Hotels:
Ashante Sana Guest House: Feel at home immediately
It's a very nice house, in the middle of Lamu Town. It's owned by a very nice and
hospitable German lady, called Inge. Everything is very clean and well maintained.
All the rooms have bathrooms and you can use the rooftop terrace freely. There's
even an hammick!!! So let's get lazy. Prices are not expensive and the service is
great. It's really a place where you feel at home.
Great views from the roof. Safety, because it's not open to everybody Peace and
quietness Genuine Lamu-feeling
Address: Main Jetty to the right Directions: Main Square to right (seen waterfront)
untill you see sign "bla bla advocates", turn left!! up untill you pass little shop, a
fter shop turn right at the 2nd street. walk 20 mtrs, on the right!!
Nightclubs
In Lamu there is very little nightlife like the sort you might usually find whilst travelling. There are no pubs, bars or nightclubs. Alcohol is hard to come by. However on Friday nights there is a local disco which I believe is run by the police. There are a couple of possible locations - you can find out where it is by asking any of the young locals about it, they will be more than willing to help you out and in most cases, join you. The venues are partly open air so that if it rains you may be treated to a 'free shower from allah' as one local happily told us as it started to rain. The local boys....especially the dhow captains and their friends love to dance and make friends with tourists-especially women. They are nice enough and its a great experience.
Wear anything you like, but dress for dancing!
The Friday Night Disco's at the A.P Canteen have a reputation for being fun and wild, and is the only place to go out late at night. Main activity is dancing, getting drunk and screw around with the bargirls under the big trees outside. Without doubt a pleasure for import citizens and visitors only. Tourists are usually welcome. There's a small entrance fee and beers are around EUR 1 a bottle. Sometimes there's a disco on Saturdays as well, at another Police Quarters more inland. I have not been here but I reckon it's a comparable experience.
Directions: The location is a bit out of town, some 7 minutes. Just follow the Main Street Southwards, and go past the graveyard towards Bombay.
Restaurants
Olimpic
Must be some of the best food on Lamu, at least the best I had. Wandering along the remoter part of the Southern Promenade, I noticed a blackboard advertising the dishes, otherwise I would never have recognized the place as a restaurant. Closed windows because of the winds coming from the sea, darkish inside, a bit messy but spotlessly clean and only two tables set in the big room where a girl was studying. She recommended the grilled white snapper. It took the cook more than an hour to prepare the dish; the result was simply fantastic! The grilled full fish came with 3 little bowls of fine sauces (coconut, peri peri and tamarind), a generous plate of coconut rice came with a bowl of tasty red sauce, and a small plate of fresh salad and another one with spinach were added. Cost EUR 3,50. Next morning I went back for breakfast. A tasty pancake with fresh banana and mango, slightly better and bigger than those I had in more popular places. A container of honey on the table. Cost EUR 0,50. For my last lunch in Lamu I wanted to order the King of all Lamu dishes, the seafood platter. And because of my experiences at Olympic, I ordered it there. But due to my extensive explorations that morning around the shanty towns, I arrived 1 hour late, so that the food had to be heated again and extra rice added for the 2 girls that had showed me around their neighbourhoods and who I had invited to share the dish with me. Despite all that trouble, the result was excellent. A large plate covered with a full lobster, parts of monster crab, some big prawns and some grilled fish. Again with sauses, lime and vegetables. Recommended! Cost EUR 6,50. Olympic’s seafront location is great, offering lots of interesting sights while waiting, and the service extremely friendly.
Dishes taken: · Grilled White Snapper with Coconut Rice; · Seafood Platter; · Fruit Pancake (breakfast); all recommended!
Price: less than US$10 » Comparison: less expensive than average Address: Southern Promenade as far South as Zinj Cinema
Bathawabu Restaurant became soon my favourite spot for breakfast; Popular with locals but not regularly visited by tourists, still well recommended for its small snacks such as mahamri and loads of other little things made of sweet bread, sticky rice or fritters filled with spicy vegetables and/or minced meat. Traditionally served with sweet milk tea. Also available is cheap traditional food such as beans and rice.
