Karibu Lamu

Mm nataka kwenda lamu,naomba utaratibu na gharama zakufika na kuishi huko ukoje,je huduma za kijamii kama hotel za kawaida na vyakula umekaaje,naomba majibu kwa kwenye uwelewa wa lamu

Ukiwa Dar au Tanga au hata Arusha panda basi la Tahmeed au Modern Coast ya moja kwa moja kwenda Mombasa/ Malindi/ Lamu.
Ukifika Mombasa gari litavuka kwenda ng'ambo ya pili likitumia kivuko. Mtalipanda tena ng'ambo ya pili..kuna sehemu ya abiria kuketi kwenye kivuko/ feri.
Mombasa hadi Mokowe, Lamu takribani masaa masita. Motaboti kutoka jeti la Mokowe hadi la Lamu kwenye motaboti takriban dk. 15-30.

Mtapita mitaa ya Mombasa kama Nyali (mtakapo vuka daraja), Kisauni, Bamburi, Shanzu, Shimo La Tewa halafu miji mingine kama Mtwapa, Mnarani, Kilifi, Watamu, Mida, Malindi, Mambrui, Marafa hadi Minjila mtakapoliacha barabara ya kwenda Garsen-Galole-Hola-Bura-Garissa. Hadi hapa bararabara ni kiwango cha lami. Hapa panaitwa Tana Mtoni.
Kuanzia Minjila mtaenda kulia kupitia Idsowe. Hii barabara ni ya mchanga ila sio mbaya na inatengezwa lami sasa. Njia itawapeleka Witu, Mambosasa, Hindi hadi Mokowe. Hapa mtapanda dau au motaboti kuwafikisha kisiwani Amu.
Uingiapo tu hivi, kuna mahoteli mazuri sana ufuoni na katika mitaa ya ndani.
Keshoye waweza funga safari kwenda Shela uzunguni au visiwa vyengine vya kihistoria kama Manda, Manda toto, Pate, Kiwayuu, Faza ila utatumia dau au motaboti.
Kuna sherehe nyingi sana kisiwani zenye mihemko na raha ya kutosha kama Maulidi, Tamasha la kiUtamaduni Lamu, mashindano ya punda kukimbia, mashindano ya ngalawa baharini n.k.
Vyakula vya mtaani vipo na migahawa murua zinapatikana kila sehemu.
Watu ni wakarimu na wepesi wa kukusaidia na kukuelekeza.
Sehemu zengine za kutembelea ni maeneo ya MaliAsili naa Turathi za Kitaifa kama Ngome ya Lamu, Posta ya Mjermani, Misikiti ya Kale, misitu ya visiwani, Magofu ya tangu karne ya 8, mbuga za Boni na Arawale, bahari ya Hindi ukitumia motaboti.
Kuna ujenzi mkubwa sana unaoendeea kwa sasa wa mradi wa LAPSSET ambalo linaanzia Lamu. Kuna bandari, reli, barabara za kimataifa, miundombinu ya stima, mabomba ya gesi na mafuta, mkonga wa mtandao, miradi ya mkaa na stima ya mawimbi na upepo n.k. Pia kuna uchimbaji wa gesi na mafuta baharini mbali na kitega uchumi maarufu cha Utalii.
Kwa hivyo kuna fursa tele za ajira, biashara na huduma nyenginezo.
Kwa watalii, huu ndo mji wa kale zaidi wa Waswahili na uliohifadhiwa vyema. Kwa hiyo ukitaka kuwaona na kuwajua Waswahili halisi, maongezi yao, vyakula, tamaduni, samani, nyumba, makazi, hali ya maisha, nyimbo, mashairi, goma n.k. karibu ujionee na ufurahie mandhari kabla maendeleo ya kisasa hayajaugeuza mji kabisa.
Pia wamo Wabajuni na Wabarawa ( ni makabil ay ajadi ya Waswahili hawa ila wana utofauti kidogo), Wapokomo na wamo pia Watu wenye ukaribu na wa Khoisan ( Sandawe/ hadzabe) waitwao wa Boni au Arawale, wamo wasomali na pia makabila mengine ya Kikushi kama Waorma, Wawardei n.k. ambao asili yao ni Ethiopia. Wamo pia Wamijikenda ambao Wadigo ni wamoja ya miji yao ila huku kaskazini ndugu za Wagiriama ndo wengi zaidi. Lugha yao ni karibu mno na Kidigo.
Ila ustitie hofu killa mmoja yuaongea Kiswahili kisafi cha Lamu chenye ladha ya mashairi na naghama ya nyimbo.
Watu wengi haswa ma beachboy pia wanaongea Kiingereza, Kifaransa, Kitaliano, Kijerumani, Kiarabu, Kihispania, Kituruki, Kihindi n.k. kwa sababu za ugeni na utalii.
 
