Travel Tips

I lived on Lamu Island during the years 1995-1996. They were by far the two most important and pivotal years of my life.

Lamu is pure magic and I found my truest self there on the Indian Ocean. I am forever grateful to the people of Lamu and my dear friends there for giving me their friendhip, their time and energy and their love.

Please email me for more specific information on Lamu.

Here is a photo of the sand dunes along the west coast of Lamu...

The streets of Lamu by day are filled with people headed to market, to mosque, to work etc.

The architecture is Arabic Moorish as Lamu was and remains one of the only Arabic Settlements in East Africa along with her larger sister Island Zanzibar.

Today Lamu is predominantly Arabic Islamic mixed with the indigenous Swahili culture aka Muslim Swahili culture. a truly unique people in all the world. You will hear both Arabic and Swahili spoken in Lamu and will hear the calls to Mosque fivr times daily. I found the calls hauntingly beautiful and was captivated by the spirit of the people of Lamu.

Lamu is positivley surreal by night. The moonlight glimmers on the cobblestone lanes and occasionally you will pass a resident who will always say softly "salama" which means peace. Later in the evening you will hear "lala salama" sleep peacefully. You will experience a sense of comfort and peace and perhaps you will feel as if you have entered a different space in time..

Many people experience a sense of comming home despite being tens of thousands of miles from their home in a place of vastly different culture, dress, language, food and custom. Despite this there is a sense on Lamu and from the beautiful people there that we are really all one.

This beautiful Map is care of the Peponi Hotel in Shela Village just west of Lamu.

More on Peponi and shela in my Shela Album!

This gives a good sense of the Town and the history it is a prodigy of.

Local Islamic Dress in Lamu is the women wearing black and a black buibui (cover for the head and shoulders). Some women have their eyes uncovered and some of the most devout cover their entire head and have a veiled section to cover their eyes.

Men wear white tunics and pants and their heads are covered with a cap.

Dows are everywhere along the coast of East Kenya. They are a likeness of the ships that arrived from the Middle East accross the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean to colonize parts of the North East and East African Coast.

Today Dows remain a mainstay of travel between Lamu and the rest of Africa. Trade routes remain much unchanged from centuries ago.

Dows also take travellers to islands nearby, for day and sunset saila and even to the mainland. They are sturdy, fast and beautiful. Don't miss taking a dow trip if you go to Lamu.

The other forms of getting around on Lamu are by foot and by Donkey which is quite a steep learning curve but very convenient. The Donkeys can be mischievous or stubborn at times (and I can't blame them....) but for the most part are peaceful, gentle creatures who bear a hard burden. If you hire a donkey be sure to pick up a carrot for them in the market place and be kind. I guarantee your efforts will be rewarded!