Why it's iconic
UNESCO Swahili island
A UNESCO World Heritage Swahili town — coral-stone houses, hand-carved doors, dhow sailing and a way of life unchanged for 700 years.
History & heritage
Founded in the 14th century, Lamu Old Town is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa — inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. With its narrow coral-stone alleys, hand-carved mangrove doors, and donkeys as the only transport, daily life here continues much as it did 700 years ago. Each November the town hosts the Lamu Cultural Festival, with dhow races and traditional Swahili poetry.
Things to explore
- Walking tour of Lamu Old Town (UNESCO)
- Sunset dhow cruise across the channel
- Shela Beach dunes — 12 km of empty sand
- Swahili cookery class
- Hand-carved door & jewellery workshops
In pictures
Postcards from Kenya
Highlights
Don't leave without doing this
Travel here
Packages that include Kenya
Nine-day family-friendly adventure: safari, beach, and the Giraffe Centre.
A week of white sand, snorkelling and Swahili sunsets on Kenya's south coast.
Six-day traverse via Sirimon ascent and Chogoria descent to Point Lenana (4,985m).