A port was founded on the island of Lamu by Arab traders at least as early as the fourteenth century, when the Pwani Mosque was built. The island prospered on the slave trade. After defeating Pate Island in the nineteenth century, the island became a local power, but it declined after the British forced the closure of the slave markets in 1873. In 1890 the island became part of Zanzibar and remained obscure until Kenyan independence. When the Sultan of Oman moved from Lamu to Zanzibar Island - further south - Lamu lay dormant, forgotten for three hundred years. Narrow streets of the old town are very much as they were in his day.

Tourism developed from the 1970s, mainly around the eighteenth century Swahili architecture and traditional culture. There is one town and three villages on Lamu Island.

Lamu is still not crowded, there is very little hassle and there is none of the busy, touristical atmosphere that Zanzibar suffers from. There is only one car, though no motorized transport on the island, instead donkeys and dhows are for transport.

The southern shore of Lamu island has the best beach - 12 kilometres of almost deserted white sand which back onto the sand dunes. As there is no reef the waves are quite big.

Lamu is NOT a typical tropical beach holiday destination, but an exotic getaway for visitors looking for an unique place - Lamu is unaffected by the passage of time...