Lamu

Getting to Lamu

Lamu town on Lamu island is most easily reached by air at Manda Airport, either directly from Nairobi (Jambojet and Fly 540 from Jomo Kenyatta airport; Safarilink and Air Kenya fly from Wilson Airport), Mombasa (Mombasa Safari Air), or Malindi (Jambojet and Fly 540). The airport is on Manda Island opposite the main village necessitating a five-minute boat ride.

Worth seeing

The main attraction is the old town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001) with its winding streets and traditional houses.

1. 01
   Lamu Fort

   Constructed between 1813 and 1821 by the sultans of Pate Island, with Omani assistance.

2. 02
   Lamu Museum

   Built in 1891, the Lamu Museum was the former residence of the British Governors during the colonial era.

3. 03
   Takwa Ruins

   Takwa was founded around 1500 and probably abandoned around 1700.

4. 04
   Masjid Riyadha

Things to do

Dhow sailing. You can explore the Lamu archipelago by dhow, a traditional Arab sailing vessel with one or more lateen sails. Dhow trips are relatively inexpensive and you can go as far as Manda Island, Takwa Ruins or Matondoni. Kiwayu is the most pristine of the islands and it is in a biosphere reserve. Prices start at Ksh 3000 for a 2-hour sunset trip with no food, and increases from there. Kite surfing.

1. 01
   Shela Beach

   On the south end of the Lamu island is a beautiful stretch of white sand and tiny broken sea shells.

2. 02
   Kipungani Beach

   Lonely secluded beach on Lamu, which is accessible by boat or by a longer beach walk.

3. 03
   Manda Beach

   Ideal for walking, but also kitesurfing, snorkelling and other water sports offered.

4. 04
   Takwa Beach

   Long, lonely sandy beach on the island of Manda with the idyllic dune landscape.

5. 05
   Manda Bay
6. 06
   Manda Toto

   Small uninhabited island with lonely dream beaches, very good for snorkelling.

Where to eat

The seafront restaurants in Lamu Town offer excellent seafood at reasonable prices. Delve further back from the dock for more traditional Swahili fare. Traditionally, the food is eaten with your fingers. Sometimes it is good to bring your own utensils, otherwise you will find yourself trying to eat oil-soaked rice with your fingers - not the easiest task. All better restaurants provide cutlery, if you want.

1. 01
   Forodhani Amu

   Serves chicken biryani as well as small shawarma wraps (in case you need your kebab fix) and fries.

2. 02
   Rangaleni Cafe

   Try the meat stew – meat so tender it breaks apart on your spoon.

3. 03
   Sailors Joint

   Try the curry fish!

4. 04
   The Seafront Cafe

   Corniche Path,.

5. 05
   Peponi Hotel Restaurant

Getting around Lamu the local way

There are no cars on Lamu Island, so every arrival ends in a boat: most visitors fly into Manda airstrip and cross the channel in five minutes, the overland alternative is a coach down the Garsen–Witu–Lamu road to Mokowe jetty and a public or hired speedboat from there, and once on the island you move by boat, boda-boda, donkey or on foot.

1. 01
   Scheduled flights to Manda Airportscheduled flight

   Nairobi Wilson or Nairobi JKIA to Manda (LAU), Safarilink routing via Malindi and Skyward via Mombasa

   Where

   Book direct with Safarilink, Skyward Airlines or Jambojet. Safarilink flights 51 and 52 run Wilson – Malindi – Lamu – Malindi – Wilson. Manda airstrip is on Manda Island, not Lamu Island, so the flight is only the first half of the journey.

   When

   Daily on all three carriers. Safarilink flight 51 leaves Wilson 14:00 and lands 16:15; flight 52 leaves Lamu 16:45 and lands at Wilson 19:15, or Malindi 17:15. Peponi lists Jambojet JKIA 09:00–10:20 and Skyward Wilson 10:00–12:10 via Mombasa.

   Fare (2026)

   Safarilink US$230 one way, US$390 return, low and high season, before taxes (2026 timetable). Skyward advertises Lamu from Ksh 11,000 (2026). Bookaway lists the Mombasa–Lamu flight at about US$54 and Malindi–Lamu at US$45–138.

   Takes

   About 2h 15m Wilson to Lamu including the Malindi stop; roughly 40 minutes Mombasa to Lamu and 25–30 minutes Malindi to Lamu

   Season

   Year-round daily service. Safarilink's low season is 1 April to 15 June and 1 November to 15 December; the Lamu fare is the same in both seasons.

   Booking

   Online with each airline. Safarilink baggage on the Lamu route is limited to 20 kg per person including hand baggage, in soft bags; check-in closes 60 minutes before departure.

   Sources: storage.aerocrs.com (2026-01) · flysafarilink.com (2026-09) · skywardairlines.com (2026-09) · confidence high

2. 02
   Manda airstrip jetty to Lamu Town or Shelaboat

   Manda Island jetty across the channel to Lamu Town seafront, or south-west to Shela

   Where

   Walk from the airstrip to the jetty a few minutes away; boats meet every flight. Hotels in Shela send their own boat and staff meet guests at the airstrip, so say which hotel you are going to before you agree a price with a freelance boatman.

   When

   Boats run with the flights, morning and afternoon; no timetable

   Fare (2026)

   Wikivoyage says the Lamu Town crossing should not cost more than Ksh 200, and Shela is Ksh 1,500, or Ksh 1,200 if you negotiate. Hotel transfers are usually included or billed by the hotel.

   Takes

   About five minutes to Lamu Town, longer to Shela

   Season

   Year-round; short crossing sheltered inside the channel

   Booking

   None for the public boats, pay the boatman. Hotel boats are arranged with the room booking.

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · peponihotel.com (2026-09) · confidence high

3. 03
   Mombasa and Malindi coaches to Mokowebus

   Mombasa via Malindi, Garsen and Witu to Mokowe, the mainland port opposite Lamu Island

   Where

   Coaches leave from the Mombasa bus stages in the morning. Tawakal and Najaah are the two express operators named on Wikivoyage; Bookaway sells Tawakal Coach. Book a seat at the front of the bus in advance. The bus ends at Mokowe, about 3.5 km from the jetty, and you finish the trip by boat.

   When

   A handful of morning departures; Bookaway shows Mombasa departures between 10:00 and 11:00

   Fare (2026)

   Bookaway lists the Mombasa–Lamu bus from about US$27

   Takes

   5–7 hours from Mombasa depending on road conditions. Peponi tells guests to allow a seven-hour drive from Mombasa and at least four hours from Malindi.

   Season

   Year-round, but the Lamu–Witu–Garsen road floods in the long rains and has been closed by water in the past. A night-movement ban has applied in Lamu County since 2017; the High Court suspended it on 23 May 2026 and police were still enforcing it days later, so assume daylight travel only and check locally.

   Booking

   At the bus office in Mombasa or Malindi, or online through Bookaway

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · bookaway.com (2026-09) · peponihotel.com (2026-09) · confidence medium

4. 04
   Minjila – Mokowe matatusmatatu

   Minjila junction on the Mombasa–Garissa road to Mokowe jetty

   Where

   In Minjila the matatus park at the intersection with the road to Lamu. Useful if you are coming from Garissa or anywhere not served by a direct Lamu coach: take a Mombasa-bound bus as far as Minjila and change there.

   When

   Leave when full through the day; no timetable

   Fare (2025)

   Ksh 500–1,000, depending on the driver and on whether you look like a foreigner (Wikivoyage, prices as of 2025)

   Takes

   About 2 hours

   Season

   Year-round; the same flooding and night-travel restrictions apply as on the coaches

   Booking

   None, pay the conductor

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

5. 05
   Mokowe jetty boats to Lamu Townboat

   Mokowe (Kikoni) landing site on the mainland to the Lamu Town seafront

   Where

   The jetty is about 3.5 km past Mokowe town at the end of the Garsen–Witu–Lamu highway; cars are left parked there. Three kinds of boat wait side by side. You will be met by touts, each claiming his boat is the fastest, so choose by the price quoted rather than the promise: Ksh 100–200 means the slow public boat, Ksh 300 the shared speedboat, Ksh 1,000 a private one.

   When

   Through the day. The public boat leaves only when it is full, the shared speedboat once it fills, a private boat immediately.

   Fare (2025)

   Public boat Ksh 100–200 per person, shared speedboat Ksh 300 per person, private speedboat Ksh 1,000 (Wikivoyage, prices as of 2025)

   Takes

   About 15 minutes by speedboat; the slow public boat can take hours including the wait

   Season

   Year-round. Fares have risen sharply in recent years and were the subject of local complaint in 2024.

   Booking

   None, pay at the jetty. You can usually negotiate to be dropped at Shela instead of Lamu Town.

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikipedia.org (2026-09) · openstreetmap.org (2026-09) · confidence high

6. 06
   Lamu Town – Shela – Matondoni local boatswater taxi

   Lamu Town seafront to Shela in the south and Matondoni on the north-west coast

   Where

   Boats wait along the Lamu Town waterfront by the main jetty, near the fort end of the seafront promenade; walk down and ask for Shela or Matondoni. Shela is 3.2 km south of Lamu Town and Matondoni 7.3 km west, and Matondoni has a modern jetty of its own. Boats are the only way to reach Matondoni other than walking.

   When

   Informal, all day; boats leave when they have enough passengers, and are far more frequent to Shela than to Matondoni

   Fare (2026)

   Not published. Agree the price before boarding; expect to pay well under the Ksh 1,500 quoted for an airport transfer to Shela.

