Manda Bay is a simple beach lodge on an island in Lamu's archipelago, featuring palm-thatched cottages and open living areas.
The communal areas include a bar and plenty of seating areas , the dining room is cool and breezy and there is a swimming pool when you need a change from the sea. The food is excellent, with lots of fresh seafood.
Eleven beach-front rooms are spread out behind the sea wall directly on the waterfront, with five palm rooms and six garden rooms scattered among the palm trees and gardens behind. Built out of local materials, they are open and breezy with comfortable beds, cold showers and a hanging day bed on the verandah – the perfect spot to read a book and watch the world go by. The lodge offers barefoot "luxury"; don't expect to find windows or air conditioning.
If you are active there is plenty to do with lot of included activities such as sailing, SUP, kayaking, game drives to see the island’s wildlife, and sundowners. Optional add-ons include half or full day deep sea fishing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, snorkelling, and sunset sails on a local Dhow boat. A 20-minute boat ride away is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lamu Old Town, one of the original Swahili settlements and trading seaports along coastal East Africa. It is still home to narrow streets and donkey carts, artisan shops, and traditional Arabic architecture.
About This Area
The Lamu Archipelago is located just two degrees south of the equator. The largest islands in the archipelago are Pate, Lamu, and Manda, while the smaller ones include Manda Toto and Kiwayu. The islands are separated from the mainland by narrow channels lined with dense mangrove forests protected from the Indian Ocean by coral reefs and large sand dunes.
Lamu Town, situated on Lamu Island, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is recognized as Kenya's oldest town. It is believed to have been visited by Zheng He from China in the early 1400s. Lamu Old Town is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa, retaining its traditional functions. Built in coral stone and mangrove timber, the town is characterized by the simplicity of structural forms enriched by such features as inner courtyards, verandas, and elaborately carved wooden doors.