Dishes taken: * milk tea with several sweet bread snacks (at EUR 0,02-0,05 each).
Theme: Local Price: less than US$10 » Comparison: least expensive Address: Main Street near Whispers Restaur
Seafront Restaurant
Smaller, cosier and cheaper than its more popular competitors. Serves great seafood in large portions. Both the Curry and the Fish Salad were superb, I thought number two best of the seafront restaurants after Olympic! Waiting time is relatively short too. Two notes: * Juices were less memorable; * Views to the Prom are slightly disturbed, which is good of course if you look for a bit more privacy.
Dishes taken: * Fish Curry and coconut rice (EUR 2,50); * Fish Salad and Chapatis (EUR 2); * Passion Tamarind Lime juice (EUR 0,60); * Orange Juice (EUR 0,60).
Theme: Seafood Price: less than US$10 » Comparison: about average Address: Promenade, harbour
Hapa Hapa Restaurant
One of the most popular tourist restaurants in Lamu Town, has a fantastic seaside location offering great people watching, and a good breeze coming in. Hapa Hapa was my single most favourite hangout for fresh juices and milkshakes. Passion Lime juice is really awesome, as well as the Avocado Milkshake! Such a Juice goes really well with a banana or mango pancake for breakfast. Extensive menu, including Italian dishes, but food quality seems to vary depending on how busy it is, generally satisfying but nothing outstanding. Chess and Bao games available.
Dishes taken: * banana pancake + Passion / Lime juice (EUR 1,10); * Seafood Spaghetti + big juice (EUR 2,60); * Fish Curry and coconut rice (EUR2,20). Absolute favourite here: Avocado Milkshake (EUR 0,60)
Theme: Other Price: less than US$10 » Comparison: about average Address: Promenade, near Jetty South of Bush Gardens
Set in a nice neighbourhood, hidden behind a corner near the Riyadha Mosque more inland of Lamu Town, is a great shop for Ice Creams. The friendly owner here produces his own icecreams using fresh fruits, the specialty being the avocado taste. Very refreshing and tasty, extremely popular with local kids. It all makes it well worth the effort of searching endlessly for this spot (otherwise you might encounter vendors on the Promenade selling these products too)!
* Avocado Icecream (EUR 0,07)
Theme: Ice Cream Price: less than US$10 » Address: Near Riyadha Mosque, ask around
If you need a real Western Style treat while in Lamu, Whispers might be the best choice. In a secluded, atmospheric garden setting, you may like to choose from a variety of homemade cakes accompanied by a cup of expresso or cappucino, of which everyone seems to rave about. Magazines and Newspapers are available, as well as a souvenir shop. Whispers also offers a very distinctive quality and range of food, maintaining Western standards. The menu includes Italian food like homemade pastas and pizzas that comes with good portions of nice cheese and, if you like, a choice of wines! Juices were good too, although not better than elsewhere and more expensive; meals were not particularly large and lack of wind can make the hottest hours of the day unappealing to sit here.
Dishes taken: * Tagliatelle with minced meat, Banana Lime Juice (EUR 4); * Black Coffee with Lime Cake (EUR 1,50).
Theme: Other Price: less than US$10 » Comparison: more expensive than average Address: Main Street, near Air Kenya office
Coconut Juice Garden has a great rooftop location overlooking a busy part of the Main street, especially in the evenings. In the daytime a nice and cool place to read your daily newspaper. The brother of the owner who runs the rooftop area, is great company for a chat. Especially recommended here are the homemade yoghurts, daily produced from own cow products. Downstairs (same owner) is a restaurant serving local dishes. I had the beef soup which I will never forget for its incredible greasiness. Hours later grease was still sticking in my mouth.
Home made yoghurt (EUR 0,30 a glass)
Theme: Local Address: Southern Main Street
Bush Garden, centrally located near the jetty along the Promenade, is a relatively large restaurant that definately attracts most foreign customers of all seafront restaurants. Menu is almost a copy of the neighbour Hapa Hapa restaurant, but I thought Bush Garden was more professional when it comes to service. Still, I didn't especially like this place for lack of cosy ambience. Food allways fine, but nothing exceptional. When it's crowded in the early evenings, it can take a long while for the food to get ready. The only special reason to come here was for the awesome Coconut Milk Shake! Also some rooms available.
