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Accommodation in Lamu & Kiwayu

	Alice House Alice House is a newly renovated traditional Swahili Stone House situated just off the harbour of Lamu town. Owner Jaqueline Rance personally hosts the guests and ensures that you feel like being at home. It offers 2 double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms as well as a library and a dining room and coffee lounge with a veranda overlooking the harbour. It also has a refreshing and soothing jacuzzi as well as a shaded rooftop with panoramic views across to Manda Island. You can enjoy boat trips to Manda Island for bird watching and snorkelling.

	Baitil Aman Guesthouse Baitil Aman, which means ‘the house of peace’ is steeped in history and dates back to the 18th Century when it was built as a wedding gift for a beautiful Shela maiden Bintu Luali by her suitor Hajj Abdalla. Off the coast, surrounded by the Indian Ocean this carefully restored royal family house, simple yet elegant guesthouse offers self-contained and spacious rooms. Baitil Aman has eight self-contained rooms with comfortable private outside seating areas. All rooms have overhead fans, mosquito nets, fresh flowers and peace. There is a small bar for non-alcoholic drinks. Breakfast is served in the Hajibiki Restaurant, on the terrace or in the room. The Swahili menu offers the chance to experience local dishes served in the traditional way, seated on Swahili mats on the rooftop under a beautiful sky full of stars with the sound of gentle breezes whispering through the palms. "

	Banana House Banana House is situated in Shela and offers fantastic views of the dunes, the sea and the village. It is spacious and has numerous attractive sitting and lounging areas, hammocks, day beds and a beautiful tropical garden within its walls. The ambience is homely and welcoming. It has three bedrooms on the groundfloor which are all connected with each other, the main kitchen and a large veranda. The first floor has three ensuite bedrooms, a separate kitchen for the use of guests and a large veranda/sitting area with great views. The rooftop has a penthouse with a double bedroom, private dining facilities, and a veranda with sun-beds which are ideal for star-gazing.

	Baytil Ajaib Baytil Ajaib 'House of Wonder' is a beautifully restored 18th Century palatial Swahili House located in the heart of Lamu Town. It took 11 years to renovate the building in order to remain true to original Swahili style - the result is a stunning stone house impeccably restored to its previous splendour, sub-divided into five unique and private apartments. The mixture of materials used and the architecture provide the natural air-conditioning, the house is always cool. Frangipani flowers float in traditional pools of cool water, scenting both the water and the air. Secret alcoves, balconies and terraces provide rooftop views of Lamu town and the Lamu archipelago. The rooms are all decorated with authentic Swahili furniture and a mixture of African and Western art and artefacts. The dining room is on the ground floor, and for those who can't quite make it to the breakfast table, it can be served in the apartment. Baytil Ajaib offers the chance to turn back the hands of time and experience life as it was at the turn of the century. Owner Paul Weaver is a character in himself and personally hosts you which adds a unique ingredient to your stay in Lamu.

	Beach House Beach House is a large house with four double and one triple ensuite bedrooms. On the first floor, raised above beach level, there is an edgeless, fresh water swimming pool. It has a bar area and low comfortable baraza seats. Up the first flight of stairs is a large dining and living room, leading out onto an alfresco terrace. Another door leads onto the wooden deck over the pool and to two double bedrooms with their own private terraces. The third floor comprises three bedrooms and an open terrace. From the rooftop you can enjoy panoramic views of the whole Lamu channel. The white adobe walls and cool, still rooms, decorated with bright fabrics and plain Swahili furniture, rise above the infinity pool, with sunbathing ledge and sheltered bar.

	Diamond Beach Village Diamond Beach Village is situated on the beach front of Manda island and has good views of the open ocean, Lamu island and dhows sailing past. Working very closely with the local Swahili people, the hotel only uses local building methods and materials. Accommodation is offered in six traditionally designed beach bandas and a treehouse. The bandas have high windows through which the sea breeze flows and each has a front porch, en suite shower, sink and flush toilet. The ‘family’ banda is larger and divided into two while the treehouse has wooden floors and branches coming through the walls. The friendly staff, great food, white sandy beach and the relaxed ambience and rustic setting make less luxury conscious travellers feel at home at Diamond Beach Villages.

