Get away from it all in Kenya

If you want to visit Kenya, but want to avoid the busier tourist areas, then a trip to the car-free island of Lamu will really take you away from it all.

Located 125 miles north of Malindi, Lamu has a beautiful town with narrow lanes, stunning Arab architecture and mosques that have survived centuries.

The island also has white sandy beaches, lots of sail boats called dhows, donkeys and old fashioned carts, and is home to a Swahili population of Muslims who live a traditional way of life.

Visitor attractions include the Lamu museum, a two storey house which was originally used by the British colonial government.

The building is typical of 18th century Swahili architecture and houses a collection of ethnographic material from the Swahili, Orma and Pokomo cultures, as well as traditional Swahili craft, furniture and jewellery.

At the Swahili House museum, you can see an example of a classic 18th century Swahili home, and Lamu Fort, a large two-storey stone structure which now houses government conservation and archaeology departments, can also be visited.

If you like fishing, trips can be arranged with local boat owners which will take visitors by the Lamu's sailing vessels called dhows, to the 14th and 15th century ruins on the nearby islands of Manda and Pate.

A short boat ride from the town of Lamu is Peponi, a family hotel established in the sixties.

The hotel is a collection of small buildings set in gardens that follow the line of the coast.

At Peponi there are water sports on offer, and the waterside restaurant specialises in fresh local seafood.

There are daily flights to Lamu from Nairobi and Malindi, and the island is serviced by an airstrip on neighbouring Manda Island.

The winding streets of the towns on the island, as well as some of the beaches are best explored on foot.

Alternatively you can take a dhow or if you are feeling more adventurous, hire a donkey to explore the island.

Information about the hotel and internal flights can be found at www.peponi-lamu.com, and more general information about the island is available from www.lamuheritage.com

Flights to Nairobi cost £399 per person with British Airways leaving between September 19th and 27th from London Heathrow via www.cheapflights.co.uk.
XXX