman with their colourful dresses add a special touch to street life. Now, in may 2005, there are few tourists and the beach-boys try every trick to get a little busyness off You. Tell them very clear "sitaki" ( I dont want") and then "salama" (go in peace). Dont take a map in Your hand, otherwise You have instantely a crowd of young men arround you offering help, You ount get rid of them! But the ambiance of the town is unique - its the place to shoot those pictures one uses for this expensive high glance calendars, the place where lovers pass hoeny-moon, as we did ....