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3-star hotels in Lamu
A shortlist of 3-star hotels in Lamu, drawn from the 40 places this site lists on the island. It is for travellers who want Swahili coast character and a known guest score rather than a resort chain, whether they come as a couple, with family or for a short break.
Staying in Lamu
Lamu is a town on Lamu Island in Lamu County, Kenya, about 465 km east of Nairobi in a straight line. Its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest living Swahili towns, and that is what most people come to see, along with the Swahili culture and the beach at Shela village. The island has almost no cars: people walk, ride donkeys or take boats. The hotels on this shortlist sit in three parts of the island. Couples and short-break visitors tend to favour the Shela beach side, while guests who want to be near the old town and its lanes look at the Lamu addresses. Families are served by the larger, well-reviewed houses.
The shortlist
Ranked by hotel class, then guest rating and number of reviews.
Peponi Hotel
Shela Beach
Why stay herePeponi Hotel sits on Shela Beach, one of the best-reviewed 3-star addresses in Lamu, with a guest rating of 4.5 out of 5 across 673 reviews. Travellers who want a beachfront base in Shela and a long track record of satisfied guests will find it a natural first choice for a Lamu stay.
See Peponi HotelKijani Hotel
Off Corniche Path Shela Village
Why stay hereSet off Corniche Path in Shela Village, Kijani Hotel has earned a guest rating of 4.4 out of 5 from 226 reviews. It suits travellers who would rather stay inside the village itself, close to Shela's lanes and its beach, than in a more isolated setting.
See Kijani HotelLamu Palace
Lamu
Why stay hereLamu Palace is a 3-star hotel in Lamu with a guest rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 90 reviews. Guests looking for a well-regarded stay on the main island, with the town's harbour and old streets nearby, will find it a solid pick.
See Lamu PalaceFatumas Tower
Shela Beach Lamu 80500 Shela
Why stay hereFatumas Tower stands at Shela Beach and holds the highest guest rating in this shortlist at 4.7 out of 5, though from a small base of 37 reviews. It appeals to travellers who want a beachfront position in Shela and are willing to book on the strength of a compact but enthusiastic review record.
See Fatumas TowerMsafini MangoTop Roof Hotel
Off Cornishe Path 08500
Why stay hereMsafini MangoTop Roof Hotel is found off Cornishe Path and scores 4.1 out of 5 from 169 reviews. With a steady volume of guest feedback, it suits travellers who want a 3-star stay in Shela with a proven, if moderate, level of satisfaction.
See Msafini MangoTop Roof HotelLamu Sunsail Hotel
Kenyatta Road
Why stay hereLamu Sunsail Hotel sits on Kenyatta Road with a guest rating of 3.8 out of 5 from 176 reviews. Its central address in Lamu town suits travellers who want to be among the streets and markets of the old town and are comfortable with a more modest guest score.
See Lamu Sunsail HotelKipungani Explorer
Lamu
Why stay hereKipungani Explorer is listed in Lamu with a 3-star class and a perfect guest rating of 5.0 out of 5 — drawn from just 1 review, so treat the score as a single guest's impression. It fits travellers curious about a quieter, less-reviewed option in the area.
See Kipungani ExplorerDiamond Beach Village
Plot 4 Ras Kitau Shela
Why stay hereDiamond Beach Village is a 3-star hotel at Plot 4 Ras Kitau in Shela, placing it on the beach side of the village. With no guest rating or reviews recorded here, it is best suited to travellers who prefer to judge a place for themselves rather than rely on scores.
See Diamond Beach VillageThe Red Pepper House
Coconut Beach
Why stay hereThe Red Pepper House is a 3-star hotel at Coconut Beach, giving guests a beach setting within the Lamu area. No guest rating or review count is recorded for it, so it suits travellers who are comfortable choosing a 3-star beach address without the backing of published feedback.
See The Red Pepper HouseJua House
Lamu
Why stay hereJua House is a 3-star hotel in Lamu with no guest rating or reviews recorded. It works for travellers who want a simple, classified stay on the island and who make their choice without relying on published guest scores.
See Jua HouseJamboHouse Lamu
Lamu
Why stay hereJamboHouse Lamu is listed as a 3-star hotel in Lamu. No guest rating or review count is available for it, so it is an option for travellers who are happy to book a straightforward 3-star address in the area on the strength of its classification alone.
See JamboHouse LamuJamala Guesthouse
Lamu
Why stay hereJamala Guesthouse is a 3-star property in Lamu with no guest rating or reviews recorded here. It suits travellers looking for a guesthouse-style stay on the island who do not need published scores to make their decision.
See Jamala GuesthouseMangrove House
Ras Kitau Manda Island
Why stay hereMangrove House is a 3-star hotel at Ras Kitau on Manda Island, across the water from Lamu town. With no guest rating or reviews recorded, it appeals to travellers who want an island setting away from the busiest streets and are content to choose without guest scores.
See Mangrove HouseStopover Guest House And Restaurant
Lamu
Why stay hereStopover Guest House And Restaurant is a 3-star property in Lamu with no guest rating or reviews recorded. The name points to an on-site restaurant, which suits travellers who would rather not go far for meals while staying on the island.
See Stopover Guest House And RestaurantPwani Guest House
Off Corniche Path
Why stay herePwani Guest House is a 3-star property off Corniche Path, in the Shela area of Lamu. No guest rating or review count is recorded for it, so it suits travellers who want a guesthouse base near the village and are comfortable booking without published feedback.
