Lamu Old Town
Lamu Old Town
4.5
About
Distinctive architectural features in this old town center, such as enclosed courtyards and intricately carved doorways, exhibit the confluence of Arabic, Indian and European cultures.
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  • Barbara F
    Florence, Italy153 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Real life
    The old town is worth a visit but Shela is the place to stay. We visited the old town with a super nice guide named Banana and in 4 hours we saw its narrows streets and lots of artisans where we stopped and made some purchases but the prices are almost the same as in Shela which is way safer and quiet. I guess 4 hours in Old town are perfect.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 26, 2023
  • Jonathan K
    Princeton, New Jersey547 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This place might not be for everyone, but...
    Yes, it's shabby and gritty and there's donkey poop everywhere. It's a fascinating slice of real life with far more character than its whitewashed neighbor, Shela. I wandered the streets for hours, just listening to the singing and calls to prayer from the mosques, and watching people go about their daily lives. The people are incredibly kind and friendly; I cannot tell you how many friendly greetings I got from children and adults alike. Yes, you also will be approached by people wanting to sell you a tour or boat trip, but it's not constant and they readily take no for an answer. I stayed here for six nights and would highly recommend it to any traveler with an interest in culture and some sense of adventure.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 10, 2023
  • Dena D
    Bethlehem, Pennsylvania79 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating confluence of many cultures
    Fascinating confluence of many cultures. The manager of my hotel set me up with a terrific guide for only 1500 Kenya shillings and we walked around for a couple of hours. Lamu is very hot and sunny but the Old Town is shady because the streets are so narrow (people give way to donkeys). Everyone is very friendly, as is true all over Kenya. If you are staying on a different beach (e.g., Shela) you can come over by boat.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written February 15, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Tripsta007
London, UK14 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Friends
Loved Lamu Old Town. Take a guide to navigate the narrow street. 2 hours is the most you’ll need. Low rating given as I have no other way of commenting on my experience at a restaurant on the seafront that has a number of names including Sailors Joint - you’ll see it on the drinks cooler. Nice food. Paid by MPesa. Used account name on ‘Paybill’ option I have not used before. Three days later I received a scam call. When I asked who they wanted to speak with they repeated the account name so I know it only came from there. So, food was good. But be aware that folk there are looking to scam you. Wish the restaurant was listed on TA so I could comment in a more targeted way as I loved Lamu apart from that experience
Written October 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Yeri K
Kathmandu, Nepal3 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Friends
There were a few locals who were so kind to guide us through small allies when we were lost a multiple times during our visit(I was in old town for 4 days) but there were TOO MANY people who cat-call if you're female, try to get money out of you and just ...drunk. The town itself was very beautiful with such great architecture but it was difficult for us to enjoy the old town so much for the reasons above. But the worst part of all was the mistreatment of donkeys by locals - beating, overloading and not feeding them after long hours of the work. It was heart breaking to see these poor donkeys along with many cats who were also in a bad condition.

If you visit Lamu and want to make sure there's support for these poor donkeys, please go visit the Donkey Sanctuary in old town, talk with the vet and feel free to make generous donations. I was glad there are places like the sanctuary to treat the sick donkeys and educate the owners even though it sounded very challenging for the team in such environment.

There is also Lamu Welfare Clinic in town that treat the dogs and cats and also neuter them on the street every Monday. We visited the place with five kittens with a bad cat flu(their eyes were filled with pus) and paid the cost which felt more like donation for its work.

