Lamu Palace Hotel
Kizingo is the ultimate ‘no news, no shoes’ beach resort - a wonderful secluded and tranquil escape from the modern world. The lodge is situated at one end of a spectacular 12-kilometre beach that stretches from Kizingo (which means ‘the point’ in Swahili) to the fashionable village of Shela. Kizingo has six beautifully appointed bandas (thatched cottages), set well apart from each other, with unrivalled sea views. In the early morning you can enjoy tea in bed and watch fishing dhows tack south to Malindi.
• Kizingo has six very spacious bandas with high-pitched thatched roofs and shaded balconies with uninterrupted ocean views.
• Each Kizingo room has a large double bed romantically draped with mosquito netting and comfortable chairs for lounging.
• Bamboo screens unfurl to give complete privacy. The en suite bathroom is well appointed with a flushing toilet, hot water shower, wash basin and dressing area.
Culinary and Dining Experience
• The chefs prepare delicious lunches and dinners in Kizingo’s restaurant overlooking the Indian Ocean using only the freshest local produce. Fish and seafood are the specialties, red snapper, crab and lobster, all served with locally grown vegetables and salads. Kizingo can accommodate special diets and create interesting dishes for vegetarians, or meat lovers.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the room rates as well as afternoon tea with homemade cake.
• Guests can be as private or as social as they wish, opting to enjoy fine dining on the balcony of their banda or join other guests in the bar and the dining room with their magnificent views across the bay to mainland Kenya where giant baobab trees spread into the brilliant blue sky.
Relaxation Experience and Activities
• Snorkel On Coral Reefs Around Lamu: The unspoilt reefs surrounding the islets of Kinyika, Tenewa and Manda Toto are easily reached aboard Kizingo’s speedboat. Rich in different species of coral and shoals of rainbow-colored tropical fish, they are also important nurseries for ocean-going fish.
• Swim With Dolphins: The islands around Lamu are one of the few places in the world that you can swim with wild dolphins. In winter, when the sea is calmer, a group of around 150 Bottlenose Dolphins arrive most mornings to greet Kizingo’s boat. You jump in among them with snorkel and mask and flipper after them as they swim underwater. A magical, not-to-be-missed experience.
• Turtle Watching: Green turtles come up to the beach to lay their eggs between late October and June. When the eggs hatch, a guide will take guests to watch the newly-hatched turtles find their way to the ocean, protecting them from crabs and birds on the start of their journey.
• Fishing Around Lamu Islands: Kizingo can arrange fishing trips in the mangrove channels and from the shore. Both fly and spinning rods are used to catch Snapper, Lady Fish and Teavellis. Deep sea or reef fishing can also be arranged by chartering a deep-sea fishing boat. Yellow fin tuna, sailfish, Kingfisher are the more common catches.
• Guided Cycle Rides: For a real taste of village life in Kenya, join Kizingo on a guided cycle ride on the mainland. They will introduce you to the farmers who grow food for Kizingo as well as cashew nuts, sim sim and cotton. They also brew delicious honey beer which has quite a punch. Keen cyclists will enjoy a trip to Lake Kenyatta known for its wonderful bird life and the rare chance to see hippos.
• Historic Lamu Town: A guided tour of historic Lamu Town, where donkeys are still the only form of transport, includes visits to former merchants’ homes with their ornate carved doors and plasterwork, the fort, the daily vegetable and fish markets, and encounters with some of the trades people, from woodcarvers to silver smiths.
• Bush Walks: Paths through the high dunes reveal a wealth of flora and fauna, a wonderful way to spend the late afternoon.
• Village Visits: Kipungani Village welcomes visitors. Here you can see how the Mkeka mats are made, which are used at Kizingo. You can also visit the school.
• Sunset Dhow Trips: A dhow can be hired from the local village to sail round the bay. Watch the sun drop into the ocean from the deck of the dhow under full sail.
Kipungani Lodge
Swiss owner Pierre Oberson created Kijani House to revive the tradition of stone Swahili houses and create an authentic retreat for visitors looking to experience Lamu’s past. It took Pierre more than ten years to rebuild the hotel from the ruins of three old houses, and he used only traditional methods and materials in the restoration.
The Kijanu House Lamu Hotel experience: off the bustling waterfront of Shela village, dhows sway gently on the incoming tide as merchants and fishermen cross back and forth on the shimmering sand. A few steps away, a few white steps and a small entranceway, framed by clusters of frangipani and bougainvillea flowers, opens to cool shade and green shadows.
Entering Kijani House is like stepping into a secret garden. Two aquamarine pools glow gently in the shade of giant kunazi trees, small tables and beach chairs lie in the shade of a profusion of different species of palm trees, and flowering flamboyant and yellow oleanders branch out over large terraces that face the ocean.
Kijani House rooms and gardens are filled with antiques or handmade replicas of the furniture, lanterns, ornaments, and utensils that graced the stately houses of Lamu’s past. Copies of Old Portuguese lanterns hang from white archways. An arrangement of ceramic water pots stand used to carry oil and water aboard ships centuries ago stand under the shade of a palm tree. Members of the village even borrow Kijani’s ceremonial chair, crafted from hardwood and wickerwork on the nearby island of Siyu, for weddings and special occasions.
