Lamu Island News
Peace, Space, Tranquility at Fatuma's Tower
Filmed by Unveiled Arts
From Shella Village with Love
Filmed and produced by Jemima Bornman
Shela Residents Organize Sand Dune Cleanup
We are grateful to all who helped. The sand dunes are now cleaner but more needs to be done. The next steps are to cut lower growing branches so that the area can be cleaned better. Further cleanups will soon follow and plans are underway to remove the rubble from the area.
Thanks to all who helped!

To learn more about SERG visit http://www.bananahouse-lamu.com/projects/serg
KTB swoops in to shore up Lamu for influx of tourists
The Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) has unveiled an ambitious programme aimed at boosting the number of tourists visiting the Lamu archipelago.
KTB Managing Director, Mr Muriithi Ndegwa, led a delegation of KTB marketers and media on a three-day familiarisation tour of Lamu in a bid to reassure potential clients that the security scares of last year were a thing of the past.
Tourist arrivals in Lamu had been rising rapidly before the two incidences brought the trend to an end. But KTB MD says the numbers are rising once again.
Hats Off To Lamu Artisans!
Residents Display Island’s Creative Spirit at the Shela Village Hat Competition
by Reed Mcdonough & Herbert Menzer
The Lamu archipelago is renowned for its serene beaches, ancient architecture, celebrity sightings and rich Swahili culture. Tourists flock to Lamu for the ultimate holiday and extreme comfort. Most Kenyans would agree that Lamu Island has always served as a cultural pillar within Kenya. However, this small island is evolving. There is an artistic revolution taking place with a new wave of art & culture emerging.
Between the Lamu Cultural Festival held in February of every year, the more recent bi-annual Lamu Painters’ Festival and a handful of competitions throughout the year visitors and residents alike have started to take notice. Nowadays you may come across just as many artists in residence as the traditional flocks of European aristocrats and celebrities.
This new wave of creative energy has never been more apparent than most recently at the 2012 Shela Village Hat Competition— an event organized and sponsored by Herbert Menzer of Lamu Holiday Homes. Mr. Menzer sums up the event by saying “Forget haute couture, Lamu Island presents Hat Couture! The creation of outrageous, sustainable headwear by smiling masons turned mad hatters.”
More Articles...
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- Tourists Flock to Lamu for December 2011 Holiday Season
- Lamu Cultural Festival 2011 A Huge Success
- Richard Leakey Reassures Travellers To Lamu
- Thank You for Staying Home
- Tourists Declare Lamu Town Safe
- Looking to regain a paradise lost in Kenya's Lamu
- Restoration of the 10th century Lamu Fort
- Woke Up This Morning in Lamu
- Ali Lamu: The Love Story That Inspired a Weekend Bag and Revived an Island Community
- Will William, Kate spend honeymoon in Lamu?
- New bylaw to prohibit plastic bags in Lamu
- Nagging queries over Lamu’s giant project
- Lamu Port: Community Speaks
- NEMA rescues Lamu heritage site
- Scholars Give Lecture on Origin of Swahili People
- Daily Nation: Thousands in Lamu for Maulid fete
- Globe and Mail: Hurry up to enjoy the slow life on Lamu island
- Daily Nation: Fresh bids invited for fish storage refrigeration rooms
- Art Life: Lamu Island Real Estate
- East African: Future of Lamu World Heritage Site in doubt
- Daily Nation: Alarm as land grabbers eye Lamu heritage sites
- How China pushed Qatar out of Sh400bn Lamu port deal
- Lamu Cultural Festival On 'Global Tourism Calendar'
- WMagazine: On the Loose in Lamu
- Xinua: Chinese archaeological experts due for Pate Island excavation
- Daily Nation: Lamu festival that brings out the best in beasts of burden
- Advocate: Island of Lamu offers different take on Kenya
- Daily Nation: UNESCO pledges to protect Lamu’s heritage status even with new port





































