One of the best hotels in Lamu is Peponi. It's been run by the same family in Shela village since the 1960s, it sits right where the beach begins, and its terrace is still the place everyone ends up at sunset. For a full beach resort with pools, book The Majlis across the channel on Manda Island. For barefoot, all-inclusive seclusion, book Manda Bay at the island's northern tip. Kizingo is the eco-lodge pick, and Lamu House is the best base in the UNESCO-listed Old Town. Expect roughly $400 a night at Peponi and $450 to $750 per person a night, full board, at Manda Bay. December to March and July to October are the best months to go.
Our Top 5 Lamu Picks
Best overall: Peponi
Best resort: The Majlis
Best for seclusion: Manda Bay
Best eco-lodge: Kizingo
Best in Old Town: Lamu House
Where to Stay in the Lamu Archipelago
Lamu isn't one place. It's a cluster of islands off Kenya's northern coast, and there are almost no cars. You get around by dhow, speedboat, donkey or on foot. That's a big part of the magic, and it makes your choice of base matter.
Lamu Old Town is the oldest continuously lived-in Swahili town in East Africa and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's all narrow coral-stone lanes, carved wooden doors, mosques and donkeys. Stay here for the culture, not the beach.
Shela is a quieter village about two miles down the coast. It has the long dune-backed beach, the best-known hotels and the sunset crowd on Peponi's terrace. It's the best base for most first trips.
Manda Island sits across the channel from Shela. It's where the airstrip is, and it has the bigger resorts and the most seclusion. You'll take a boat for anything off property.
The southern tip of Lamu Island, near Kipungani and Kizingoni, is wild and empty. It's the place for eco-lodges and turtle beaches.
If you're combining Lamu with a safari, which most people do, our guide to the best family safari hotels in Africa and our Africa travel hub cover the other half of the trip.
The Best Hotels in Lamu
Peponi
Peponi is Lamu's most famous hotel, and it deserves the reputation. The Korschen family has run it since the 1960s. It sits at the edge of Shela village, right where the long beach begins, and the terrace is where half the archipelago turns up for sundowners. It feels like a real place with a history, not a resort.
There are about 28 rooms and suites. Book a Superior room for the private roof terrace. The suites are air-conditioned apartments with kitchens, which work well for families and longer stays. Standard rooms don't have air-conditioning, so ask before you book. The restaurant is excellent, with a big focus on seafood. There's a pool, and the hotel can arrange dhow sunset cruises, snorkeling, water-skiing and diving.
Rates start around $400 a night, and five-night beach packages run about $2,200 to $2,700 per person. Drinks are extra.
The trade-off is that it's busy. Non-guests come for lunch and sundowners, so it's social rather than private. Kids of any age are welcome, but the hotel says it suits couples and older teens best.
Best for: First-timers, couples and anyone who wants to be in the middle of Shela life.
The Majlis
The Majlis is the closest thing Lamu has to a full beach resort. It sits on the west shore of Manda Island, across the channel from Shela and about 15 minutes by boat from the airstrip. It started as a holiday home for an Italian family, opened as a hotel in 2009, and is now run by the founder's sons. The architecture borrows from Lamu tradition, with carved doors, plasterwork and makuti palm roofs, and there's art throughout, including work by Julian Schnabel.
There are about 25 rooms and suites across three villas. Ask for a Deluxe room with a beach-facing veranda, or one of the bigger suites in the original Majlis Villa. There are two large pools, a long beach and a sunset bar upstairs. Kayaks, paddleboards and sailing are free. Kitesurfing, snorkeling and game fishing cost extra.
Rates start around $700 a night, full board.
The trade-off is food and atmosphere. Some reviewers find the cooking only fine and the public spaces a bit uneven. It's more polished than Peponi, but it has less soul.
Best for: Families, honeymooners who want a pool and anyone who wants resort comfort in Lamu.
Manda Bay
Manda Bay is the barefoot escape. It's a family-owned lodge on its own beach at the northern end of Manda Island, with 22 open-sided cottages called bandas. They have palm-thatched roofs, no glass in the windows and big bathrooms. You fall asleep to the sea. It's full board, so everything is planned around the water. That means sundowners, seafood lunches and candlelit beach dinners.
This is the place for activities. There's water-skiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, kayaking through the mangroves, deep-sea fishing for marlin and sailfish, and snorkeling at Manda Toto, where green turtles are common. There are also sunset bush drives in the Manda conservancy and trips to the ancient Takwa ruins. It's a strong pick for families and multigenerational groups.
Rates run roughly $450 to $750 per person per night, full board.
The trade-off is isolation. Lamu Old Town and Shela are a boat ride away, so you'll visit rather than wander.
Best for: Families, groups and anyone who wants to spend the whole day on the water.
Kizingo
Kizingo is the eco-lodge pick, and it's one of the most beautiful places to stay on the Kenyan coast. It sits on the wild southwest tip of Lamu Island, about 30 minutes by speedboat from the airstrip, on a huge empty beach. The van Aardt family built it in 2003 and still run it. There are just eight bandas, made from wood and palm leaves and spaced well apart, each with a shaded veranda and swing bed.
