Amani Guest House is brand sparkling new! It is built using the Swahili architectural designs, for example having a baraza (conversation area where guests are met) outdoors, using mangrove posts on ceilings, and large stone beds for coolness. We border Mwana Mshamu Mosque, and are within easy walking distance from the Swahili House Museum (5 min), Lamu Museum, (10 min), the local market by Lamu Fort (15 mins), Shela Beach (50 min) and by boat (15 min) or by boda boda motorbike (10 min). Other than the bedrooms, the communal spaces (garden, kitchen, terrace), are for everyone to enjoy. The house is run by myself and there is usually a member of staff, who will do so when I am away. Whether you are from Kenya or visiting Kenya/ Africa for the first time, you will find this an easy place to stay. There are restaurants (Jannat House nearby and several others on the seafront), art galleries / art shops all around, 2 supermarkets (near the Fort), small pharmacies along the main street (before the fort and after the fort), and internet cafes.

Born in Kenya, I started out as a repeat traveler to Lamu Island over three decades. Currently, I support fellow adventurers maximize their experience by engaging with local tour guides for cultural, academic and historical discussions. Thus, the special part about hosting for me is not just providing accommodation, but liaising the local and the global, by exchanging experiences from around the world. For example, I have noticed that usually as guests interact among themselves and the Lamu people, they enjoy learning new words in new languages. Due to the fact that our house is named Amani, meaning peace in Kiswahili, we aim to achieve more of that harmony internationally, one word at a time.

Guests come to Lamu in pursuit of sun sand fun and history. For the latter, there are at least 4 museums. Lamu is predominantly an Islamic city, and it's architecture follows suit. The oldest written record of Lamu was by Abu-al-Mahasini, in 15th C, who mentioned having met a Lamu judge in Mecca. Lamu Island was awarded the UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2001. It is the best preserved Swahili settlement, originating from pre-15th C. Chinese influence is evident from trade via Maritime Silk Roads, survivors of one of Zheng He's ship that sank near Lamu, artifacts, and recent DNA tests. The 16th Century Portuguese negative trade influence on the East African Coast meant that Lamu was blockaded forcing it to pay tributes to Portugal. The Omani and the British influence came around 17th - 19th Centuries.