	Fatuma's Tower Fatuma's Tower is a yoga and meditation retreat house set towards the back on Shella Village, some 3km north of Lamu Town on the island of Lamu. You don’t have to be in to yoga to stay here but you should be prepared for a simpler life, no alcohol, excellent communal meals, lots of rest and relaxation and time for a lot of thinking. More like staying as a guest in someone’s house than a hotel. Probably sounds great. Well located, for the village, beach and Lamu Town, Fatuma’s is somewhere you can creep back to and the end of a busy day and really get yourself together.

	Jahazi House Named after the historical large trading dhows that brought Lamu its trading wealth, Jahazi House stands right on the edge of the Indian Ocean on two acres of garden, on the far end of Shela Beach. The house is built around a courtyard pool, which gives privacy and cools the bedrooms. From the first floor makuti-covered veranda you can watch the dhows come and go and be first to the fish delivery. Boat moorings are right out the front. On the ground floor there is a reception, dining, sitting area leading out to a wrap around front veranda, right on the beach. Simply furnished, the four bedrooms all have shower rooms and their own private verandas. There is an extra guest/pool changing room and a covered baraza behind the pool that can also be used for sleeping. The roof is one huge terrace, partially covered with makuti to provide a shaded bar, eating and sitting area. There is a separate small covered massage room with trellised walls. The house has its own well, whilst a combination of solar and wind power make it totally self-sufficient for electricity and hot water. A back-up generator for emergencies is also provided. The kitchen comes fully equipped with top of the line appliances. It has a gas oven, fridge/freezer, ice-cream maker, blender and sufficient cutlery/flatware, crockery, kitchenware. It is separate and holds the water tanks above, plus staff rooms, wash rooms and store rooms. Frangipani, jasmine and lime trees have been planted in abundance around the house, which comes fully staffed and fully furnished."

	Jasmine House Jasmine House is a three bedroom, self service House in Shela on Lamu Island. The master bedroom is en suite and has a king-size bed and private sitting area and terrace. The first floor bedroom at the top of the stairs is a twin room as and shares the bathroom, with shower and bathtub, with the a second double bedroom which also has couches suitable as kids beds. This room with its raised walls, lowered windows and a high ceiling supports a rooftop terrace that is accessed by a bridge from the master bedroom stairs. The annex wing has two bedrooms. The downstairs bedroom, accommodates a double bed and has a huge bathroom. This room is is the most suitable for anyone who prefers not to tackle too many stairs. The upstairs annex room is also a double room and is again complemented by a newly renovated neru plastered bathroom and private terrace overlooking the pool garden. Jasmine House can accommodate 10 adults in 1 king size, 3 double and 2 twin beds, and in addition there are extra mosquito nets, pillows and sheets to allow for kids to sleep on the cushioned cement couches of the master, first floor and upper annex bedrooms and the pool garden barazza, though we would not recommend exceeding ten adults and four children purely due to overcrowding and bathroom facilities. The sitting room has been opened up and adjoins a new terrace area next to the dining room which combines a comfortable cushioned area for breakfast and drinks. New soft furnishings throughout are of simple cotton whites and colours that complement the 'Swahili-Maroq' mood of the house. While in Jasmine House, one can enjoy the nearby beach, go boating, deep sea fishing, scuba diving or snorkeling."

	Kijani House Hotel Kijani House is a small and charming hotel overlooking the entrance to the Shela Channel on Lamu. A few steps away from the waterfront, a few white steps and a small entranceway, framed by clusters of frangipani and bougainvillea flowers, opens to cool shade and green shadows. Kijani’ means green in the Swahili language. Entering Kijani House 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. Ideally located within walking distance of both Lamu town and Shela Beach, Kijani House, comprises of traditional local architecture terraced around the two swimming pools and gardens of dripping orange and pink bougainvillea. 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. Each of the ten rooms has a veranda roofed in makuti, reviving the tradition of stone Swahili houses, and creating an authentic retreat for visitors looking to experience Lamu’s past. Each room has a private veranda shaded from sight by arabesque archways and trees. 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. Copies of Old Portuguese lanterns hang from white archways. Kijani Restaurant offers an exotic selection of seafood, Swahili dishes and a touch of Italian cuisine."

