Lamu accommodation

Bahari Guest House, Shela Village Lamu Kenya coast

Bahari Guest House is a similar property to Stopover Guest House. Situated near the jetty in Shela, just around the corner from the Peponi Hotel, and a short walk away from Shela Beach. A local guest house, with downstairs café/restaurant serving seafood, Swahili dishes and fresh juices or soft drinks.    

The cheapest rooms are located at the back of the guest house, and do not have a sea view, other rooms have balconies and view of the sea, and there is a top floor room with sea view for which there is an extra charge. All rooms have mosquito nets and bathrooms, but no hot water.    

Accommodation is simple and basic and recommended for guests who prefer budget accommodation with the advantage of being on the sea front and near the beach.

Banana House - Lamu Kenya coast

Banana House is situated in Shella in Lamu, about 50 metres from the sea. It has a large walled garden, with fantastic views of the dunes, the sea and the village. It is a 4 minute walking distance from Peponi Hotel and in a quiet area.

Banana House and Banana Wellness and Yoga Centre in Shela Village, Lamu, comprises two private houses which have evolved into a friendly 'Bed & Breakfast' alternative in Shela.

Rooms and living areas are, like all Retreats, simply and tastefully furnished in the classic Lamu Swahili style combining sumptuous Arabic elements with cool, clean surfaces and treasures combed from Lamu's beaches. You can either rent a room, a floor or the whole house.

On the ground floor, there are three (3) bedrooms, which can all be interconnecting and share two (2) bathrooms, making these ideal for families with young children if required. The four (4) first floor bedrooms are all ensuite, with hot water showers, and lead off the airy, covered dining area and living area with a sunbathing deck. The top floor boasts a private penthouse with double bedroom, private dining facilities, and veranda with sun-beds which are equally ideal for star-gazing and moon-bathing

Small Banana House is in the same garden and has a lovely ground floor apartment (1 bedroom/bathroom with separate toilet) and sleeps comfortable 2 but it can sleep 4 (using the living room). The house has direct access to the garden and has a very intimate atmosphere. The rooftop is also like an apartment with 1 bedroom, terrace, dining, swing-bed and the rooftop with benches to gaze at the stars.

Both houses are simple decorated with taste.

Baytil Ajaib Lamu Kenya coast

Wealthy Arab merchants dominated the Swahili Culture through business, religion and social structure for over 2,000 years. The wealth of these merchants was manifested in the palatial town houses they lived in. Baytil Ajaib (The House of Wonder) is one such structure. The restoration completion coupled with the furnishing of the interior with authentic Swahili furniture allows the discerning traveller to bathe in a splendour that has long since been forgotten.
    
Baytil Ajaib (The House of Wonder) has been painstakingly renovated over the last 8 years by affable owner, Paul Weaver, who has divided the original Swahili town house into a series of suites and double rooms whilst managing to lose none of its original splendour.

Baytil Ajaib offers 2 double apartments and 2 double suites. All apartments and suites have their own private bathrooms. There are also scattered seating arrangements in Baytil Ajaib for those that may want to curl up and read in some other part of the house.

Baytil provides a flexible service and for those who want to get in on the action they can help arrange the menu. The dining hall is on the ground floor. And of course for those who can't quite make it to the breakfast table, can have it served in their room.

Chale Paradise Island - Lamu, Kenya Coast

Chale Paradise Island hotel is located 55 kilometres from the Lamu Airport, it boasts of 55 guest rooms with fans. The hotel has 2 restaurants, one international and one Japanese. Further amenities include a bar, swimming pool, volley ball, billiards, a boutique, beauty parlour and watersports.
 

Fatuma’s Tower and Yoga Centre, Shela Village Lamu Islands Kenya

Fatuma's Tower and Yoga House is a three stories building built of thick coral walls with high ceilingis located in the sleepy fishing village of Shella on the island of Lamu. Fatuma's Tower was last occupied a hundred years ago by a Swahili noble woman named Fatuma Abu Bakar who lived in this sanctuary attended by five female slaves until the end of the 19th century. Over time, all the floors of the building and most of its walls fell to the ground.

Fatuma’s Tower has been reconstructed to have four double rooms with washrooms (and hot water) and two singles sharing a washroom. All rooms are furnished in the traditional Swahili style with tasteful wooden furniture. Bed linen, mosquito nets, house towels and fans are provided and there is a safe for valuables. The rooftop terrace reached by narrow stairs has a panoramic view of Shela, the dunes and the sea. Here you can meditate or gaze at the night sky of brilliant stars and changing phases of the moon.

Fatuma's Tower and Wellness Center has a yoga practice hall where the slanted window construction form perfected by the old mosques prevents the entry of direct sunlight and keeps the hall cool and together with traditional Swahili plasterwork gives the whole building an immediate feeling of serenity and calm. There are two regular Yoga classes daily.

