A brief Overview of Lamu Island
A short hop from Nairobi, the island of Lamu and the capital, Lamu Town, have managed to hold onto their Arabian old world charm. Consisting of a series of muddled alleyways and white washed buildings, the central focus for the town is still the town hall (where the market is still held for the surrounding areas on a Saturday) and there remain no cars on the island….only a thriving population of donkeys!
With a stunningly rugged coastline, the rest of the island provides a welcome retreat from the madness of the main town and, with the smaller Shela village just along the shoreline from Lamu being a great pick if you would like to have a look but maybe not get too involved. The island is certainly the perfect pick for a bit of culture and a great beach.
Do see our best camps & lodges in Lamu Island picks for 2026/27 on this page.
Best time to visit Lamu Island
As the first landfall from the Indian Ocean, the island tends to dodge the worst of the rains during the April and May wet season so it is certainly viable to visit throughout the year.
The main element to consider if you are wanting a bit of time on the beach are the trade winds, the “Kaskazi” (from mid-December to end of March) and the “Kusi” (from mid-May to October) which blow up and down the coast. Traditionally the Kusi brings stronger winds and choppier seas.
Do see our interactive best time to visit Lamu Island guide on this page as well as on our parent guide to kenya page for more in-depth information on when to go.
Or call us on +44 1525 840 149. That’s what we’re here for.
Need more help?
As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149
This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.
With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.
Alternatively please feel free to >send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.
Get help with a Safari to Lamu Island
As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149
This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.
With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.
Alternatively please feel free to >send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.
Where is Lamu Island?
Lamu Island