Please do visit both places if you want to help the animals in Lamu! They indeed need so much help.
Written February 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dena D
Bethlehem, PA79 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Solo
Fascinating confluence of many cultures. The manager of my hotel set me up with a terrific guide for only 1500 Kenya shillings and we walked around for a couple of hours. Lamu is very hot and sunny but the Old Town is shady because the streets are so narrow (people give way to donkeys). Everyone is very friendly, as is true all over Kenya. If you are staying on a different beach (e.g., Shela) you can come over by boat.
Written February 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brenda
Nairobi, Kenya4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022 • Friends
Lamu is one of the beautiful coastal towns in kenya, their culture is still intact, their buildings, architecture is Arabic beautiful old houses with big doors, a lot of the houses have rooftops for sunrise, sunset. The locals were nice you can do a boat trip during the day but be careful there's cons there. Be sure of the trip before paying or pay after the service. The beach us beautiful with less tourists....you can go to shela to enjoy the beach, or cross to the manda side...there is organised trips to takwa ruins during the day....and another of dhows in the evening for sundowners
The amazing thing was using the boat from the manda airport 😁ni taxis
Written March 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ian
Dallas, TX11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
Lamu Old Town is stunning. It's very different from the rest of Kenya. The waterfront location, narrow streets, open courtyards, donkeys, lack of cars, mosques and sleepy atmosphere really surprised me. I enjoyed getting lost in the alleys and taking in the sights and smells.
Written September 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Klim G
Lake Forest, CA65 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Solo
Lamu is wonderful, charming, authentic and friendly. It’s colorful, dirty and smelly. To get there you have to take a small 20 min. boat ride from the mainland and if the water is rough, the ride is challenging. I took a ride with 8 people and six goats in front of me, it was fun. I came to Lamu from Zanzibar and I like this island much more. If the old town is too much authentic for you, the 30 min walk and you are in a small village of Shela with elegant small hotels, clean tiny streets and the best sand beaches you will ever see.
If you will go there say hello to a friend of my Henry, he is selling a coffee on the front street.
I’ve been in over 120 countries.
Written April 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

shiraziwine
Shiraz, Iran1,410 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
Lamu old Town is the main place where we can see local people, local culture, local habits and the color of the island. i Loved the houses and how the donkeys walked along the narrow streets. what it was so amazing for me was when a nice girl was cooking chapati in front of the doorway of her home and same time talking to her neighbours and friends and they had a great time. i also laughed a lot with them because that girl i met suddenly was the waitress of my hotel ;))))
Written December 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Philip S
5 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
The town is extremely dirty, covered in donkey poo. You’ll be hassled the moment you step off the boat.
There are very few things to see or do other than avoid mud, poo and flies.
There are far better cultural things to do than Lamu Old Town.
Written July 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eva T
Thessaloniki, Greece88 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2016 • Couples
The old town of Lamu, like old town of Mombasa, is dirty, it smells like hell and about a billion flies, roaches and other creepy crawlers call home. It is unsanitary and potentially dangerous.
Lets start with donkey poop. It's everywhere. Everything smells like it and after a few days, everything begins to taste like it. It is called cleaning crew and lamu town should consider hiring it.
Open sewers. Romantic you say? From another time? Not. Really narrow streets and open sewers is not cool, not fun, not anything. I'm sure there must be a solution for it, I mean human kind is able to travel to outter space with no problems, surely there must be a solution for this gross problem.
Flies, roaches and about a billion other creepy crawlers. It is the result of really unsanitary conditions in the streets. Piles of garbage, both in the land and in the sea. Locals certainly don't seem to love this place, why should the visitors?
And for those of you who hate animal cruelty, well lets say that this place is not for you. Donkeys here live a terrible life, with people hitting them ALL the time and with no apparent reason. It is cruel and unfair and despite the efforts of some german people that created a sanctuary here, donkeys here do suffer.
And now let's get to the history part. Buildings ready to fall apart, amazing wooden doors in few of them, a museum that asks for an unjust entry fee. Even if you ignore all the above health issues, I still don't see the charm in this place.
If you people honestly think that you have a little gem of old town, start treating it like one.
Written January 18, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Johann&Sandra
8,376 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Lamu is unlike anywhere else I've ever been. It is such a treat just to be there. The old town is thriving and bustling with activity. Every doorway contains a different shop, the market is very busy with women in full bui bui shopping for the evening's meal, dhows and speedboats come and go from the harbor front, and kids in the cutest purple school clothes run through the streets screaming "jambo!".

The town shuts down during prayer time, which is four times a day, during which you can hear muslim prayer echoing throughout the town. As you walk the busy streets, you have to duck into a doorway to let the men riding side saddle on donkeys past. The people are lovely and friendly, quite a few do speak some English. It's so fun just to be here and experience the culture.

There is shopping at every turn, though many of the prices are 10x higher for you than for the locals. Dhows line the water, ready to take you snorkeling or on a tour of the mangroves, and you can go deep sea fishing from nearby Manda Bay.

Lamu is truly a cultural treat, but not for everyone. The streets are dirty and filled with donkey droppings, smells from stacked garbage permeate in areas, and beach boys fill the harbor area and main street harrassing you and trying to scam you at every turn. The homes are authentic but crumbling in many areas, with only a few buildings that have been rebuilt by expats standing out among the grungy local habitation. It is super hot during the days, so make sure to wear a hat and drink tons of water.
Written October 6, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Lamu Old Town - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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