Mahoteli na bei:
- Zingatia kwamba bei niliyoweka ndiyo ya kuanzia..yaani ya kiwango cha chini zaidi ( Mtu mmoja, Jumba standard, Kulala na Kiamshakinywa).
- Bonyeza kwenye jina la hoteli ili kupata habari zaidi kuhusu hali, viwango mbalimbali na bei, muonekano, jinsi ya kufanya malipo na kuagiza.
- Usiku mmoja na kiamsha kinywa. Mengine ni Full Board yaani milo yote mitatu na vinywaji vya saa nne na saa kumi.
- Bei kwa yeyote atokaye jumuiya ya Afrika Mashariki ni sawa na anayotozwa mwenyeji.
Ule upuzi wa zanzibari kuwatoza wana jumuiya ni kama wanatoka Ulaya haufanywi huku.

The Majlis Resort
Ras Kitau Bay, Lamu, Manda Island, Kenya - 13,000 - 60,000 Kshs

New Lamu Palace Hotel
Off Kenyatta Road, Lamu Town, Lamu, Kenya - 7,000Kshs

Jambo House Lamu
Kenyatta Road, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 1,500 Kshs

Lamu House
Kenyatta Road, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 22,000 KShs


Shella Pwani Guest House
Off Corniche path, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 3,500 Kshs

Fatuma's Tower
Shella Village, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 5,248 Kshs

Kitendetini Bahari Hotel
Off Kenyatta Road, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 1700 Kshs

Jua House
Shella Island, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 4345 Kshs

Lamu Sunsail Hotel
Kenyatta Road, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 1900 Kshs

Lamu Archipelago Villa
Jomo Kenyatta Road, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 1425 Kshs

Stopover Guest House
Shela Island, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 4750 Kshs

Shella Sea Breeze Guest House
Off Corniche path, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 2375 Kshs


Petleys Inn
Corniche path, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 4809 Kshs

Kizingoni Beach
Lamu Island, Lamu, Kenya - 13845 Kshs

Betty's Suite
Corniche Path, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 27,000 Kshs

Dudu Villas & Cottages
Lamu shela road, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 930 Kshs

Manda Bay
Corniche Path, Lamu, Manda Island, Kenya - 15,000 Kshs

Pole Pole Guest House
Off Kenyatta road, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 1140 Kshs

Shella Royal House
Corniche Path, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 11,000 Kshs

Rasfirdaws House
Off Corniche Path, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 4750 Kshs

Beyt Salaam
Kenyatta Road, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 9815 Kshs

Yumbe Villa
Off Corniche path, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 2375 Kshs

Full Moon House
Corniche Path, Shela Village, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 70,000 Kshs ( Tshs 1.4 millioni)

Sultan Palace
Off Kenyatta Road, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 7852 Kshs

Seafront House
Kenyatta Road, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 2850 Kshs

Baitil Aman Guest House
Kenyatta Rd, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 7500 Kshs

Msafini Mango Top Roof Hotel
Off Corniche path, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 4000 Kshs

