In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Kenya
Lamu
Go for 3 nights if you want a car-free Swahili town and dhow sailing; skip if you need nightlife, budget hostels or a beach resort.
Lamu is Kenya's oldest continually inhabited town and a UNESCO World Heritage site, on an island with almost no cars. The Old Town, the village of Shela and a 12 km beach sit within a short boat or boda-boda ride of each other. Three nights covers the town, a dhow trip and the beach without rushing; the island is quiet, majority Muslim and not a party destination.
- Country
- Kenya
- Best months
- Oct–Mar
- Avoid
- Apr–May (long rains); Jun–Sep is cooler and windier but still workable
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- KES
- Money
- Currency is the Kenyan shilling (KES). Cards work in hotels, lodges and malls; markets, small shops and tips are cash or M-Pesa.
- Daily spend
- Budget Ksh 6,000–9,000 excl. bed · Mid Ksh 9,000–16,000 excl. bed · High Ksh 16,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Safaricom (best park coverage) and Airtel sell SIMs at JKIA arrivals; registration needs your passport.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 or 112
- Plugs
- Types G · 240 V · 50 Hz · UK-style three-pin sockets; lodges on solar may switch power off at night.
- Tipping
- Safari guide: About US$10–20 per guest per day — check with your operator.; Camp staff tip box: About US$10–15 per guest per day.; Restaurant: 10% if no service charge.; Porters: KES 100–200 a bag.; Mount Kenya or Kilimanjaro crew: Agree the tip scale before the climb.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Lodges give filtered water; bring a refillable bottle.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and lodges; long-drop toilets at some park gates and bush stops. Carry tissue and sanitiser on game-drive days.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Chicken biryani at a local joint | Ksh 350 |
| Shawarma wrap / fries | Ksh 100 / Ksh 150 |
| Swahili main in Shela | Ksh 300–400 |
| Mid-range restaurant main | Ksh 500–1,500 |
| Boda-boda Lamu Town ↔ Shela | Ksh 100–150 low tide, Ksh 250–300 high tide |
| Public boat Mokowe → Lamu Town | Ksh 100–200 |
| Beer (Tusker) in a tourist bar | check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- LAU · Manda Airport
- On Manda Island, opposite the town; a 5-minute boat ride to Lamu Town, longer to Shela.
Typical fares
- Manda Airport → Lamu Town, boat
- about Ksh 200, 5 min
- Manda Airport → Shela, boat
- Ksh 1,200–1,500
- Boda-boda Lamu Town → Shela
- Ksh 100–150 low tide, Ksh 250–300 high tide (2025)
- Dhow sunset trip, 2 h
- from Ksh 3,000 per boat
Get around
Boats and boda-boda (motorcycle taxis) are the main transport; there are almost no cars. Boda-boda between Lamu Town and Shela costs Ksh 100–150 at low tide and Ksh 250–300 at high tide (2025). The walk is about 45 minutes in the heat. Bring a torch: street lighting in the lanes is minimal.
See and do
Known for
- Lamu Old Town (UNESCO, 2001)
- Car-free streets and donkeys
- Dhow sailing in the archipelago
- Shela Beach and Swahili seafood
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Takwa Ruins, Manda Island | Boat from Shela, reachable only at high tide | Half day |
| Manda Toto | Private chartered boat, about 30 min | About 1 h |
| Matondoni village | Dhow trip from Lamu Town | Half day |
Sleep
- Lamu Old Town
- Seafront hotels have views but motorbike and boat noise; inside the lanes it is quiet except for the 5AM mosque call.
- Shela
- 3 km south of the Old Town at the south end of the beach; cafés and upmarket guesthouses, 45-min walk or a boda-boda.1.9 mi south of the Old Town at the south end of the beach; cafés and upmarket guesthouses, 45-min walk or a boda-boda.
- Kipungani
- Remote beach at the island's south-west end; boat access only, quiet and expensive.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | JamboJAM-bo |
| Thank you | Asantea-SAN-te |
| How much is it? | Bei gani?BAY GAH-nee |
| No, thank you | Hapana, asanteha-PA-na a-SAN-te |
| Where is the boat? | Mashua iko wapi?ma-SHOO-a EE-ko WA-pee |
| I don't need a guide | Sitaki mwongozosee-TA-kee mwo-NGO-zo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'habari?' (how are you?); take time before business; avoid: Skipping greetings to ask a question
- Elders: Use 'mzee' for older men and 'mama' for older women; avoid: Calling elders by first name
- Hands: Give and receive with the right hand or both hands; avoid: Passing things with the left hand
- Photos: Ask first and accept a no; agree fees in villages; avoid: Shooting people from the safari vehicle without asking
- Time: Allow for 'Kenyan time' socially; safari departures are punctual; avoid: Showing irritation at delays
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities, covered on the coast; avoid: Swimwear off the beach
Scams and watch-outs
- If a place has no written menu, ask prices before ordering — the classic Lamu scam is a guided walk to a menuless restaurant and a bill in the thousands of shillings.
- Touts (beach boys) at Mokowe and in town earn kickbacks from hotels and tours; agree the price and the boat type before you board.
- Donkeys use the main streets as a toilet; watch your step.
- Dress modestly away from the beach — this is a majority Muslim island, and alcohol is pricier than on the mainland.
Lamu Island has a lower risk record than the mainland county, but the terrorism incidents reported in the news happened in Lamu County, not on the island — check current advisories before you book. The Mombasa–Lamu road is guarded and reported secure as of 2025. The real risks are tout scams, unlit lanes at night and the heat.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Lamu yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lamu Old Town (UNESCO, 2001)
- Car-free streets and donkeys
- Dhow sailing in the archipelago
- Shela Beach and Swahili seafood
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Kenya Tourism Board: magicalkenya.com/
- National Museums of Kenya — Lamu: www.museums.or.ke/
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Lamu Old Town: whc.unesco.org/en/list/1055/
- Wikivoyage: Lamu, revision 5241296 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241296
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Lamu
Nipeleke kwenye anwani hii, tafadhali
Take me to this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance999 or 112
No embassies on the island; most are in Nairobi, with consulates in Mombasa. Check your embassy's site before travel.
Ask the boat or boda-boda price before you get in, and confirm whether the fare is per person or per boat.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lamu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.