Lamu is enchanting. Over one hundred kilometres north of Mombasa, the island of Lamu is undisturbed by the turmoil of modern times, and boasts a timeless serenity. As Kenya’s oldest living town it has retained all the charm and character built up over centuries. To this day there are no cars on the island, and transport is by dhow, donkey or on foot. Children play in the narrow streets, Muslim men chat on street corners and women in their black buibui veils busy themselves through doorways. Most houses have a rooftop which is used as a patio – indicative of a society where ‘hanging back’ and ‘catching the breeze’ is important. Keep an eye out for the intricately carved wooden doors and lintels for which the island is famous.

History: The island has a long history and by the 1500s it was a thriving port, exporting timber, ivory, amber, spices and slaves. When the Portuguese arrived, it surrendered without a murmur and in the mid-1800s it became a subject of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, which nominally controlled the whole coastal strip until Kenya became independent in 1963. Great lateen-rigged dhows sailed in from Arabia and India, buying and selling ivory and spices. The resultant blend of cultures has produced a vibrant people, the Swahili, who are rich in history and justifiably proud of their maritime tradition. Lamu is primarily Islamic, so be sensitive in the way you dress.

Architecture: Situated only two degrees from the equator, the architecture of Lamu is admirably suited to its climate – a series of galleries almost always without doors that allow views of the open sky and interior courtyards to ensure shade and calm against the tropical sun. The town is crowded with houses and people; the streets so narrow that you can shake hands with your neighbor in the house opposite. The main street, Ndia Kuu, is lined on either side with shops and workshops, each no more than a room stretching from the street to the living areas behind. Here you will find carpenters and herbalists, jewelers and grocers, coffee houses and cooks preparing the local equivalent of Turkish Delight called halva – stirred in huge copper cauldrons – and even a factory, using Dickesian machines, which makes local spaghetti known as tambi and coconut oil used for cooking by the townsfolk and for sun tanning by visitors.

The Fort: In the center of town stands the fort. Built for Omani invaders around 1812, it later became a prison and is now a cultural center operated through the museum. The Lamu museum itself is on the waterfront, occupying a house that was once the home and office of colonial district commissioners. Before that, it had housed Queen Victoria’s consul – one Captain Jack Haggard, brother of the more celebrated author of King Solomon’s Mines.

Getting There: The best way to get to Lamu is to fly. Kenya Airways and Air Kenya fly daily (via Malindi, Mombasa, or Nairobi), with affordable prices. Budget local buses are available for adventurous travelers – the road to Lamu is rough and it can be a tedious journey.