Green sea turtles nest on the beaches here from about October to June, and if your timing is right you can watch hatchlings make it to the sea. It's full board, with drinks extra. Two of the bandas work for families, and the lodge says it gets lots of kids aged 5 to 10.
The trade-off is the season. Kizingo opens from July 1 to April 30 and closes in May and June. It's also remote, so plan to stay put.
Best for: Nature lovers, families with older kids and anyone who wants an empty beach.
Lamu House
Lamu House is the best place to stay in the Old Town. It's a pair of restored Swahili houses on the seafront, with about 12 rooms and suites. They have carved plaster, high ceilings and rooftop terraces looking out over the dhows. Staying here means you're steps from the town's lanes, markets and mosques. That's the best way to see Lamu when the day-trippers have gone home.
The trade-off is the beach, which is about a 40-minute walk along the waterfront or a short boat ride away in Shela. The Old Town is also noisy in a lively way, with prayers, donkeys and boat traffic from early morning.
Best for: Culture lovers, photographers and anyone who wants the real Lamu.
Kijani House
Kijani House is a small garden hotel in Shela with about ten rooms and suites, set around courtyards full of bougainvillea and palms. It's quieter and more intimate than Peponi, but still just a short walk from the beach and village. It's the one to book if you want Shela without the scene.
The trade-off is facilities. It's small, so there's less on-site dining and activity than at the bigger hotels.
Best for: Couples and longer, slower stays.
Banana House & Wellness Centre
Banana House is the wellness pick in Shela. It's a small boutique guesthouse about five minutes' walk from Peponi and the beach, with yoga, massage and a calm, leafy setting. It's good value for Lamu and a good fit for solo travelers or anyone who wants to reset.
The trade-off is that it's a guesthouse, not a hotel, so service and food are simpler.
Best for: Yoga trips, solo travelers and value-minded stays.
Check rates at Banana House & Wellness Centre
Best Time to Visit and Book Lamu
The best time to visit Lamu is December through March. It's hot and dry, the sea is calm and it's peak season, so book Peponi and Manda Bay months ahead for Christmas and New Year. July through October is the other good window. It's dry, a little cooler and quieter, with good dhow sailing.
June and November are shoulder months, with some rain and lower prices. April and May bring the long rains, and some smaller lodges close. Kizingo, for example, closes in May and June. If you're planning a June trip, check each hotel's dates before you build around it.
The Maulidi festival, celebrating the Prophet Muhammad's birthday, is Lamu's biggest event. Its date moves about 11 days earlier each year, so check the date for your year and book well ahead if it falls during your trip.
Getting to Lamu
Fly. Lamu's airport is on Manda Island, about an hour and a half from Nairobi on Safarilink, Skyward Express or Jambojet, with flights from Mombasa and Malindi too. Your hotel will meet you at the airstrip and take you across the channel by boat. Don't drive. The UK government currently advises against all travel to Lamu County except Lamu Island and Manda Island, so fly in and out and check your government's latest advice before you go.
Most people pair Lamu with a few nights in Nairobi and a safari. It's a natural way to end a trip, because there's no better place to do nothing after early game drives.
How to Choose a Lamu Hotel
Start with what you want your days to look like. If you want to wander, eat out and watch village life, stay in Shela at Peponi or Kijani House, or in Old Town at Lamu House. If you want to stay put and live in a swimsuit, book The Majlis or Manda Bay on Manda Island. If you want nature and empty beaches, book Kizingo.
With kids, Manda Bay and The Majlis are the strongest picks, with space, activities and pools at The Majlis. Peponi's suites work well for families too. For a couple, Peponi is the classic, Manda Bay is the barefoot splurge and Kizingo is the most romantic.
If you can't decide, book Peponi. It's the safest all-round choice in Lamu.
FAQ
What is the best hotel in Lamu? Peponi in Shela is the best all-round hotel in Lamu. The Majlis is the best full resort, and Manda Bay is the best for seclusion.
Is it better to stay in Shela or Lamu Old Town? Shela for most visitors. It has the beach and the best hotels. Old Town is better if you care more about culture than the beach.
Is Lamu safe to visit? Lamu Island and Manda Island are popular with visitors, and the UK government currently excludes them from its advice against travel to the rest of Lamu County. Fly in rather than driving, and check your government's latest advisory before you book.
How do you get to Lamu? Fly to Lamu Airport on Manda Island, about 90 minutes from Nairobi. Hotels arrange the boat transfer from the airstrip.
When is the best time to visit Lamu? December through March for hot, dry weather and calm seas. July through October is also good and quieter. Avoid April and May, when the long rains arrive.
Is Lamu good for families? Yes. Manda Bay and The Majlis are the best family picks, with space, water sports and full board. There are almost no cars, which makes it easy with kids.
How many days do you need in Lamu? Four to six nights is ideal. That gives you time for Old Town, a dhow trip and real time on the beach.