Escape to Lamu: Paradise on Kenya's Coast

Just south of the equator, tucked along Kenya's lush, tropical coast, a tiny island called Lamu has kept the modern world at bay.

The archipelago of Lamu offers breathtaking beaches and an upscale hippie retreat from modern life. In this photo dhow sailboats await guests at the Peponi hotel in Shella village.

(The Peponi hotel and Srj Demotta. )
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Once a thriving Arab port, this sleepy, exotic Swahili town now gets by on donkeys and sailing vessels called "dhows" and has little desire for an upgrade.

Visitors often describe Lamu as an African Ibiza, an intoxicating mix of Portuguese, Omani and Swahili culture, popular with British aristocrats.

"Its greatest attraction is the lack of the automobile, and long may we keep it this way. And [of course] the casual mixing of cultures and relaxed atmosphere," said Carol Korschen, whose family runs the Peponi, Lamu's best-known hotel.

During the 1960s and '70s, the island earned a reputation as a hippie hideaway for European expats who were living in Kenya or sailing through the Indian Ocean. Today, Lamu retains a small but devoted group of Westerners who have bought homes or continue to make regular trips, including Prince Ernst of Hanover and some Hollywood stars who go there to retreat for months on end.

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Lamu is comprised of an archipelago of seven islands that boast miles-long stretches of unspoiled white-sand beaches, perfect for swimming, sailing and snorkeling. The main island is roughly the size of Manhattan, with a population of 15,000. Expats congregate in the tiny village of Shella, most days on the Peponi's swanky seaside terrace.

Though Kenya has had a tumultuous year, with violence breaking out during spring elections, the melting pot of cultures in now-Muslim Lamu coexist remarkably peacefully. This UNESCO World Heritage Site makes an ideal destination for anyone looking to escape.

A Brief History

Lamu first appeared on the map more than 1,000 years ago as a Swahili settlement island on the trade route from Mombasa to Mozambique. In 1506 the Portuguese invaded, taking over the lucrative trade of slaves, ivory and mangrove.

Locals tend to a dhow, left, and Muslim men pass time by the shore.

During the 17th century, Lamu fell to Omani rule, as the empire expanded around the Indian Ocean. Under the Omanis, Islam took hold as the local religion and the slave trade grew. During Lamu's 19th century golden age, wealthy Arab merchants built large private estates on the shore, whose ruins and renovations still stand.

Under the British Empire the slave trade was abolished and Lamu's economy sank. Today, fishing, trading and tourism keep its livelihood afloat.