The New Moon House
Off Corniche Path, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 20, 000 Kshs

Kizingoni House
Kizingoni Beach, Lamu Island, Lamu, Kenya - 40,000 Kshs

Mama Daktari House
Corniche Path, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 26,500 Kshs

Raha House
Corniche Path, Lamu, Lamu Town, Kenya - 1,425 Kshs

Kiwandani House
Corniche Path, Lamu, Shela, Kenya - 25,500 Kshs

Mike's Camp Kiwayu Island
Kiwayu Island, Lamu, Kiwayu, Kenya - 23, 500 Kshs

La Marelle House
Corniche Path, Lamu, Manda Island, Kenya - 23,750 kshs


Jannat House - 4500

Peponi Hotel

Kijani Hotel
 
Aiseee hii sehemu nikijaliwa uzima lzm niitembele
 
Vivutio vya Lamu:

Lamu
home > places to visit > coastal kenya > lamu
Lamu is a place like no other, a peaceful tropical island where life is lived at it’s own relaxed rhythm, but a place whose history is as mysterious and fascinating as the winding streets of it’s medieval stone town.

The island itself is a beautiful place of rolling dunes and endless beaches, where tiny villages nestle among coconut and mango plantations and lateen sailed dhows ply the waters. But Lamu’s real attraction is its Old town.

The town of Lamu began life as a 14th century Swahili settlement, but the island has seen many visitors and influences, including Portuguese explorers, Turkish traders and the Omani Arabs. All left their mark, but Lamu developed its own particular culture, which has ultimately endured.

Lamu’s narrow streets remain unchanged, and in the markets and squares around the fort life moves at the same pace as it always has. There are no vehicles on this island, and the donkey and the dhow remain the dominant form of transport.

The people of Lamu are great believers in tradition and custom, and this is a strong society built on a respect for the past.
For the traveller, Lamu is a hypnotically exotic experience, made even more enjoyable by the relaxed and welcoming attitudes of the locals. To visit Lamu is to enter another world, and the visitor finds themselves becoming a part of this world. Life slows down, and long days are spent strolling along the waterfront, exploring the town or relaxing on the beaches.

Dhow safaris can take you beyond Lamu into the surrounding archipelago, where isolated villages, ancient ruins and a few luxurious and exclusive resorts lie hidden among the islands of Manda, Siyu, Pate and Kiwayu.

This idyllic island speaks to the heart and soul, and a trip to Lamu is a romantic experience that can become a lifelong affair.

Getting There
Lamu is best accessed by air. There are scheduled flights daily from Nairobi, Mombasa, Diani Beach and Malindi. The island is serviced by an airstrip on neighbouring Manda Island. The strip can also be used by private charters. A dhow ferries arriving passengers to either Lamu town or Shela. Many yachts also come to Lamu, often sheltering in the channel near Shela.

Getting Around
There are no vehicles on Lamu. The winding streets of the towns are best explored on foot. Shela village and the beaches are also accessible by foot and you can take your baby beach tents there. Alternatively dhows regularly carry paying passengers back and forth from Lamu town to Shela. To access the surrounding islands of Manda, Pate or Siyu, either take an organized Dhow Safari or for the adventurous traveller, just hitch a ride on a passing dhow and explore. It is also possible to hire donkeys to ride around the island.
 
Vivutio:

