A medieval Swahili city with no cars, an archipelago of uninhabited islands, and a pace of life that has changed very little in five hundred years. UNESCO-listed Lamu Old Town is the oldest continuously inhabited city in East Africa.
Lamu has no cars. The streets are too narrow — donkeys carry everything. The island has been a trading port since the 14th century, and the architecture of the Old Town reflects the Arab, Persian, and Swahili influences that shaped it over five hundred years. The people here have been navigating between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula long before any of the safari circuits were established.
Outside the Old Town, the archipelago is largely uninhabited. Manda Island sits across a narrow channel — three hours of white sand beach with no one on it. Pate Island to the north is a full day by dhow and contains ruins that most visitors to Kenya have never heard of.
Highlights
Lamu Old Town
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Coral stone buildings, carved wooden doors, and a living Swahili culture that has never been disrupted.
Private Dhow Charter
A traditional jahazi dhow with a Swahili captain. Sail to uninhabited islands, anchor for swimming, return at sunset.
Charter Flight
Forty-minute charter from Wilson Airport to Lamu airstrip on Manda Island. No commercial connections required.
Pate Island Ruins
A full-day dhow to Pate Island reveals ruins older than the Old Town itself. Almost no one goes there.
What's Included
Itinerary
Price from
From $4,200
per person · all-inclusive
Flying Included
Charter on Cessna 208 to Manda Island. Departs Wilson Airport.
