This attractive retreat is formed from a collection of houses set in bright tropical gardens. It offers daily yoga sessions, treatments and courses. The main house, Banana House, has 3 interconnecting en-suite rooms opening onto the garden, 3 en-suite 1st floor rooms with shared terrace and 1 penthouse. ...

On the beachfront of Manda Island, Beach Tower looks across the channel at the attractive whitewashed houses of Shela Village. Beach Tower is privately owned, built in Swahili style, and adorned with Swahili antiques and modern art. There are 2 en-suite master bedrooms on the first ...

Diamond Beach Village is a collection of bandas on the beach. A short boat trip from Shela, Diamond Beach Village makes a relaxing place to chill out. There are 9 traditional en-suite bandas. Created from palm fronds, the attractive, rustic bandas are furnished with locally crafted ...

Set in lush tropical gardens, Fatuma’s Tower is a tranquil retreat. It is named after Fatuma Abu Bakar, a Swahili noblewoman who lived here attended by 5 female slaves during the 19th century. After her death and the abolition of slavery, the house fell into ...

The lovely Forodhani House rises from the seafront of Shela Village, giving it stunning views in all directions. Built in Swahili style, the house combines traditional architecture with modern facilities. With a courtyard garden, swimming pool, plenty of relaxation space and a team of friendly ...

Honeymoon House sits high on the sand dunes, looking down on Shela Beach. This expansive house has a wealth of facilities, including an L-shaped 30-meter swimming pool traversing its courtyard garden, a media room and three boats. The staff of 12 includes a house manager, chefs, ...

With a name meaning green in Swahili, Kijani House is a lush retreat on the beachfront of Shela. Framed by clusters of frangipani and bougainvillea, this whitewashed Swahili house recreates the atmosphere of the early days of Lamu. There are 9 en-suite double rooms and 2 suites ...

Set on a secluded 12km beach in the south of Lamu Island, Kizingo styles itself a no shoes, no news resort. Committed to the conservation of the environment, Kizingo has been constructed from local materials. There are 8 well spaced en-suite bandas. Each banda has a ...

In a sea of whitewashed buildings, Msafini Hotel’s bright yellow façade stands out. The hotel opened in 2009, and combines traditional style with modern architecture. There are 14 en-suite rooms, made up of doubles, twins and triples. Each room has a private balcony. The hotel ...

With a name that means heaven in Swahili, Peponi Hotel is a beachfront paradise. The hotel opened in 1967 and has remained in the hands of the same family ever since. There are 24 en-suite rooms, made up of 14 standard and 10 superior. Each room is individually designed ...

A spacious house with great character, Shela House centres on an open courtyard, the well and an ancient gardenia. The courtyard is framed by seating and dining areas. The house is furnished with traditional Lamu furniture and adorned with local artefacts. There are 5 en-suite rooms, ...

On the seafront near a cluster of boats, Stopover Guest House gleams white against the palm trees. The hotel’s rooms have lovely views across the harbour and of the daily life of the fishermen and boat captains. There are 6 en-suite rooms, all with sea ...

An exquisite resort on Manda Island, The Majlis reflects Lamu’s traditional heritage with a fusion of Swahili, Arabic and Indian architecture. The resort extends along the seafront, and offers a wide selection of facilities and activities. There are 25 en-suite rooms, made up of superior, ...

It’s said that the name of this collection of elegant houses was bestowed on them by fishermen on seeing them glowing with moonlight one night. The houses can be taken together or separately; all have Lamu carved doors, hand crafted Lamu furniture, Zanzibar chests, ...