Hisoria ya Waswahili na Kiswahili - Lamu ikiwa mojawapo ya machimbuko kuanzia karne ya Nane
Hali ya maisha isiyoathirika na mamboleo
Hewa safi na mandhari murua ya bahari na misitu
Kitovu cha Wangozi waliloanzisha lugha ya Kiswahili kijijini Ndozi kisiwa cha Kiwayu
Mto Tana
Mji wa Kale - Amu
Mji wa Kale - Siyu
Mji wa Kale - Faza
Mji wa Kale - Pate
Maghofu ya miji ya Kale - Shanga
Safari za ngalawa na jahazi
Kisiwa cha Manda
Kisiwa cha Pate
Kisiwa cha Amu
Miji ya Kizingitini, Rassini, Matondoni, Witu, Hindi, Mokowe
Makavazi
Maktaba yaliyojaa vitabu na nyaraka lukuki ya historia ya miji ya Lamu, Mwambao na bara ya Afrika Mashariki
Vyumba vya mambo ya kale
Vyumba vya Sanaa
Tamasha za kitamaduni - LamuFest
Tamasha za Kidini - Maulidi
Tamasha ya miziki ya Lamu na Kimataifa
Kumbi za sherehe - Mashairi, Mashindano ya mavazi n.k.
Mapishi na Vyakula Asili vya Kiswahili na Kibajuni
Lugha na Asilia ya Kiswahili na Kibajuni
Mbuga ya Wanyama na Maliasili ya Boni
Ngome za jadi kama Lamu, Siyu n.k.
Tamaduni za wenyeji kama Waamu, Wapate, Wabajuni, Wapokomo,Waorma (asili yao Ethiopia), Wasomali, Jamii za Kikhoisani na enyeji barani kama WaBoni ( Jamaa za Wahadzabe na Wasandawe)
Majengo yenye Usanii na Ufundi mkubwa
Maulama wa dini kwenye misikiti - Riyadha - Msikiti mkubwa, maarufu wenye historia ndefu
Mahoteli ya hali ya juu
Sehemu za buruduni na vinywaji
Misitu ya Visiwani
Tamasha za sinema ( Kama Zanzibar miaka ya nyuma
Bandari mpya inayojengwa Magogoni
Mradi mkubwa wa LAPSSET - bandari, Stima, mabomba ya gesi na mafuta, mkonga wa mtandao inayotoka Lamu hadi Sudan Kusini, Ethiopia na inakusudiwa kupitia Jamhuri ya Kati ya Afrika hadi Douala, Kameruni. Mradi huu kitovu chake ni mji mpya unaojengwa Magogoni. Kuna fursa nyingi.
Fursa za uchimbaji mafuta na gesi katika bahari
Watalii kutoka nchi mbalimbali wakiwemo wafalme wa nchi za Ulaya walionunua na kujenga makasri makubwa Shela na Manda
Labania na tende
Samani enyeji kama milango ya Lamu, vitanda vya pilipili (vitanda vya Kiswahili). Samani imetengezwa kwa miti adimu kama Mvuli, Mborea, Mninga, Mkoma, Mvinje, Mishomoro n.k.
Vinu vya jadi vilivyojenga kwenye muundo asili wa Misri ya jadi - piramidi
Paka mwanga kutoka Misri ya jadi ambao hawapatikani kokote barani
---
Lamu ina miundombinu ya kisasa ila hakuna magari. Magari yaliyomo ni matatu tu - Ya Mkuu wa Wilaya, ambalensi na zimamoto.
 
UTENDI WA MWANAKUPONA:

Mwenye kutunga nudhumu
Ni gharibu mwenye hamu
Na ubora wa ithimu
Rabbi tamghufiria
Ina lake mufahamu
Ni mtaraji karimu
Mwana Kupona Mshamu
Pate alikozaliwa
Tarikhiye kwa yakini
Ni alifu wa miyateni
Hamsa wa sabini

The author of this work
is a sorrowful widow
her worst sin
The Lord will forgive
Know her name
she is Reliant-of-the-Provider
Mwana Kupona Mshamu
born in Pate.
The date in reality
Is one thousand two hundred
Seventy-five.

--------
Mwana Kupona binti Msham (born on Pate Island, died c.1865) was a Swahili poet of the 19th century, author of a poem called Utendi wa Mwana Kupona ("The Book of Mwana Kupona"), which is one of the most well-known works of early Swahili literature.

