Cast into the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya, the island and town of Lamu is heir to a distinctive tradition over a thousand years old. The Swahili culture and style of Lamu are a mix of East African, Omani, Yemeni, Indian, and some Portuguese and Victorian influences.
What is so Special about Lamu?
It is the humidity;It is the heat; it is the aroma of the town; the scent of the tropics;the donkeys and their droppings; the bui-bui’s of the women; the kanzu’s and kikoi’s of the men;the intense brilliance of the midday sky, demanding a nap;the glare of the whitewashed stone houses;the strong winds blowing off the ocean, rustling the strands of the makuti roofs,stripping the stone houses of their lime-whitewash and ruining your CD-player;the Portuguese cannons on the waterfront; the absence of cars; the narrowness of the streetsthe majestic architecture of the galleries and harem rooms of the patrician Stone Houses;the mix of Arabic, Indian and African tongues and cultures, lovingly called Swahili.
