Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Lamu, Kenya, Africa

Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Lamu, Kenya, Africa

Lamu is a town situated on the Lamu Island, between 2°16′10″ S latitude and 40°54′8″ E longitude. It holds the title of the oldest persistently inhabited town of Kenya and also gained place on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Lamu is one of the top tourist destinations of Kenya, housing many manmade and natural tourist attractions that draw loads of visitors throughout the year. Lamu is situated around 300 km northeast of the country’s 2^nd largest city, Mombasa and around 500 km southeast of Nairobi, the capital and largest city of Kenya.

History of Lamu:

According to archeological evidence, Lamu was first founded in 1370. The Portuguese were the first European power to take control of Lamu, who invaded Lamu in 1505. Lamu came under German rule in 1885 and was occupied by the British along with the mainland Kenya in 1890 and remained under the British rule until the independence in 1963. The Lamu Fort is the historical identity of Lamu.

How to reach Lamu?

Lamu is served by Manda Airport or Lamu Airport with scheduled flights from Malindi, Nairobi, Kiwayu and Mombasa, served by Airkenya Express, Safarilink, Fly540 and Mombasa Air Safari.

Lamu is connected to mainland Kenya by boat services. Those who come from Mombasa can take bus to Mokowe on the mainland, which takes 5-7 hours.

Since Lamu is small in size, it can be explored easily by foot or one can use rental vehicle.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Lamu:

The Maulidi Festival is one of the famous festivals taking place in Lamu, celebrated January or February annually. Muslim dominates the population of Lamu.

Handmade clothes and handicraft items are the purchasable products in Lamu and the major food corners in Lamu are as follows:

Peponi Hotel Restaurant
Lamu House Beach Club
Majlis Restaurant Lamu
Olympic Resturant

Things to do in Lamu:

Beach exploration
Boat tours
Walking

Places of interest in Lamu:

Lamu Museum:

The Lamu Museum is housed in a colonial residence constructed for British Governors. The museum is concentrated on exhibiting the culture of local Swahili people with their traditional clothes, artifacts and photographs.

Shela beach:

Situated on the northern edge of the Lamu Island, the Shela beach is a striking white sandy beach, which can be easily reached from main Lamu town by foot. Beach is superb and also homemade samosas selling by local boys worth a taste.

Lamu Fort:

Lamu Fort is a symbolic structure, constructed between 1813 and 1821 and was used as a prison during the British rule and even after the Kenya’s independence also. Currently it s home to an environmental museum and a library and is also used for local events.

Riyadha Mosque:

The Riyadha Mosque was the effort of a famous religious trencher, Habib Salih, who constructed this mosque in 1900 with the aid of his students. Presently it is a top tourist attraction and venue for the Maulidi Festival.

Donkey Sanctuary:

The Donkey Sanctuary in Lamu is home to around 3000 donkeys, which was constructed with the concern of Dr. Elisabeth Svendsen from England in 1987. It is frequented by tourists.

List of other places of interest in and around Lamu includes:

Kiunga Marine National Reserve
Dodori National Reserve
Watamu Beach
Haller Park
Roaring Rocks
Fort Jesus Museum
Diani Beach
Watamu National Marine Park
Spiaggia delle Tartarughe
Watamu Turtle Watch
Mzima Springs
Marafa-Hells Kitchen
Mida Creek Reserve
Bio-Ken Snake Farm
Mombasa Marine National Park

Best time to visit Lamu:

Lamu can be visited throughout the year, although the most popular time to travel Lamu is from January to March.

Accommodation options in Lamu:

Lamu houses total of around 100 standard accommodation centres that are spread up all around the island with both traditional and modern amenities and of which most offer advance booking facility for visitors’ convenience. Here are some nice hotels in Lamu: