Kizingo

Top choice in Lamu Island

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The owners describe this beautiful spot as 'no news, no shoes', which says it all really. It's at the end of the 12km stretch of beach that begins in Shela (a little beyond Kipungani). The bar serves up refreshing cocktails, the food is healthy and hip, and hostess Mary-Jo always has great stories to tell.

There are miles of empty beach for lazing about, swimming with wild dolphins, kitesurfing and windsurfing. Only local materials have been used in the construction of the six spacious bandas (thatched-roof huts), which are simple but chic.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • The Lamu Museum in Lamu, Kenya.

    Lamu Museum

    7.55 MILES

    The best museum in town (and the second best in Kenya) is housed in a grand Swahili warehouse on the waterfront. This is as good a gateway as you’ll get…

  • Shela beach in Lamu, Kenya.

    Shela Beach

    6.88 MILES

    Most people are here for the beach – a 12km-long, wide sweep of pristine white sand where you’re guaranteed an isolated spot (at least if you’re…

  • Takwa Ruins

    Takwa Ruins

    10.91 MILES

    What sets these ruins, the remains of a city that existed between the 15th and 17th centuries, apart from other archaeological sites on the coast? Quiet…

  • Shanga

    Shanga

    23.63 MILES

    Shanga, south of the village of Siyu, is the world's most complete example of a medieval Swahili town. Arguably the oldest archaeological site on the…

  • Nabahani Ruins

    Nabahani Ruins

    18.63 MILES

    Located just outside Paté Town, these ruins are slowly vanishing under a riot of tropical vegetation and banana plantations. There is nothing to stop you…

  • Donkey Sanctuary

    Donkey Sanctuary

    7.57 MILES

    A man without a donkey is a donkey, claims one Swahili proverb. Or, as the staff of this sanctuary might tell you, a man who doesn’t look after his donkey…

  • Siyu

    Siyu

    23.88 MILES

    It’s hard to believe today that Siyu was once the major city of the Lamu archipelago, with 30,000 inhabitants and several major universities. The only…

  • Paté

    Paté

    18.33 MILES

    Paté vllage, on the west side of the island, is a maze of streets carved out of orange and brown coral ragstone. The modern village itself is almost…

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Nearby Lamu Island attractions

1. Matondoni

4.82 MILES

The best place to see dhows being built is the village of Matondoni, in the island's northwest. It’s a peaceful little fishing village that receives few…

2. Shela Beach

6.88 MILES

Most people are here for the beach – a 12km-long, wide sweep of pristine white sand where you’re guaranteed an isolated spot (at least if you’re…

3. Lamu Market

7.44 MILES

Atmospheric and somewhat chaotic, this quintessential Lamu market is best visited early in the morning. Bargain for fresh tuna and sailfish, wade through…

4. Lamu Fort

7.46 MILES

This squat castle was built by the Sultan of Paté between 1810 and 1823. From 1910 right up to 1984 it was used as a prison. It now houses the island’s…

5. German Post Office Museum

7.46 MILES

In the late 1800s, before the British decided to nip German expansion into Tanganyika in the bud, the Germans regarded Lamu as an ideal base from which to…

6. Swahili House

7.49 MILES

This preserved 16th-century Swahili house, tucked away to the side of Yumbe Guest House, in a tranquil courtyard with a well, is beautiful. The entry fee…

7. Lamu Museum

7.55 MILES

The best museum in town (and the second best in Kenya) is housed in a grand Swahili warehouse on the waterfront. This is as good a gateway as you’ll get…

8. Donkey Sanctuary

7.57 MILES

A man without a donkey is a donkey, claims one Swahili proverb. Or, as the staff of this sanctuary might tell you, a man who doesn’t look after his donkey…