• True to the atmosphere of a Swahili house, Kijani House rooms and central areas emphasize the aesthetics of privacy and space.
• Each Kijani House room has a private veranda shaded from sight by arabesque archways and trees. The 10 rooms are vast and cool, shards of sunlight and ample breeze welcomed through tall shutters.
• A canopied Swahili bed stands beside antique cupboards and tables colored with hand-painted Indian tiles and painted glass. In the bathroom, intricately carved mirrors set off the sensuous effect of the walls, ceiling, and floor in warm ochre, its heady oriental effect heightened by shafts of light filtering through shutters from the world outside.
• Kijani House offers a retreat from the bright bustle of Lamu’s waterfront a lush oasis of green gardens, pools, and cool rooms in their entire Swahili splendor.
Culinary and Dining Experience
• Kijani House restaurant offer an exotic selection of seafood, Swahili dishes and a touch of Italian cuisine.
• Fruit and vegetable are coming from the Kijani small farm in the middle of Lamu Island.
• Available from the cellar, a good selection of Italian, South African and Chilean wine’s.
• The kitchen offers all types of fish, lobsters, crabs and prawns fresh from the sea, along with meat and fresh vegetables, together with African and Italian specialties.
• Kijani House Hotel bakes their own bread; produce marmalade and yogurt with fresh product from Kijani’s small farm on the island, which also provides eggs and honey.
Relaxation Experience and Activities
• Lamu cultural tour.
• Relaxing by the swimming pool at Kijani House.
• Fishing on the channel
• Historical tour of Lamu
Kijani House
The Lamu Experience And An Eleven-Year Restoration Of Baytil Ajaib House in Lamu As Narrated By Paul Weaver, Proprietor
It seems many centuries ago that after a seemly long ride from Mombasa to Lamu, which thoroughly exhausted my vehicle capacity in time and comfort, we arrived somewhat dismayed, overwrought, over heated and over dusted to the dreamy island of Lamu. Little did we know that this small adventure was to be the beginning of a passion that would lead to the study of the construction of Traditional Stone Houses and among them Baytil Ajaib, part of one of the most sophisticated and beautiful cultures on the eastern coast of Africa. A three-day weekend turned into a two-week stay and the purchase of a near ruin of an old 18th century palatial town house.
My business partner and I were amazed at the building techniques used hundreds of years ago to build these remarkable palatial stone townhouses not to mention the size of the buildings. Unfortunately for us it became clear that the ancient techniques used in the past were no longer in possession of the inhabitants of the island. This situation led us to seek information concerning the properties and usage of lime, created from coral stone burnt at a very high temperature and mixed with various forms of sand in different ratios.
Traditional Stone Houses were built with coral stones held together with lime and sand and have stood the test of time for hundreds of years. Cement being a substance of rigidity prone to cracking, having almost no elasticity and a poor conductor of air was not used hundreds of years ago for obvious reasons. We were amazed at the benefits of constructing using the old techniques, which produced a much cooler building during the hot periods of the year and a warmer building during the rainy season. Lime, coral and sand permit the buildings to absorb a limited amount of rain which is necessary to re-enforce the lime to hold the coral rocks and sand together and at the same time permit the building to breath and possibly mend (on its own )any cracks that might have occurred in the building.
Having retired from my professional life as a banker, I decided to move to Lamu and busy myself with the restoration of Baytil Ajaib, wonderful building. To my great surprise lime has been used for centuries in many parts of the world, by the Egyptians, in India, the Italians are famous for their Stuccatore in the late 18th century. The research that followed on my behalf not only led to the rediscovery of the proper usage of lime in the restoration of these old buildings in Lamu but goes even further in proving not only is it financially cheaper but also ecologically sounder to construct in this manner. The understanding of the properties of lime has enriched our restoration techniques to the point that we are now able to produce decorated walls of various colors due to studied technique combinations of marble dust and lime.
Other overwhelming aspects of these beautiful homes are the spaciousness of this gracious living. Some of the Baytil Ajaib suites are over 120sqm in size opening up on private courtyard commanding the entire etage. Walls and columns that grace ceilings covered in mwangati wood (a very hardwood that comes from close to the Somalia border) painted red, black and inlaid in white lime at a height of no less than 4 meters only adds to the once upon a time splendor that reigned. Palm trees growing out of houses, apartments supported by columns opening on to private courtyards, decorated walls of exquisite stuccato lavoro in beautiful white plaster of marble dust and lime, apartments furnished in original antiques of that époque, not to mention that all courtyards and private verandas are open to sun, weather, and different birds at certain times of the day giving one the feeling of being outside while the contrary prevails is a marvel of construction and nature at it’s best. Man is a combination of himself and his surrounding nature! His mental and spiritual state depends on a balance of the two. Baytil Ajaib and homes like these were created for this balance hundred of years ago and it is with great joy that we wish to share this with others. Now more than ever our western societies are seeking different avenues to regain a proper mental and spiritual balance to our lives and hopefully Baytil Ajaib can serve as one of these avenues.
Relaxation Experience and Activities
• Lamu cultural tour.
• Fishing on the channel
• Historical tour of Lamu
KENYA SAFARI PRICES 
