Basecamp Lamu 4 nights

Bahari Guest House Shela

4 nights, Lamu / Shela, by flight

Sailing and snorkeling adventures in the beautiful archipelago of Lamu and Manda Island, experience Lamu town with its unique Swahili culture, meet black-veiled women decorated with henna paintings,  ride a dhonkey through the lush Tamarind and Mango trees, walk the amazing sand dunes and simply chill out in this place far fom the beaten track!

Day by day itinerary as follows:

Day 1

Market in Lamu Stone town

You arrive in Lamu for a late lunch, check in at a Swahili style guest house in Shela - a small fishing village south from Lamu town. In the afternoon, just chill out & relax on Shela’s beautiful beach. Watch the sun set above the soft yellow sand dunes. Dinner & overnight in Shela.

Day 2

Have an early morning swim, a walk on the beach or yoga at Yoga House. Fresh fruit juices, , bacon, egg,  coffee & tea for breakfast. In the afternoon, take  a guided tour of Lamu stone town -  a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site - and visit Basecamp Dhow Revival project, watch the mzees renovating the old traditional swahili boat, Swalihina.

Dinner & overnight Shela.

Day 3

After breakfast, enjoy an early morning excursion sailing on a traditional dhow for fishing and excellent snorkeling at Ziniyika reef, two hours south from Shela. The Indian Ocean hosts a number of spectacular and colorful fish like garfish, zebra fish, parrot fish and there is a good chance of spotting dolphins.  Picknic lunch at Ziniyika beach - your own catch of the day. Return to Shela in the afternoon, stroll around the narrow lanes, the swahili houses with thatched roofs embedded in bougainvilla trees and feel the atmosphere of this piece of paradise.

Dinner & overnight in Shella. .

Day 4

Donkey ride

Take a donkey ride across the sand dunes and drink tamarind juice in the shade of a palmtree. Arrive at Mataondoni, visit the dhow building site and shop some genuine craft made by the women co-operative. Jump on board a dhow, laze on deck and enjoy a swahili lunch while sailing back to Shela. 

Dinner & overnight Shela.

Day 5 

Morning activities at your own choice , check out and departure Shela 1.30 pm transfer by boat to Lamu airport for afternoon flight to Nairobi.

Special info:

During the sailing, the accomodation on board or on island camps is simple but comfortable and safe.
4-6 hours sailing each day, depending on monsoon and currents. We provide our own captain and crew of the boat, including a cook.
All meals and water included and provided for. Shade and mosquito nets, life jackets on board. Telephone and access to motorboat if necessary.

Important personal equipment to bring is sun hat, sun glasses and sun lotion, a pair of binoculars, swim & snorkel gear, mosquito repellent, torch

Reservation for slight changes in programme due to weather and monsoons.

In order to show respect for the local muslim swahili people on Lamu and its surrounding islands, we advise you to dress appropiately, covering shoulders and knees when in town, never to sunbathe without bikini or swim suit.

The main nesting and hatching season for  turtles is May to September and with fewer nestings between November and March. 
Payments: Kenyan shillings prefferred, very few guest houses or restaurants  take VISA, Master Cards etc

This program is inclusive of:

• Accommodation in swahili style guest house, bed & breakfast
• Transfers airstrip
• Visit to Basecamp dhow project  

This program is NOT inclusive of:
Tip, drinks, extra activities, lunches & dinners   

Restaurants:

• Peponi Bar & restaurant, Shela beach; exclusive & excellent food,  reservations needed though,  all alcohol beverages available
• Kijani Restaurant, Shela; well cooked international menu at reasonable prices, wines & beers available
• Bahari Guest House, Shela - excellent fruit juices & banana pancakes, no alcohol beverages
• Stop Over Restaurant, Shela; budget place with local dishes, no alcohol beverages