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4- and 5-star hotels in Lamu
A shortlist of the 4- and 5-star hotels in Lamu, on Lamu Island in Lamu County, Kenya. It is for travellers who want the old Swahili town, the Shela beach or a quiet island house, and want the choice made simple.
Staying in Lamu
Lamu is a town on Lamu Island in Lamu County, Kenya, about 465 km east of Nairobi in a straight line. Lamu Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest living Swahili towns, and visitors come for the old town and the Swahili culture. There are almost no cars on the island: people walk, ride donkeys or take boats, and Shela village has a long beach. Kenyatta Road, Behind Lamu Fort, Corniche Path and Lamu Town put you in or beside the old town. Shela Village, Pw47 G3v Shela Plot 806 Block Iv and Lamu Road are in Shela, near the beach. Ras Kitau Bay Manda Island, Kizingoni Beach and Plot 318 Lamu Island stand apart, reached by boat. It suits couples and short breaks, and the larger houses suit families.
The shortlist
Ranked by hotel class, then guest rating and number of reviews.
The Majlis Resort
Ras Kitau Bay Manda Island
Why stay hereSet on Manda Island at Ras Kitau Bay, this 5-star resort has earned a 4.4 out of 5 from 603 guests. Its island address suits travellers who want the widest stretch of Lamu's waters around them and a setting far from the town streets. Couples, families and groups all fit the scale of a full resort, and the ferry ride across to Lamu Town turns the old town into a day out rather than a doorstep.
See The Majlis ResortLamu House Hotel
Kenyatta Road
Why stay hereA 4-star house on Kenyatta Road, right in the middle of Lamu Town, with a guest rating of 4.3 out of 5 across 47 reviews. Staying here puts the lanes, the market and the waterfront within a walk rather than a boat ride. It suits travellers who would rather step out of the door into the town than commute to it, and who value a small, reviewed house over a large resort.
See Lamu House HotelSubira House
Behind Lamu Fort
Why stay hereThis 4-star house stands behind Lamu Fort, so the old town's landmark is your neighbour. Guests who want to spend their days inside the historic quarter, among the carved doors and narrow streets, are the ones this address is built for. Being tucked behind the fort keeps the house in the quiet of the town's interior while the seafront stays close at hand.
See Subira HouseBanana House and Wellness Centre
Plot 318 Lamu Island
Why stay hereA 4-star option on Lamu Island, this house pairs a stay with a wellness centre on the same plot. That combination suits travellers who want treatments and quiet built into their days rather than arranged elsewhere on the island. It works well for a slower trip: rest at the house, then the island beyond Plot 318 whenever you feel like moving.
See Banana House and Wellness CentreJahazi House Lamu
Kizingoni Beach Lamu Kenya
Why stay hereJahazi House sits at Kizingoni Beach on Lamu, which makes the beach the reason to choose it. This 4-star house suits guests who want the island's sand at their feet and the sea as the constant backdrop, rather than a base in the town lanes. Couples and families happy to spend their days by the water, with Lamu's other corners reached when they choose, fit here.
See Jahazi House LamuAuthentic Swahili style villa Milele House
Lamu
Why stay hereMilele House is a 4-star villa built in authentic Swahili style on Lamu, so the architecture is part of the stay itself. Guests drawn to the island's traditional building craft, rather than a modern resort look, will find the point of this house in its rooms and details. It suits those who want the whole villa feel: privacy, space and a Swahili setting around them.
See Authentic Swahili style villa Milele HousePwani House Lamu Seafront
Corniche Path
Why stay hereOn Corniche Path, this 4-star house faces the Lamu seafront. The waterfront position suits travellers who want to watch the dhows and the coming and going of the channel from where they are staying, with the old town behind them. It is a good fit for guests who prefer the edge of the island, where the sea is the first thing and the last thing they see each day.
See Pwani House Lamu SeafrontTtunu House
Ttunu House Lamu Town
Why stay hereTtunu House is a 4-star address within Lamu Town itself, so the historic quarter is the immediate surroundings. This suits travellers who came for the town: its streets, its fort and its waterfront, all reached without a crossing. Guests who like staying inside a place rather than beside it, and who want a house rather than a hotel floor, are the ones it serves.
See Ttunu HouseMbibo House in the Shela Dunes
Shela Village
Why stay hereIn Shela Village, among the dunes, this 4-star house trades the town's density for sand and open sky. Shela's village setting suits guests who want a stretch of coast on their side of the island and a calmer pace around them. It fits travellers who plan to spend their time between the beach and the village, with Lamu Town as an excursion rather than a daily route.
See Mbibo House in the Shela DunesBeautiful Villa in Shela Lamu
Lamu Road
Why stay hereThis 4-star villa on Lamu Road places guests in Shela, one of the island's best-known villages. The whole-villa arrangement suits families or groups who want the place to themselves, with the beach village around them. It is aimed at travellers who would rather have their own house in Shela than rooms in a larger property, and who want Lamu's coast within easy reach.