Jambo House - Lamu Kenya

Jambo House is located just three minutes walk from the Town Square and Lamu Fort

Jambo House is a small guesthouse with only 5 rooms: (2) self-contained, (2) with outside bathroom/toilet (private/not shared) and (1) with integrated shower but outside toilet (private/not shared).    

Breakfast is served on the rooftop terrace with a good view of Lamu Town. There are also sunbeds available to relax. Part of the house is connected to solar power. The owner, who’s also staying here will make your stay as comfortable as possible.

Jannat House - Lamu Kenya coast

Jannat means paradise in Arabic. The hotel is situated in the old town of Lamu. The beaches are not far from the property. The house dates from the 18th century and was originally built as a merchant´s house, although today it has modern style upper floors. This small hotel is steeped in history, having been owned by the famous Muawiya family, descendant from the uncle of the Prophet Muhammed.

Jannat House has 16 bedrooms mainly doubles and a total of 35 beds altogether, original Swahili style with typical furniture, 5 terraces some with sea view, swimming pool, good JAVA coffee, bar and restaurant. Jannat is a hotel that offers you the ultimate experience of relaxation, adventure and exotic Swahili lifestyle. It is a perfect place for professional and personal retreat.

There is an atmosphere of silence and peace which makes Jannat House the perfect place for relaxation. The hotel has no air-condition nor glass windows, as the soothing wind from the Indian ocean is quite effective. There is cold and
warm water (no hot water ). There is no TV or telephones in the rooms.

Cuisine in the restaurant is influenced by the Swahili flavour, characterized by coconut milk and Arabic spices. The restaurant maintains a smart-casual dress code for dinner. A la carte and barbecue dinners are common. Some rooms have been recently renovated and are small but of higher standard than the old rooms. Some rooms are self contained, others share bathrooms.

Kijani House Hotel - Lamu Kenya coast

Kijani Hotel is located in the village of Shela, on the island of Lamu – just off the Kenya Coast in a 3,000 sq. metres of tropical garden with two fresh water swimming pools. Kijani Hotel Lamu has 10 rooms spread throughout the garden into three small separate traditional Swahili buildings which formerly were private homes.

Two aquamarine pools glow gently in the shade of giant kunazi trees, small tables and beach chairs lie in the shade of a profusion of different species of palm trees, and flowering flamboyant and yellow oleanders branch out over large terraces that face the ocean. ‘Kijani’ means green in Kiswahili, at once invoking the colour of Islam, the small hotel’s verdant gardens, and new growth.

Swiss owner Pierre Oberson created Kijani House to revive the tradition of stone Swahili houses and create an authentic retreat for visitors looking to experience Lamu’s past. It took Pierre more than ten years to rebuild the hotel from the ruins of three old houses, and he used only traditional methods and materials in the restoration.

Kijani’s rooms and gardens are filled with antiques or handmade replicas of the furniture, lanterns, ornaments, and utensils that graced the stately houses of Lamu’s past. Copies of Old Portuguese lanterns hang from white archways. An arrangement of ceramic water pots stand – used to carry oil and water aboard ships centuries ago – stand under the shade of a palm tree. Members of the village even borrow Kijani’s ceremonial chair, crafted from hardwood and wickerwork on the nearby island of Siyu, for weddings and special occasions.

Kipungani Explorer – Kipungani Bay, Lamu Island Kenya coast

Kipungani Explorer is situated at the end of a deserted 12 kilometers crescent beach on the southerly tip of Lamu Island, off the northern coast of Kenya. Kipungani sits in a natural watershed on the edge of Kipungani Bay, where the protected mangroves of Kipungani Creek meet the ocean - and the start of a deserted 14-kilometre beach.

Kipungani Explorer – Kipungani Bay, Lamu Island is managed by the Heritage group of hotels and overlooks a deserted 14-kilometre beach on the South-western tip of Lamu Island.

Kipungani Explorer is a dream destination for those seeking a true desert island holiday, in a secluded location. Kipungani Explorer in Kipungani bay Lamu island has 14 chalets which are well secluded and shaded by palm trees. Chalets are constructed entirely from local materials, with grass floors and thatch roofs woven by the neighbouring villagers. The large interiors are a picture of rustic simplicity, with giant king-size beds and furniture all hand-made from local woods.

Each chalet has an ocean-facing verandah with local sofas and cushioned chairs. Amenities include freshwater showers, flush toilets and separate dressing areas with wash basins. Beach-facing lounge and bar are furnished for complete relaxation. The dining room sits in a small tropical garden with an adjoining library. In front of the building is a horizon-touching saltwater pool. There is also a gift shop, bottled water and mosquito repellent in all chalets and early morning coffee/tea served on the verandah.

