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

On March 1st the Shela Environmental Residents Group (SERG) organized a cleanup session in the sand dunes of Shela on the way to Mararani.

Special thanks to the cleaners and organisers Atwaa, Famau and Omar together with staff from Wheeler, Barker and Hanley properties as well as Monika and the Banana House staff and Angelika and the Shela House Management staff.

Together the group collected 50 bags of waste.

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!

Lamu-Shela Dunes Cleanup Results

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.”