	Kizingoni House Kizingoni House is one of the few places on the East African coast with a west facing view which allows the guests to take in spectacular sunsets. The house has four bedrooms, all with en-suite bathroom and each with a private balcony with sea views. The large master bedroom faces west with superb sea views framed by coconut palms. Its spacious bathroom has a Swahili style bath and from the bedroom there is direct access to the roof top patio and bar area. The large central living & dining room is simply designed in the Swahili style with traditional plasterwork and wooden beams, with a magnificent locally crafted dining table. There are four meeting and sitting areas - baraza in Swahili - in the protected courtyard garden, next to the plunge pool, on the first floor terrace and finally on the roof with fabulous views of the sea on both sides of the peninsula. The pool has a separate bathroom and changing room. The house is furnished with traditional Swahili items of furniture and antiques from around Africa and Asia. Full internet and telephone communications are available through a satellite link. The kitchen comes completely fully equipped with top of the line appliances. It has a gas oven, fridge/freezer, ice-cream maker, blender and sufficient cutlery/flatware, crockery, kitchenware to comfortably cater for 24 people. Over the kitchen there is a room for live-in cook/steward and there are various storage/laundry rooms off the kitchen. There is excellent mooring right in front of the house for a boat. Mature coconut palms and doum palms grow around the house and all the indigenous shrubs and trees around the house have been preserved. In the courtyard garden and close to the house jasmine, frangipani, desert rose, date palms and hibiscus are growing."

	La Joya La Joya is a family home in Shela built and managed by Banana and Monica. The house is designed and furnished in Swahili style on four levels with plenty of private areas and great sea views. Like Banana House, La Joya may be rented as a whole house or at bed and breakfast rates for rooms.

	Lamu House Lamu House is a stunning house with a swimming pool and Jacuzzi, located right at the harbourfront in Lamu. It offers a haven of peace amidst the bustle of town where you can relax at the pool or at the bar that has intriguing views of town. All three bedrooms are airconditioned with the master bedroom and the second bedroom having double beds and en suite bathrooms. The third bedroom has two twin beds and a separate shower room.

	Mnarani House Mnarani is a swahili meaning 'near the minaret'. With the beach just a short walk over the dune, it is a great location for families. There are three floors with several areas for sitting and lounging. The top floor consists of a sitting area with a small fridge for drinks, over-looking the sea. The Dining room is on the first floor with good views and very open areas allowing plenty of breeze coming in from the channel. You can sit and relax on the second or the first floor with good sea views. There are three double bedrooms ensuite upstairs, one small double ensuite on the ground floor and one 'open' single room without bathroom upstairs.

	Mtende House Mtende house is situated in a peaceful corner of Shela village next to sand dunes covered in bush and close to the ruins of an old mosque now a place were only monkeys play. The bird life is great, and occasionally a shy bushbuck is seen picking a discrete path through the dense dune vegetation. The house consists of a ground floor with single bedroom and a small cloakroom. On the first floor there is a large airy double bedroom with a balcony and seating and extra barazas for sleeping. From here there are peaceful views of the dunes and bush and the mosque. On this level there is a bathroom and spacious landing with balcony window. A further flight of stairs leads to the second floor and another large airy bedroom with balcony and more dune views, a bathroom and landing with balcony window overlooking the village. Simply but elegantly furnished with traditional kikoy and woven fabrics accented with richer textiles here and there, the rooms are all light and full of sunshine, but shuttered for shady afternoon siestas. Finally there is a last flight of stairs to the roof top with its comfortable sofas, 'veg out' barazas and hammocks, the open plan dining area and the small kitchen.

	New Lamu Palace Hotel New Lamu Palace Hotel is located in Lamu town and directly on the sea front overlooking Lamu Harbour. Slightly more modern than most of the other Lamu guest houses and hotels, it offers accommodation in 22 guestrooms and 3 suites. All the rooms are air-conditioned and have ensuite bathrooms with hot and cold running water. 1st and 2nd floor rooms have nicely furnished lounge areas; presenting panoramic views of the ocean and gardens. The two restaurants at Lamu Palace Hotel, one of them on the roof top, have extensive menus with a wide variety of dishes and seafood-specialitites. There is a bar and live music for entertainment and the hotel provides a boat shuttle to the nearby Manda island for sunbathing and snorkelling.