Kiwayu Safari Village in Lamu Kenya coast

Kiwayu Safari Village is near Lamu on the Kenya coast and has eighteen private beach bandas positioned along a private stretch of beach, each decorated in the traditional Swahili style of palm thatch and woven matting floors. Each banda at Kiwayu Beach Lodge comprises of a spacious bedroom with a dressing area, twin basins and a shower. To the front, each banda has a private veranda where you can gaze out over the bay from the comfort of your hammock.

Kiwayu Safari Village accommodates a maximum of 36 guests can stay in 18 spacious and beautifully decorated local-style cottages (bandas) spread out along the shoreline. Every room is furnished with a Super king-size bed surrounded by a turquoise mosquito net. It is simple, spacious and well furnished with different sitting areas and tables - with many options for that all-important siesta.

These bandas are designed to blend into the dunes - no concrete, no nails, nothing to jar the senses. The dining room and bar are also built in the local Bajuni tradition with palm-thatched roofs and woven matting floors, all open-sided to the beach.

Seafood cuisine including an abundance of fresh crab, lobster and fish. The bar is stocked to international standards. Wind surfing equipment is available, with expert instructors for beginners. Laser sailing in the bay is exciting and water skiing, in the calm sea protected by Kiwayu Island, is available on request

The beach and marine environment at Kiwayu are spectacular and remote. The beaches stretch for miles in both directions from the lodge, and can be explored on foot with a local guide or by sailing a traditional dhow up the coast - perhaps with a picnic lunch on board and a cool-box full of drinks. The region behind the lodge is also worth exploring, with hundreds of kilometres of uninhabited bush stretching out behind the sand dunes.

Kizingo Hotel - Lamu Kenya coast

Kizingo lodge is situated at one end of a spectacular 12-kilometre beach that stretches from Kizingo (which means 'the point’ in Swahili) to the fashionable village of Shela in Lamu.

Kizingo has eight very spacious bandas with high-pitched thatched roofs and shaded balconies right on the beach. Each has a large double bed romantically draped with mosquito netting and comfortable chairs for lounging. Bamboo screens unfurl to give complete privacy. The en suite bathroom is well appointed with a flushing toilet, hot water shower, wash basin and dressing area.

Guests can be as private or as social as they wish, opting to enjoy fine dining on the balcony of their banda or join other guests in the bar and the dining room with their magnficent views across the bay to mainland Kenya where giant baobab trees spread into the brilliant blue sky.

Lamu Palace Hotel, Lamu Kenya coast

The Lamu Palace Hotel is located in the center of Lamu right at the sea. The Hotel has three floors; the ground floor contains a restaurant, a Pizzeria and a Bar, the first and second floor holds the hotels' rooms while the third floor has a Parlor and a beautiful terrace equipped with sun beds crowns the hotel.

The hotel has a total of 22 rooms. All the rooms are well ventilated with air conditioning and fans. Four of them are superior rooms with sea view and one is a suite.

The hotel offers a restaurant which is set on an external veranda with sea view, serving Italian, Swahili and international cuisine. the hotel has a bar, which is one of few places that is licensed to sell spirits in Lamu. Happy hour is every day between 6PM and 7PM with a 30% discount on all drinks. The reception has a fridge which serves as a bar when the normal bar is closed.

Mkoko House - Lamu Kenya

Mkoko house is built on nearly one acre of land set 5 minutes walk from Manda beach on Lamu island. Mkoko House is situated on the edge of the mangroves in a quiet and peaceful setting on Manda Island.

Mkoko House offers accommodation in three en-suite double bedrooms with mosquito nets draped over the beds and fixed on to the shutters to keep the mosquitoes and other annoyances at bay.    

On first floor is the first en-suite double bedroom (Nyota (Star) room) and to the left is a living area with a Baraza covered in cushions and pillows to relax on. Off this living area, you will find the second en-suite double bedroom - Mbuyu (Baobab) room with a terrace looking onto the back garden. The kitchen, also on the ground floor, is fully equipped and opens onto an outside cooking area which can also be used for preparing meals.    

Upstairs are hammocks, seating corners, a Lamu bed to nap on, and another dining table to enjoy your meals with the splendid views. There is also a separate bathroom off this room for anyone who wishes to sleep in this room. Up on this floor you also find the third and largest en-suite bedroom (Mkoko- Mangrove- room). Outside the room is another Baraza with cushions. This particular area is roofless and so is a perfect place to sit and enjoy the incredible Manda night skies filled with stars.    

