Lamu island

Covered in ninth-century ruins, sandy beaches, and boho boutique hotels, the Lamu Archipelago blend Swahili, Arab, Chinese, and Indian cultures.

The Lamu archipelago has a rich precolonial history that blends Bantu, Arabic, Persian, Indian, and Southeast Asian cultures.

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Lamu is a small town on Lamu Island, in kenya, near the Somalia border. Lamu town is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it was one of the original Swahili settlements along coastal East Africa. The town's history is marked by a Portuguese invasion then the Omani domination, like in Zanzibar. The streets of Lamu are very narrow, so there are no cars, only donkeys to carry everything! © Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com

Mostly own photos Instagram: sandylamu

Do you need a vacation away from burnout and the daily grind? For a slower, gentler vacation destination, check out Lamu Island in Kenya.

Villa Shela en la Ciudad de Lamu

Lamu is a small town on Lamu Island, in kenya, near the Somalia border. Lamu town is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it was one of the original Swahili settlements along coastal East Africa. The town's history is marked by a Portuguese invasion then the Omani domination, like in Zanzibar. The streets of Lamu are very narrow, so there are no cars, only donkeys to carry everything! © Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com

WHEN YOU LAND at the miniature airport in Lamu, a group of islands off the coast of Kenya, the first thing you do is walk down a long pier to a waiting dhow. You step aboard. You smell the old wood of the sailing boat, the design of which goes back centuries. Across a narrow channel in the Indian Ocean you see Lamu Town, the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Thinking about visiting Lamu Island, Kenya? Here are the top reasons for visiting Lamu now, plus helpful first-hand travel tips for planning your stay.