Dishes taken: * various in the EUR2 - EUR4 range. Specialty: Coconut Milk Shake (EUR 0,60)!!!
Theme: Seafood Price: less than US$10 » Comparison: about average Address: Promenade near Jetty
When we arrived on Lamu Airport, we were welcomed by a number of blokes promoting guesthouses. I said I had already made reservations and when they asked where, I made up "New Star". That now confused them since there's only a restaurant with a name like that. Funny, since I never heard of it before... So I thought I had to go there for a lunch. A rather big and popular place for locals in unappealing setting along the Main street serving local dishes like rice, beans, ugali etc at very cheap prices. They can also make special dishes on demand. Waiters were extremely helpful, but with dirty clothes and sweaty faces not really top. Ugali not recommeded (very dry, almost like a stone), the beef soup much better.
Dish taken: Beef soup and Ugali, 0.5 ltr CocaCola (EUR 0,80)
Theme: Local Price: less than US$10 » Comparison: least expensive Address: Main Street near German Post Office Museum
New Minaa Rooftop Restaurant: Don't miss Chicken Fast Food
Might be the single most popular restaurant in Lamu for locals. Serves a whole range of local and regional dishes in canteen style setting at very affordable prices. It all reminded me of the countless fast food chicken and chips restaurants in the streets of Central Nairobi. To find good chicken dishes in Lamu is hard, but in New Minaa, the Chicken Tikka was outstanding as was the chicken stew with rice. Chips however were much too greasy and soft, the fresh juice watery, and the salad drenched in a pool of cheap tomato sauce. Service is extremely fast and friendly, tables are cleaned continuously, and for entertainment there's a TV with local channels.
Dishes taken: * Chicken Tikka, Chips, Salad, Orange Juice (EUR 1,70); * Chicken Stew, Coconut Rice, Orange Juice (EUR 2,10). You may find also "bornless chicken" on the menu, which I din't try...
Theme: Fast Food Price: less than US$10 » Comparison: less expensive than average Address: Main Street, Central Southern End
A. Take the bus but book ahead from Nairobi so that you can get off the bus in Mombasa and get straight on the bus to Lamu (different companies). The seats nearer to the front are more comfortable. The bus will stop in Malindi for "10 minutes" (more like 20 most days). Go over the road to the biriani restaurant and buy a deep fried potato & mince pie (about the size and shape of a cricket ball). Delicious.
I usually go with Tawakal or Khadi Star. The fare was 550 shillings in January and the buses leave at 7am (Tawakal has an additional bus at 9). Try to avoid buses which stop at Mpeketoni as they take up to an hour longer to get to Lamu. When you pass through Witu, local children will try to sell you Witu chocolate. It's a fudge like sweet made from milk & sugar. Also delicious and if you don't like it, it makes a good gift for Lamu people. When you arrive at Mokowe, you will be descended on by people. Stay calm and follow everybody else to the ferry. It's crowded but it's only a half hour trip (50 shillings).
D. If you decide to fly, you'll arrive at Manda airport and get a ferry (5-10 minutes) to Lamu jetty. However you get there, when you arrive at the Lamu jetty, more touts will appear. My recommendation is that you take your bags to one of the waterfront restaurants, order a large fresh juice and take a moment to get over your journey. There's plenty of accommodation in Lamu so you won't miss out. If you're not alone, leave some of your party with your bags and face the touts without a huge weight on your back. There's something for every budget and preference in Lamu. Personally I think Lamu is more lively and interesting than Shela but your mileage may vary. And your budget will give you a lot of options. Don't commit yourself to a number of days as you may be turning around and getting on a dhow for a few days and you don't want to pay for both. Also, you can move to a different place if you don't like the one you are in.
B. If you do break your journey at Malindi, I also recommend Watamu as a place to visit but as it's only 20 minutes matatu from Malindi, I'd opt for the cheaper accommodation there. The area around the bus station is the most lively, least Western and cheapest. On the road between Malindi and Watamu are the Gede (Gedi) Ruins. Very impressive well maintained ruins. I can spend hours wandering through them.
