Off the bustling waterfront of Shela village, dhows sway gently on the incoming tide as merchants and fishermen cross back and forth on the shimmering sand...

A few steps away, a few white steps and a small entranceway, framed by clusters of frangipani and bougainvillea flowers, opens to cool shade and green shadows. Entering our hotel is like stepping into a secret garden. 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. 

The hotel was created to provide an authentic retreat for visitors looking to experience Lamu’s past. It took owner 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. The 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.

True to the atmosphere of a Swahili house, all rooms and central areas emphasize the aesthetics of privacy and space. Each room has a private veranda shaded from sight by arabesque archways and trees. The 10 rooms are vast and cool, shards of sunlight and ample breeze welcomed through tall shutters. A canopied Swahili bed stands beside antique cupboards and tables coloured with hand-painted Indian tiles and painted glass. 

In the bathroom, intricately carved mirrors set off the sensuous effect of the walls, ceiling, and floor in warm ochre, its heady oriental effect heightened by shafts of light filtering through shutters from the world outside. The hotel offers a retreat from the bright bustle of Lamu’s waterfront – a lush oasis of green gardens, pools, and cool rooms in all their Swahili splendour.

We are closed for of season during May and June. 

Rooms, food and facilities

Each room has a bathroom and has its own balcony or veranda facing the garden or the sea. The rooms are spread throughout the garden into three small separate traditional Swahili buildings which formerly were private homes, made of coral walls, with boriti ceiling and makuti roofs.

The restaurant offers an exotic selection of seafood, Swahili dishes and a touch of Italian cuisine. Fruit and vegetable are coming from the small farm in the middle of Lamu Island. The kitchen offers all types of fish, lobsters, crabs and prawns fresh from the sea, along with meat and fresh vegetables, together with African and Italian specialities. We bake our own bread, produce marmalade and yoghurt with the fresh product from our small farm on the island, which also provides eggs and honey. Available from the cellar, a good selection of Italian and South African wine.
 

How to find us

Lamu, Town, Island and Archipelago, all of the same name, lie 2 degrees below the Equator along Kenya's coast. The Lamu Archipelago is a chain of islands separated from the mainland by a narrow channel bordered with dense mangrove forest and protected from the Indian Ocean by coral reefs and large sand dunes. We are located in the village of Shela on Lamu island.

By car: Mombasa - Malindi, 120 Km all tarmac, Malindi-Mokowe 216 Km the last 78 Km untarmac, Secure Parking in Mokowe. Mokowe-Lamu Island 20 minutes by speedboat, 50 minutes by motor dhow.

By plane: Daily flights from Nairobi,Mombasa and Malindi.