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Yi

@muturi_eva

May 5, 2023 • 25 tweets • 14 min read • Read on X

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How to visit Lamu on a maximum budget of Ksh 20,000. I always wanted to go to Lamu and when the idea failed in 2020 due to covid, I decided to revisit this bucketlist. 🧵

Used booking.com to get my accommodation. I wanted a facility near the beach, that's how I ended up choosing Shela White House. Total cost for 4nights, 5days was Ksh 8,450 inclusive of bfast. Do the ÷/night. Wifi was fast, room spacious and Tom

The caretaker very friendly. The rooftop was a nice chill place to get a glimpse of the ocean. Bfast ranged from fried eggs, boiled eggs, toast bread, tea or coffee, toast bread and blended fruit juice

This was my bonus point since the bfast option with my room was not there in the website and it was a good surprise.

Got here by booking the 10pm SGR train from Nairobi-Mombasa at Ksh 1000. Connected to Lamu via the 6:30am Tawakal bus at Ksh 1,400. The 7hr journey was smooth, safe and debunked a lot. The road came to an end at Mokowe where a public speed boat at Ksh 250

Took me to Lamu. At the jetty there was the option of a motorbike or a boat to Shela. Used the latter at Ksh 200.

Activities .After arrival and showering ,hit the beach for a walk. Saw the dunes, friendly roaming dogs that had me thinking of a dog shelter. The Shela streets are narrow and one wrong turn led me to a cafe where I had pilau at Ksh 150 for dinner.

When they say Lamu is just for resting, chilling and meditating , believe them. The Shela beach is so wide and quiet.

Waking up, watching the sunrise, listening to the ocean waves, running, swimming and walking was a ritual everyday. I loved it here.

One can actually walk from Shela to Lamu. At Lamu there is not much to see. It is not your hyped Mombasa with all the historical sites. Google maps led me to Lamu museum where entry fee is Ksh 100. The tour inside is similar to those other coastal museums

Only that this one gives a lot of credit to Sultan Qaboos. From there came Lamu fort where entry is free as long as you have a ticket from Lamu museum or Swahili house museum. To my disappointment, Lamu fort is just a big structure with nothing to it.

The library in it though takes credit. The materials ranging from children story books to amazing archives sections covers the Fort's shame.

Swahili house museum portrays a traditional Swahili house and entry fee is Ksh 100. What amazed me about this house was the echo room where the wife would go to answer+welcome her husband when he knocked the door. The wife also had a separate bed, bathroom

And toilet for her delivery. The kitchen was set upstairs to prevent smoke from going to other rooms. The 1st 3 stairs were big to hinder a child from going up to the kitchen.

The German post office was closed for renovations. The donkey sanctuary had nothing much apart from a few wounded donkeys. No matter how many donkeys you meet and locals insist you take a donkey ride, please don't. Had lunch at Kwa Mwalimu for Ksh 250.

Maybe after Ramadhan the women were not back to cooking their street foods or they don't do it here because girl walked street after street looking for viazi karai and the likes. The only 1 woman I found had a long queue. For your bfast, lunch and dinner

Preferences I highly recommend Mangrove restaurant near Lamu jetty. Very affordable from Ksh 40 and yummy. Coffee is best served at La Dulce Toro Cafe.

At this point I felt I was missing something. A local guy (whose payment was to buy him miraa at the end of the tour) took me to old town where I saw Sultan's house, Sultan's tomb, oldest mosque and the police canteen where I bought booze.

On the other hand, if you want to experience Manda beach, dhow sunset rides and Takwa ruins traveling on a tight budget might not be it for you. This is where groups come in to cut costs on the boat rides. And yes didn't catch any sunset. Rain😂.