C. If you have a chance, you really should get out to the islands. Some recommended itineraries for various duration journeys (subject to the wind of course)
2 days (Lamu - Manda Toto - Takwa - Lamu):
Day 1: Lamu to Manda Toto (if you don't mind the swell, go via the open sea and you have a good chance of catching lunch/dinner on the way). this will only take a few hours so you'll have time for snorkelling/fishing/sunbathing once you get there.
Day 2: Manda Toto to Takwa Ruins (ocean side). The ruins here (14th-16th century) have been partially restored and are cared for by the National Parks. You'll have to swim to shore as the beach is too exposed to beach your dhow. If the ruins aren't your thing, you can comb the beach for items washed over from the west coast of india. Or try and catch yourself a crab for dinner. Back through the heads for sunset over the Omani fort (actually an Italian house but you can't tell from the outside).
3-4 days (Lamu - Kipongani - Kipini - Tanga Mouth - Matondoni - Lamu)
The stops will be very dependant on the wind because you are travelling on the open ocean. If you're not keen to sleep on your dhow, there are plenty of places to camp and/or people willing to accommodate you for a modest price.
Out to the open sea down the seaward coast of Lamu island to Kipongani. Down the coast to Kipini at the mouth of the Tanga River. Kipini doesn't see a lot of tourists so you'll be very warmly received. Sail a mile or two up the river and you should find a thunder of hippos bobbing up and down roaring at the ocean which roars back at them. Plenty of crocs, hippos and birds as well. The Marabou storks you see here are the same ones you saw in Lamu before you left. On your way back to Lamu you can stop at the village of matondoni where most of the woven baskets on sale in Lamu are produced.
3-5 days (Lamu - Manda Toto - Pate - Siyu - Faza - Kizingitini - Kiwayu - Shanga - lamu)
Head to Manda Toto as in the 2 day journey. Then choose one or two of the villages on Pate Island and spend a day or two there. Attractions include:
Pate: Great Ruins, difficult dhow access
Siyu: Great Ruins, leatherwork, wood carving, Omani fort, difficult dhow access. Your crew may not want to take you here but I think it is worth the hassle. Don't sleep here as mosquitoes are a problem.
Faza: Large village, a few interesting graves but no substantial ruins.
Kizingitini: Large fishing village. No ruins, but off the tourist trail. Northernmost tip of pate Island
Shanga: There are three villages called Shanga, but you want to go to the one with the ruins. Sparsely populated. Ruins are overgrown but substantial. Some Chinese plates (14th century) embedded in the ruins. Ocean side of island.
Then it's up to Kiwayu. Kiwayu is a long thin island (with a bump on the sheltered side), windswept on the ocean side. The adjacent mainland has an amazing beach. There's an expensive safari lodge there who may try and chase you off the beach but you have as much right as they do to use it, so enjoy. Kiwayu has several places to sleep (simple resthouses or camping places. A walk (or donkey ride if you're lazy) to the highpoint of kiwayu offers an amazing sunset view.
I hope this has given you a few ideas. Some general tips on selecting a dhow:
If you want to spend a lot of time sailing, you may want to choose a larger dhow, particularly if you will be on the open ocean.
You get what you pay for. If your crew are on a dollar a day, they'll be less inclined to go out of their way to show you a good time.
They'll ask for money up front to buy food. This is not a scam. The more you give, the better you'll eat. Tell them what foods you do and don't like. Get them to buy loads of fruit. Once you're away from Lamu, many items are hard to get or expensive. Excess food can be traded for fish if you're unlucky with fishing. MAKE SURE they don't put sugar in the pasta!
If you want to go fishing, ask them to bring fishing gear. If you want to go snorkelling, etc.
Tell them where you'd like to go. If they say they can't because of tides/wind/weather, they may be right but you may want to get a second opinion.
Crews from fishing villages are better sailors. They might look a little shabby but they know what they're doing. And cost less.
You're paying for the trip. If you don't want to go on a walk/donkey ride/etc. don't feel obliged.