   Takes

   Roughly 15 minutes to Shela, longer around the north of the island to Matondoni

   Season

   Year-round, but crossings to Matondoni and Kipungani depend on the tide

   Booking

   None, pay the boatman

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikipedia.org (2026-09) · openstreetmap.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

7. 07
   Shela – Lamu Town boda-bodamoto taxi

   Along the shore between Lamu Town and Shela village

   Where

   Riders wait at the end of the Lamu Town seafront and at the Shela jetty. This is the land alternative to the boat and saves a 45-minute walk in the heat; two passengers on one bike get a small discount.

   When

   On demand through the day

   Fare (2025)

   Ksh 100–150 at low tide, Ksh 250–300 at high tide (Wikivoyage, prices as of 2025)

   Takes

   Around 10 minutes, longer at high tide when the bikes have to leave the beach

   Season

   Year-round, but the price and the route both change with the tide

   Booking

   None, agree the fare first

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

8. 08
   Donkeys and walking in Lamu Old Townmule

   Inside Lamu Town and between the island's villages

   Where

   You do not hire a donkey as a taxi. Donkeys are the island's lorries, carrying building material, water and luggage through lanes too narrow for vehicles, and hotels and porters will arrange one for bags. Private cars are banned, so for people the choice is walk, boda-boda or boat.

   When

   Constant; donkeys are everywhere in the old town

   Fare (2026)

   Negotiated with the owner for luggage; there is no fare for walking

   Takes

   Lamu Town to Shela is about 45 minutes on foot along the shore

   Season

   Year-round. The shore path between Lamu Town and Shela is easiest at low tide.

   Booking

   None

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikipedia.org (2026-09) · en.wikipedia.org (2026-09) · confidence high

9. 09
   Dhow and motorboat trips to Manda, Takwa, Pate and Kiwayuboat

   Lamu Town or Shela out to Manda Island and Takwa, north to Pate Island and Faza, and on to Kiwayu in the Kiunga Marine National Reserve

   Where

   Dhow captains find you on the Lamu Town seafront and at the Shela jetty; hotels will also put you with a captain they know. For the outer islands ask about the working boats rather than tourist dhows, and go early in the day. Takwa on Manda can only be reached at high tide.

   When

   Tourist dhow trips daily on demand. Boats to Pate and the far north run irregularly and follow the tide.

   Fare (2026)

   Dhow trips start at Ksh 3,000 for a two-hour sunset sail with no food. A boat to the Takwa Ruins from Shela is about Ksh 5,000 for up to four people. Fares to Pate and Kiwayu are negotiated, not posted.

   Takes

   Two hours for a sunset dhow trip. Faza on Pate is about four hours by boat from Lamu. Kiwayu is seven hours by dhow or two hours by motorboat.

   Season

   Sailing dhows depend on the monsoon winds. Lamu is warmest December to April and coolest May to July; the long rains make the open crossings north rougher.

   Booking

   Arranged the day before on the seafront or through a hotel

   Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikipedia.org (2026-09) · en.wikipedia.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

Not yet confirmed: No source found that gives a fare for the everyday public water taxi between Lamu Town and Shela or Matondoni. Wikivoyage prices the airport transfer and the Mokowe crossing but not the intra-island hops. Ask at the Lamu Town jetty and expect to negotiate.; There is no published timetable for boats to Pate Island, Faza, Kizingitini or Kiwayu. Durations here come from Wikipedia articles on Faza and Kiwayu, not from an operator. Ask at the Lamu Town jetty the evening before; departures follow the tide.; Safarilink's own site lists Manda–Kiwayu as a route on Wikipedia's airport page, but Kiwayu does not appear in Safarilink's 2026 timetable. Treat it as charter or seasonal until confirmed with the airline.; The brief described a police convoy on the Mombasa–Lamu road. What could be confirmed is a night-movement ban across Lamu County imposed in 2017 after Al-Shabaab attacks, covering 18:00 to 07:00. The High Court suspended it on 23 May 2026 pending a petition, and police were reported still enforcing it afterwards. No 2023-or-later source was found confirming that daytime escorted convoys still run, so do not assume either way – check with the bus office in Mombasa on the day.; Wikivoyage dates its Mokowe ferry, matatu and boda-boda prices to 2025 but not the Manda airport transfer figures; those are recorded here as seen in 2026 and may be older.; Local complaint about boat fare rises was reported in January 2024 by The Eastleigh Voice, but the article itself could not be opened, so no current official tariff for Lamu boat crossings could be cited.; No usable source was found for the kaskazi and kusi monsoon dates as they affect Lamu boat travel. Kaskazi is the Swahili north wind and kusi the south wind, but the sailing calendar could not be pinned to months from a citable source..

The field note on Lamu reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.