Relatively little is known about her life. Her grandson Muhammed bin Abdalla [1] reported in the 1930s that Mwana Kupona was born on Pate Island, LAMU and that she was the last wife of sheikh Bwana Mataka, ruler of Siu (or Siyu), with whom she had two children. Mataka died in 1856; two years later, Mwana Kupona wrote her famous poem, dedicated to her 14-year-old daughter Mwana Heshima. Mwana Kupona died around 1865 of uterine hemorrhaging.

Utendi wa Mwana Kupona[edit]
The poem dates to about 1858 (year 1275 of the Islamic calendar), and is centered on the teachings and advice of Mwana Kupona to her daughter, concerning marriage and wifely duties.[2] Despite the seemingly secular subject, the book is prominently religious and even mystical, and it has been compared to the Biblical Book of Proverbs. A few lines of the poem are dedicated to the author herself:
 
Lamu or Lamu Town is a small town on Lamu Island, which in turn is a part of the Lamu Archipelago in Kenya. Situated 341 kilometres (212 mi) by road northeast of Mombasa that ends at Mokowe Jetty from where the sea channel has to be crossed to reach Lamu Island. It is the headquarters of Lamu County and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lamu is Kenya's oldest continually inhabited town, and was one of the original Swahili settlements along coastal East Africa, founded in 1370.

The town contains the Lamu Fort on the seafront, which commenced construction under Fumo Madi ibn Abi Bakr, the sultan of Pate, and was completed after his death in the early 1820s. Lamu is also home to 23 mosques, including the Riyadha Mosque, built in 1900, and a donkey sanctuary.


Early history
Lamu Town on Lamu Island is Kenya's oldest continually inhabited town, and was one of the original Swahili settlements along coastal East Africa. It is believed to have been established in 1370.[1]

Today, the majority of Lamu's population is Muslim.[2]

The town was first attested in writing by an Arab traveller Abu-al-Mahasini, who met a judge from Lamu visiting Mecca in 1441.

In 1505, the Portuguese invaded Lamu, forcing the king of the town to quickly concede to paying protection money to them.[3] The Portuguese invasion was prompted by the nation's successful mission to control trade along the coast of the Indian Ocean. For a considerable time, Portugal had a monopoly on shipping along the East African coast and imposed export taxes on pre-existing local channels of commerce. In the 1580s, prompted by Turkish raids, Lamu led a rebellion against the Portuguese. In 1652, Oman assisted Lamu to resist Portuguese control

"Golden Age"

Lamu Fort
Lamu's years as an Omani protectorate during the period from the late 17th century to early 19th century mark the town's golden age. Lamu was governed as a republic under a council of elders known as the Yumbe who ruled from a palace in the town; little exists of the palace today other than a ruined plot of land.[5] During this period, Lamu became a center of poetry, politics, arts and crafts as well as trade. Many of the buildings of the town were constructed during this period in a distinct classical style.[5] Aside from its thriving arts and crafts trading, Lamu became a literary and scholastic centre. Woman writers such as the poet Mwana Kupona – famed for her Advice on the Wifely Duty – had a higher status in Lamu than was the convention in Kenya at the time.[5]

In 1812, a coalition Pate-Mazrui army invaded the archipelago during the Battle of Shela. They landed at Shela with the intention of capturing Lamu and completing the fort which had begun to be constructed, but were violently suppressed by the locals in their boats on the beach as they tried to flee.[5] In fear of future attacks, Lamu appealed to the Omanis for a Busaidi garrison to operate at the new fort and help protect the area from Mazrui rebels along the Kenyan coast.


Colonial period
In the middle of the 19th century, Lamu came under the political influence of the sultan of Zanzibar. The Germans claimed Wituland in June 1885.[6] The Germans considered Lamu to be of strategical importance and an ideal place for a base.[7] From 22 November 1888 to 3 March 1891, there was a German post office in Lamu to facilitate communication within the German protectorate in the sultanate. It was the first post office to be established on the East African coast; today there is a museum in Lamu dedicated to it: the German Post Office Museum.[8] In 1890, Lamu and Kenya fell under British colonial rule. Kenya gained political independence in 1963, although the influence of the Kenyan central government has remained low, and Lamu continues to enjoy some degree of local autonomy.

