Matondoni

Lamu Island


The best place to see dhows being built is the village of Matondoni, in the island's northwest. It’s a peaceful little fishing village that receives few visitors, so the welcome is always warm.

To get there from Lamu Town, you can walk the 6km (about two hours – ask for directions from the back of town and follow the telephone poles), slogging your way through sand part of the way. Alternatively, you can hire a donkey or take an organised dhow trip (which normally continues onto Kipungani for a swim and, sea conditions depending, then loops around the island and back to Lamu town via Shela). Jambo House organises guided walks to Matondoni.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Lamu Island attractions

1. Swahili House

4.09 MILES

This preserved 16th-century Swahili house, tucked away to the side of Yumbe Guest House, in a tranquil courtyard with a well, is beautiful. The entry fee…

2. Lamu Market

4.16 MILES

Atmospheric and somewhat chaotic, this quintessential Lamu market is best visited early in the morning. Bargain for fresh tuna and sailfish, wade through…

3. Donkey Sanctuary

4.16 MILES

A man without a donkey is a donkey, claims one Swahili proverb. Or, as the staff of this sanctuary might tell you, a man who doesn’t look after his donkey…

4. Lamu Fort

4.17 MILES

This squat castle was built by the Sultan of Paté between 1810 and 1823. From 1910 right up to 1984 it was used as a prison. It now houses the island’s…

5. Lamu Museum

4.19 MILES

The best museum in town (and the second best in Kenya) is housed in a grand Swahili warehouse on the waterfront. This is as good a gateway as you’ll get…

6. German Post Office Museum

4.21 MILES

In the late 1800s, before the British decided to nip German expansion into Tanganyika in the bud, the Germans regarded Lamu as an ideal base from which to…

7. Shela Beach

5.18 MILES

Most people are here for the beach – a 12km-long, wide sweep of pristine white sand where you’re guaranteed an isolated spot (at least if you’re…

8. Takwa Ruins

8.55 MILES

What sets these ruins, the remains of a city that existed between the 15th and 17th centuries, apart from other archaeological sites on the coast? Quiet…