Lamu Island

I'm planning on spending some time on Lamu Island off the east coast of Kenya in October and wonder if any of you have spent any time there and can recommend a great place to stay. The first 4 days I'll be with two other women and we are willing to splurge, but after that I will be on my own and am more interested in budget accommodations. I would appreciate any advice, tips or suggestions. Thanks

Lamu is one of my favorite places in the world! For your upscale splurge I would recommend Kijani House which is on Shela beach. Shela beach is a little over a half hour walk from the town of Lamu. You can walk it when the tide is out, but usually you return in a dhow, often with a young boy manning the oars. I remember one night coming back from Shela when it was pitch black and I could not see a thing. The rower was so familiar with the water that he directed the boat perfectly.

I used to drink at Kijani House but stayed at the Stone House in the town. It is an old swahili house, wooden, built around a courtyard with a profusion of flowers. It was very reasonable. There are other swahili houses like Amu House which are more inexpensive. You can scout them out when you get there. Kijani, owned and run by Europeans, can likely be booked on the net.

Just a word of caution: Lamu was the only place I ever picked up amoebic dysentary. There are a number of restaurants along the beach, and I just assumed the fish would be fresh in all of them, only to find out they refroze everything that did not get eaten, and thawed it again in the morning. I think that was the culprit. The upside is that I went to the local clinic; they recognized the symptoms immediately, and gave me a 2 pill/five day regimen and after that I was fine.

{quote:title=Seagal wrote:}{quote}
The upside is that I went to the local clinic; they recognized the symptoms immediately, and gave me a 2 pill/five day regimen and after that I was fine.

The downside is the same as the upside: - i.e. amoebic dysentery is rife enough to be the norm there - hence the slick efficiency in curing it.

They probably wash the fish in the toilets before refreezing them.

I had amoebic dysentery in Havana. They had a near-instant cure for it there too.

Moral - stay home and enjoy good hygiene.

Lamu is a beautiful place. It's also known as female sex tourism destination. You'll be approached more than once by local boys, younger than your children and offering you their company.

As for hotels - you might try Lamu Palace on the seafront. It's a budget place with somewhat flashy name.