A second flight of stairs will take you up into the Makuti roof to the final floor – another open floor with hammocks, mattresses, and cushions organised exclusively for relaxation. This floor offers the best views in the house and allows one to look across the island’s extensive mangrove ecosystem, the sea, and the plains of acacia and baobab trees.    

Eco-Friendly Water and Electricity - As there is no fresh water and electricity on the island, the house has a large tank to collect rainwater during the rainy season that is then used in the house for all purposes allowing one to take showers as normal. Electricity is provided by 2 solar panels installed on the Makuti roof.

Mkoko house is self catering which means you have the services of the cook. You can choose to do your own shopping or opt to have the staff do the shopping and keep a record of the expenses. Fresh dairy products, meat and chicken are difficult to find in Lamu. Luxury foods and drinks should be brought with you or bought in Nairobi.

Msafini Guest House - Lamu Kenya coast

Msafini Guest House is a large tall building offering simple, clean accommodation, located in Shela Village, a few minutes from Shela Beach. The hotel is situated in such a location that it gives a complete view of the whole village as well as a clear scenery of the Indian ocean and other islands.

Msafini Guest House has a total of 14 self – contained rooms. The ground floor has reception, swimming pool, main kitchen and a public restaurant. Rooms at the Msafini Guest House have overhead fan, mosquito net and private balcony. The fourth floor has one room and a huge open terrace which serve as a “resident only” restaurant. If you want to experience the best of Swahili lifestyle, this is the place to be.

The hotel intends to install solar hot water showers in the near future. 5 of the rooms have a sea view and the remainder of the rooms have a view of the dunes and the pool. The rooftop restaurant and sitting area provides good panoramic views of the village and the sea.

Msafini Guest House has a medium-sized fresh water swimming pool at the disposal of guests who are staying at the hotel. No alcohol is allowed at the hotel. The restaurant serves Swahili, Fish and Seafood dishes and fresh juices.

Peponi Hotel in Lamu Kenya coast

Peponi is a small hotel right at the water's edge in Shela Village - a few kilometres from Lamu Town. Owned and run by the same family who opened it in 1967, the atmosphere at Peponi Hotel is simple, elegant and relaxed.

Peponi Hotel offers Lamu beach holiday 24 superior and standard rooms. Each of the rooms is different from the other and superior rooms are differentiated by their location, size and decor. Five of the rooms are built right on the beach, with private verandas overlooking the sea, while the rest have a combination of ocean and garden views. All the rooms have mosquito nets and overhead fans and are decorated with indoor plants, artwork and Swahili furnishings.

The bar overlooks the ocean and in the evenings the 'table d'hote' and 'a la carte' menus offer some exceptional seafood dishes.

You can engage in a number of activities while staying at the Peponi hotel some of which include snorkeling, windsurfing, PADI scuba diving (beginner to instructor courses between November and March), water-skiing and deep sea fishing. Speed boat charters are also available for anyone wishing to explore the further reaches of the archipelago.

Petley's Inn in Lamu, Kenya coat

This beautiful and historic inn is the oldest accommodation place on Lamu Island. Lined on the waterfront near the museum, Petley's Inn is furnished in authentic Lamu style with a blend of African and Arabic.

The hotel building is a typical 19th century colonial building with balconies and a palm-thatched roof. Ornately carved wood, fascinating artifacts, verandas and terrace come together to create a restful and stylish ambience. It has eleven rooms equipped with air-condition. It offers an open air penthouse, a swimming pool and a popular roof-top bar.

Petley’s is based on bed and breakfast (BB). If you come on half board (HB) or full board (FB), you will have to use the main restaurant at the Lamu Palace which is 400m from Petley’s.

The Majlis - Lamu , Kenya Coast

The Majlis resort is a privately owned luxury beach hotel on Manda Island in the Lamu archipelago off Kenya’s Northern Coast. With a superb beachfront location and breathtaking views over the Ras Kitau bay and Shela village.

The Majlis it offers the perfect setting and the ideal location for barefoot luxury, informal pampering and excellent cuisine.
The Majlis, a boutique hotel offers 25 exquisite deluxe rooms and suites divided into 3 beachfront villas. The rooms, all presented in timelessly elegant Lamu style, are very spacious and offer spectacular views of the beach, garden, swimming pools and the endless Indian Ocean. Air conditioning, highest-quality linen bedding, a roll-down netting, a generous en-suite bathroom, a private veranda, electric fans and a safe complete the luxurious accommodation.
The Majlis restaurant will not fail to impress. Set on an open plan veranda with a panoramic view of the bay, it offers the finest cuisine. Additional state-of-the-art facilities include two bars, two swimming pools and an activity centre, which co-ordinates a wide variety of activities.

The Majlis is a child-friendly hotel that employs nannies, child-friendly meals. Children can also safely swim in the sea or in the pools with pool attendants on duty all day long.