Modern Lamu
See also: 2014 Lamu attacks
In a 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, Global Heritage Fund identified Lamu as one of 12 worldwide sites most "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and damage, citing insufficient management and development pressure as primary causes.[9]

While the terror group Al Shabaab kidnappings placed Lamu off-limits since September 2011, by early 2012 the island was considered safe. On 4 April 2012, the US Department of State lifted its Lamu travel restriction.[10] However, two attacks in the vicinity of Lamu in July 2014, for which Al Shabaab claimed responsibility, led to the deaths of 29 people.

Lamu's economy was based on slave trade until abolition in the year 1907.[13] Other traditional exports included ivory, mangrove, turtle shells and rhinoceros horn, which were shipped via the Indian Ocean to the Middle East and India. In addition to the abolition of slavery, construction of the Uganda Railroad in 1901 (which started from the competing port of Mombasa) significantly hampered Lamu's economy.

Tourism has gradually refuelled the local economy in recent times, and it is a popular destination for backpackers. Many of the locals are involved in giving trips on dhows to tourists.[14] Harambee Avenue is noted for its cuisine, and has a range of stores including the halwa shop selling sweet treats and miniature mutton kebabs and cakes are sold at night.[15] Coconut, mango and grapefruit and seafood such as crab and lobster are common ingredients.[15] The town contains a central market, the Gallery Baraka and Shumi's Designs shop, and the Mwalimu Books store.[16]


View from Stone House Hotel
The oldest hotel in the town, Petley's Inn, is situated on the waterfront.[1] Other hotels include the American-restored Amu House, the 20-room Bahari Hotel, Doda Villas, the Swedish-owned Jannat House, the 3-storey 23-room Lamu Palace Hotel, Petley's Inn, the 13-room Stone House Hotel, which was converted from an 18th-century house, and the 18-room Sunsail Hotel, a former trader's house on the waterfront with high ceilings.[17]

Mangroves are harvested for building poles, and Lamu has a sizeable artisan community, including carpenters who are involving in boat building and making ornate doors and furniture.[1]

The town is served by Lamu District Hospital to the south of the main centre, operated by the Ministry of Health. It was established in the 1980s,[18] and is one of the best-equipped hospitals on the Kenyan coast.[19]

China has begun feasibility studies to transform Lamu into the largest port in East Africa, as part of their String of Pearls strategy.

Notable landmarks[edit]
Lamu Old Town
Lamu coast.jpg
View of the seaside, Lamu Town
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location Kenya Edit this on Wikidata
Criteria ii, iv, vi[21]
Reference 1055
Coordinates 2°16′07″S 40°54′01″E
Inscription 2001 (25th Session)
Lamu is located in Kenya Lamu
Location of Lamu
[edit on Wikidata]
The town was founded in the 14th century and it contains many fine examples of Swahili architecture. The old city is inscribed on the World Heritage List as "the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa".

Once a center for the slave trade, the population of Lamu is ethnically diverse. Lamu was on the main Arabian trading routes, and as a result, the population is largely Muslim.[3] From respect to the Muslim inhabitants, tourists in town are expected to wear more than shorts or bikinis.

There are several museums, including the Lamu Museum, home to the island's ceremonial horn (called siwa);[22] other museums are dedicated to Swahili culture and to the local postal service. Notable buildings in Lamu town include:

Lamu Fort[edit]
Lamu Fort is a fort in the town. Fumo Madi ibn Abi Bakr, the sultan of Pate, started to build the fort on the seafront, to protect members of his unpopular government. He died in 1809, before the first storey of the fort was completed. The fort was completed by the early 1820s.