See Pwani Guest House
How to choose
Top guest scores
Fatumas Tower holds the highest score on the list at 4.7 out of 5, followed by Peponi Hotel and Lamu Palace, both at 4.5. Peponi Hotel's score rests on 673 reviews and Lamu Palace's on 90; Fatumas Tower has 37. Kipungani Explorer shows 5.0 from a single review.
Kipungani Explorer · Fatumas Tower · Peponi Hotel · Lamu Palace
Shela beach side
If you want the long beach at Shela rather than the old town lanes, these four carry Shela addresses. Peponi Hotel is on Shela Beach and scores 4.5 from 673 reviews; Kijani Hotel sits off Corniche Path in Shela Village at 4.4; Fatumas Tower is on Shela Beach at 4.7; Diamond Beach Village is at Plot 4 Ras Kitau.
Peponi Hotel · Kijani Hotel · Fatumas Tower · Diamond Beach Village
Most reviewed
Where a score is backed by a large number of stays, these stand out. Peponi Hotel has 673 reviews at 4.5 out of 5, Kijani Hotel 226 at 4.4, Lamu Sunsail Hotel on Kenyatta Road 176 at 3.8, and Msafini MangoTop Roof Hotel off Cornishe Path 169 at 4.1.
Peponi Hotel · Kijani Hotel · Lamu Sunsail Hotel · Msafini MangoTop Roof Hotel
Lamu town addresses
For a base addressed to Lamu itself rather than Shela, this group covers the town. Lamu Palace scores 4.5 from 90 reviews, while Jua House, JamboHouse Lamu, Jamala Guesthouse and Stopover Guest House And Restaurant are all addressed to Lamu.
Lamu Palace · Jua House · JamboHouse Lamu · Jamala Guesthouse · Stopover Guest House And Restaurant
Where to stay in Lamu
Shela
Shela village has a long beach, and these hotels carry Shela addresses: Peponi Hotel on Shela Beach, Kijani Hotel off Corniche Path in Shela Village, Fatumas Tower on Shela Beach, and Diamond Beach Village at Plot 4 Ras Kitau. It is a quiet beach side of the island, reached on foot, by donkey or by boat.
Our picks here: Peponi Hotel · Kijani Hotel · Fatumas Tower · Diamond Beach Village
Kenyatta Road
Lamu Sunsail Hotel is addressed to Kenyatta Road in Lamu town. It is the most reviewed of the town-side hotels here, with 176 reviews and a score of 3.8 out of 5, for travellers who want a town address rather than the Shela beach strip.
Our picks here: Lamu Sunsail Hotel
Ras Kitau
Mangrove House is addressed to Ras Kitau on Manda Island, across the channel from Lamu town and Shela. It stands apart from the island's beach and town addresses, which suits guests who want to be away from the lanes and the Shela beachfront.
Our picks here: Mangrove House
Plan your stay
Getting there and around
Flights land at Manda Airport across the channel, a short boat ride away. That crossing is the usual arrival into Lamu, and boats link the airport with the island. Once you are on Lamu Island, the way around is on foot, by donkey or by boat, because the island has almost no cars. Stays in the centre are searched and booked through IMPT, the booking partner behind this site, and availability is checked live for your dates rather than quoted as a standing rate.
When to go
Lamu sits on the Swahili coast of Kenya, so the year divides into a hot, dry stretch and the long and short rains, with the coast generally warmest in the months around the turn of the year and cooler, wetter spells in the middle of the year. The island's sights, the old town and the beach at Shela, are outdoor ones, so plan around the rains rather than for a season of indoor visits.
Things to do near Lamu
Questions, answered
Which hotel here has the highest guest score?
Fatumas Tower, on Shela Beach, scores 4.7 out of 5 from 37 reviews. Peponi Hotel and Lamu Palace follow at 4.5, backed by 673 and 90 reviews respectively, and Kijani Hotel scores 4.4 from 226 reviews.
Which hotels are closest to the centre of Lamu?
Hotels addressed to Lamu itself are the town-side group: Lamu Palace, Jua House, JamboHouse Lamu, Jamala Guesthouse, Stopover Guest House And Restaurant and Kipungani Explorer. Lamu Sunsail Hotel is on Kenyatta Road in the town.
Which hotels are best for families?
Lamu Palace, with 90 reviews at 4.5, gives families a Lamu town address instead of the beach.
Which hotels are on or near the beach?
Peponi Hotel and Fatumas Tower are both addressed to Shela Beach, and Diamond Beach Village is at Plot 4 Ras Kitau. Shela village has a long beach, and these are the Shela-side addresses on this shortlist.
Which hotels are in Shela village?
Kijani Hotel is off Corniche Path in Shela Village, Peponi Hotel and Fatumas Tower are on Shela Beach, and Diamond Beach Village is at Plot 4 Ras Kitau. Msafini MangoTop Roof Hotel and Pwani Guest House are both off Corniche Path without Shela named in the address.
Can I get around without a car?
Yes. Lamu Island has almost no cars, so people walk, ride donkeys or take boats. Flights land at Manda Airport across the channel, a short boat ride away, which is how most visitors reach the island.
What is there to see in Lamu?
Lamu Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest living Swahili towns, and Shela village has a long beach. The town and the Swahili culture are the main reasons people stay on the island.