	Palm House Palm House is designed around an open courtyard. The living and dining areas look onto the courtyard and another small side garden. It is spacious, yet compact - two doubles and one twin bedroom on the first floor, all ensuite with private balconies. The second floor has an open terrace, which leads off to a small covered baraza area in front of the fourth bedroom. This master bedroom has a Lamu four-poster bed and balconies on two sides. There is a panoramic view from the covered rooftop, with a bar, sun beds and baraza lounging area."

	Peponi Hotel One of the best known hotels in East Africa and certainly an institution in these parts, Peponi has grown over 30 years from simple beginnings to a stylish, comfortable hotel. Situated by the waterfront with a huge sandy beach to one side and old Arabic buildings cramming in on all others, it is a truly wonderful place to stay. The rooms are an eclectic mix, tastefully finished and spacious - if only everyone paid such attention to detail.Having the only bar in the village, Peponi is the focus of the Shela social scene and you may sometimes find the place overrun with expatriates but the main problem is getting a room. This is a great base from which to explore the island of Lamu, fish, sail or swim and to go on dhow trips to the surrounding islands.

	Sanjeeda At 97 foot long, Sanjeeda is the latest in a direct line of seagoing vessels of a design which came to the Indian Ocean with Vasco Da Gama in 1498. It has 6 cabins and is staffed by a fully trained and licenced Captain and Crew, and Master Chef, stewards and barman. Awake to the music of tropical African birdlife, hot sunshine and a warm breeze rustling the tall palms and cruise leisurely amongst the tropical islets, anchoring in quiet coves and creeks for sunning, swimming, snorkeling and lunch. With the guidance of the Captain, you can plot the best mooring for the night. The evening can be as lively or as quiet as you choose, with the option of music during a sumptuous seafood candlelit dinner, and the Sanjeeda bar is open all day.

	Shela House This labyrinthine, white washed, twenties house has been beautifully restored and decorated. The house has a swimming pool and is built on three floors around an open courtyard, the house well and an ancient gardenia. The entrance hall leads into the courtyard, edged by a baraza sitting and eating area. Two staircases lead to the upper rooms. There are five ensuite bedrooms - three double bedrooms, another with two large four-poster single beds and a smaller single bedroom. There is also a nursery room. A second floor dayroom and terrace provide additional lounging areas. Most guests spend their time relaxing on the two rooftops. Shela House offers exquisite seafood - huge prawns for lunch are followed by lobster or crab thermidor for dinner.

	Kiwayu Safari Village Kiwayu Safari Village is located in a breathtakingly beautiful bay opposite Kiwayu Island, nestled amongst the mainland dunes. A white coral beach stretches for miles on each side of the camp and it is also possible to explore beaches further afield, hike up the dunes for a breathtaking sunset, go sailing in the camp's boats, roam the Kiwayu archipelago of islands and discover some of the undisturbed Bajuni culture in this very sparsely populated area. The camp has 21 cottages, which are built in the traditional “Bajuni” style using mangrove poles, palm thatch and matting. Each suite is set amongst the star palms along the beach, with en-suite facilities and has an extensive verandah for lounging complete with hammock and Lamu beds. The lodge also has a dining room and a separate lounge and bar area - simple luxury, great food and a stunning location make Kiwayu Safari Village a place most visitors don't want to leave.

	Munira Island Camp Munira Island Camp is a small personal and rustic camp located on a cliff, high above the creek that runs between Kiwayu Island and the Kenyan mainlaind. It is the only accommodation on Kiwayu Island itself which it shares with a couple of villages, empty beaches and an interior of sandy paths and dunes. The camp has 7 spacious and very private bandas, built of local matting made from palm leaves which all have a spectacular location with panoramic views of the ocean. Two motorised sailing dhows are available for hire for explorative trips around the Lamu Archipelago including day or overnight trips to historic Lamu Town. The more active can enjoy scuba diving, water skiing, windsurfing as well as spectacular snorkelling directly from the beach.