Mosques[edit]
Riyadha Mosque[edit]

Riyadha Mosque
Habib Salih, a Sharif with family connections to the Hadramaut, Yemen, settled on Lamu in the 1880s, and became a highly respected religious teacher. Habib Salih had great success gathering students around him, and in 1900 the Riyadha Mosque was built.[23] He introduced Habshi Maulidi, where his students sang verse passages accompanied by tambourines. After his death in 1935 his sons continued the madrassa, which became one of the most prestigious centres for Islamic studies in East Africa. The Mosque is the centre for the Maulidi Festival, which are held every year during the last week of the month of the Prophet's birth. During this festival, pilgrims from Sudan, Congo, Uganda, Zanzibar and Tanzania join the locals to sing the praise of Mohammad. Mnarani Mosque is also of note.

Donkey sanctuary[edit]
Since the island has no motorised vehicles, transportation and other heavy work is done with the help of donkeys. There are some 3000 donkeys on the island.[7] Dr. Elisabeth Svendsen of The Donkey Sanctuary in England first visited Lamu in 1985. Worried by the conditions for the donkeys, the Sanctuary was opened in 1987.[3] The Sanctuary provides treatment to all donkeys free of charge.

Culture[edit]
Lamu is home to the Maulidi Festival, held in January or February, which celebrates Mohammed's birth. It features a range of activities from "donkey races to dhow-sailing events and swimming competitions".[24] The Lamu Cultural Festival, a colourful carnival, [25] is usually held in the last week of August, which since 2000 has featured traditional dancing, crafts including kofia embroidery, and dhow races.[26] The Donkey Awards, with prizes given to the finest donkeys, are given in March/April.[26] Women's music in the town is also of note and they perform the chakacha, a wedding dance. Men perform the hanzua (a sword dance) and wear kanzus.[27]

Lamu Old Town was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001, based on 3 criteria:

The architecture and urban structure of Lamu graphically demonstrate the cultural influences that have come together there over several hundred years from Europe, Arabia, and India, utilising traditional Swahili techniques to produce a distinct culture.
The growth and decline of the seaports on the East African coast and interaction between the Bantu, Arabs, Persians, Indians, and Europeans represents a significant cultural and economic phase in the history of the region which finds its most outstanding expression in Lamu Old Town.
Its paramount trading role and its attraction for scholars and teachers gave Lamu an important religious function in the region, which it maintains to this day.[28]
Transport[edit]

Locals using a donkey for transport
In 2011, proposals were being advanced to build a deep-water port which would have much greater capacity in terms of depth of water, number of berths, and ability for vessels to arrive and depart at the same time than the country's main port at Mombasa.[29]

In popular culture[edit]
The song "Lamu"[30] by Christian singer Michael W. Smith is inspired by the island. In the song, Smith refers to Lamu as "an island hideaway...the place we soon will be a rebirth from life's demise...where the world is still". The song is about running away from life's problems.

Lamu is the setting of Anthony Doerr's short story "The Shell Collector" from his collection of stories by the same name.

See also[edit]
Juma and the Magic Jinn, a United States children's picture book set on Lamu Island
Lamu Port and Lamu-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor
 
Ukanimara mzee, adigo mara kukohiko mijikenda machiingira tanzania, nkweli asiliyehu yalakuko kwa arume amazu akaurika kayamba
 
Utenzi maarufu sana huu. Ukipita pale tuki(tataki) utakutana nao kwa maprof wakiswahili
 
Ukanimara mzee, adigo mara kukohiko mijikenda machiingira tanzania, nkweli asiliyehu yalakuko kwa arume amazu akaurika kayamba

Fuhenzane Umwenga wa Amidzichenda, Fumanyane Fuuzane, Dho'me ra Adzukulu A Mbodze.
Udugu udumu madhumuni kureha Adigo na Amidzi osi phamwenga ili tusaidiane chimawazo kuendeleza Udigoni/ Midzi yehu na pia tufunzane ndimi, hadisi za adigo na amidzi kwa jumla na ng'anzi za imu za chidigo kwenda visa
 
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