28 Feb Stay at The Kasbah Lamu
If you’ve read any of my other reviews on accommodations, you’ll know that aesthetics are something I really care about when deciding where to stay. What can I say? I am a visual person who loves to be surrounded by beautiful things. I especially love beautiful things that have character and attention to detail; things that reference a time or tell a story, and things that evoke emotions. The Kasbah Lamu, located off the beach along one of the narrow pathways that make up “the streets of Shela,” with its textured coral and limestone walls, is picturesque even from the outside as you approach it. It certainly did not disappoint when it came to beautiful things.
Aesthetics and Character
Once you step in through the beautiful Swahili door of The Kasbah Lamu into foyer backed by a large Swahili niche wall lined with Pinterest perfect seashells, take off your shoes and turn to walk up a wide stairwell you immediately want to do is take your phone out and document everything like I did in this IG Reel.
Every corner of this multi level house with its traditional Swahili architectural motifs is really beautiful. I can’t tell you how many times, whilst sitting in the upstairs lounge or having breakfast I would find new things and features around me to fall in love with and want for my own home. 
The Rooms
The Kasbah Lamu boasts four suites and two apartments. Each one is tastefully decorated with traditional Swahili finishings in a neutral and relaxed palette of whites and creams with hints of ocean blue. Varying in size, the suites sleep two and feature private balconies or terraces with views of either the ocean or the dunes of Shela.
Embracing our “baecation” vibes, we chose to stay in the Baobab Suite, a large self-contained “mini-villa” on the ground floor. Despite being on the ground floor, the suite more than makes up for any lack of views with its private patio, complete with a three-by-six-metre pool with lounge chairs under an ancient Baobab tree. With a private entrance, living area, fully equipped open-plan kitchen, dining area and the pool, it really provided us with romantic seclusion from the rest of the guests and house.
Things to Experience
With approximately two and half days in Lamu, as we had planned a multi-stop trip to Kenya, having started in Diani and ending off in Nairobi, we certainly did not have enough time to do everything we wanted to do in Lamu. We did try, even though it ultimately conflicted with the slow living philosophy of “pole, pole” (meaning “slowly, slowly” in Swahili) vibes of Lamu.
Jam packed with what felt like very little time to sleep in, we had sundowners at The Majlis for sundowners on the afternoon we arrived, a tour of Lamu Old Town where we visited the
Swahili House Museum the next day, followed by lunch and drinks at Peponi Hotel and a walk to through the narrow Shela pathways to the sand dunes. Our last full day in Lamu was spent eating and drinking and meeting new people as we enjoyed the most delicious chilli crab dish at Kijani, did some shopping and wrapped up our evening at Peponi watching a live performance and drinking margaritas.
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