See Beautiful Villa in Shela LamuTulia House Lamu
Pw47 G3v Shela Plot 806 Block Iv
Why stay hereTulia House is a 4-star house at Shela on Lamu Island, in the village that sits along the shore. Its position suits guests who want to be in Shela rather than in the old town, with the beach and the village lanes as the everyday setting. Travellers looking for a quiet house base on this side of the island, with Lamu Town a boat ride away, are the fit.
See Tulia House Lamu
How to choose
For beach stays
Shela has the long beach, and Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes, Beautiful Villa in Shela Lamu and Tulia House Lamu sit in Shela Village and Lamu Road. Jahazi House Lamu is on Kizingoni Beach. All are 4-star. Shela is a short boat or walk from the old town.
Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes · Beautiful Villa in Shela Lamu · Tulia House Lamu · Jahazi House Lamu
For the old town
Lamu House Hotel on Kenyatta Road, Subira House behind Lamu Fort, Pwani House Lamu Seafront on Corniche Path and Ttunu House in Lamu Town all put you in or beside the historic streets. Each is 4-star. Choose these to be among the old town at walking pace.
Lamu House Hotel · Subira House · Pwani House Lamu Seafront · Ttunu House
For the top rating
The Majlis Resort is the only 5-star here and the highest rated, 4.4 out of 5 from 603 reviews, at Ras Kitau Bay on Manda Island. Lamu House Hotel is next, 4.3 out of 5 from 47 reviews. Both are the picks when the guest score decides.
For space to spread out
Authentic Swahili style villa Milele House, Ttunu House and Tulia House Lamu are 4-star houses rather than hotel rooms. They suit families and groups who want a whole house in Lamu, in Lamu Town or Shela, and cook and keep their own hours.
Authentic Swahili style villa Milele House · Ttunu House · Tulia House Lamu
Where to stay in Lamu
Lamu Town
The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest living Swahili towns, with almost no cars: you walk, ride a donkey or take a boat. Lamu House Hotel, Subira House, Pwani House Lamu Seafront and Ttunu House are here, on Kenyatta Road, behind Lamu Fort, on Corniche Path and in Lamu Town itself.
Our picks here: Ttunu House
Shela
Shela village has a long beach, on the same car-free island as the old town and reached on foot or by boat. Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes, Beautiful Villa in Shela Lamu and Tulia House Lamu are all in Shela, so the beach is the reason to base yourself here rather than in the town.
Our picks here: Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes · Tulia House Lamu
Manda Island
The Majlis Resort stands at Ras Kitau Bay on Manda Island, across the channel from Lamu Island. Flights land at Manda Airport across the channel, a short boat ride away, so this is the quiet, water-facing side of the stay rather than the old town streets.
Our picks here: The Majlis Resort
Plan your stay
Getting there and around
Flights land at Manda Airport across the channel, a short boat ride away. On the island, people walk, ride donkeys or take boats, and there are 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.
Things to do near Lamu
Questions, answered
Which hotel is closest to the centre of Lamu?
Lamu House Hotel on Kenyatta Road, Subira House behind Lamu Fort and Pwani House Lamu Seafront on Corniche Path are in the old town itself, so they are the closest to the centre. Ttunu House is in Lamu Town too. All four are 4-star.
Which is the best-rated hotel on this list?
The Majlis Resort at Ras Kitau Bay on Manda Island is the highest rated, 4.4 out of 5 from 603 reviews, and the only 5-star here. Lamu House Hotel follows at 4.3 out of 5 from 47 reviews.
Are there 5-star hotels in Lamu?
One on this list: The Majlis Resort, 5-star, at Ras Kitau Bay on Manda Island, rated 4.4 out of 5. Everything else here is 4-star, in the old town, in Shela or on Lamu Island.
Which hotels suit families?
The 4-star houses give families room: Authentic Swahili style villa Milele House in Lamu, Ttunu House in Lamu Town and Tulia House Lamu in Shela. Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes and Beautiful Villa in Shela Lamu are in Shela Village, near the beach.
Which hotels are near Shela beach?
Mbibo House in the Shela Dunes, Beautiful Villa in Shela Lamu and Tulia House Lamu are all in Shela, the village with the long beach. Jahazi House Lamu is on Kizingoni Beach. All are 4-star.
Is parking available at these hotels?
No parking details are given for any of these hotels, and Lamu has almost no cars: people walk, ride donkeys or take boats. If you need a car or parking, check directly with the hotel before you book.
Do any of these hotels have a pool or spa?
No pool or spa is listed for any of the hotels on this shortlist, so none can be promised. Banana House and Wellness Centre on Lamu Island names wellness in its name; ask the hotel what it offers before booking.
How do I reach these hotels?
Flights land at Manda Airport across the channel, a short boat ride away, and on the island people walk, ride donkeys or take boats. The Majlis Resort is on Manda Island, so ask the hotel about the boat crossing when you book.