Rent a room or the whole of our beautiful
house
in Lamu Old Town on Lamu
Island.
Subira House Enterprises Ltd
P.O.Box 341, Lamu Old Town, Kenya
For reservation sms to +46-707293832
or e-mail to info@lamuhouse.net
Located in Lamu Old Town on Lamu Island at the Northern coast of Kenya
is our other paradise.
A well preserved arab merchants' town, with narrow labyrinthe streets,
only one car,
small scale tourism and very slow pace, a very friendly atmosphere -
this is Lamu
- a very, very peaceful place.
There have been urban settlements in the Lamu area for at least one
thousand years.
Some of these are the oldest settlements of the whole East African coast.
Recently Lamu Town was choosen one of Kenya's three Unesco
world heritages!
Lamu is an interesting place to visit any time of the year.
High season are the months of December and January.
The rainy season is usually in the end of April and the beginning of
May.
Our European summertime is the "colder" Kenyan Season.The
weather in November to
March is warm, humid and nice and mostly there is a wind blowing.
July, August and September are cooler for those who do not like the
hot climate.
Lamu lies two degrees south of the Equator.
Subira House is a large 200 years old coral stone house which was built
by an important "liwali" -
the governor under the Sultan of Zanzibar. His family resided in the
house until the beginning of 1970.
It is on the list of grade one houses subject to preservation made by
Lamu Conservation Society.
The building is both architecturally and historically of great interest.
Subira House is one of Lamu Town's pretty guesthouses, behind the Old
Fort and the Lamu Market.
Open court yard
"SUBIRA HOUSE" is an Arab style
house with two open court yards, lovely arches
and a beautiful garden with our own well water. The house is very
big, about 800 square meters.
There are seven bedrooms and many more galleries where to relax in
the soft and warm winds.
You sleep under a net because of malaria mosquitoes and there are
elecrical fans.
The generator of Lamu is very overloaded so not really efficient at
the moment
why you must expect to be without light every now and then. And fans!
-
First floor galleries for relaxation
We have not installed aircondition
and there are no flushing toilets.
They are tradtional pit latrines and these work absolutely all right.
.
Lamu has an old intricate open sewage system but no underground sewage
draining system.
Our ambition is to manage Subira House as environmentally friendly as
possible.
You will be looked after by Julius who is used to recieve our guests.
He will pick you up at the airport and guide you to the house.
The Old women's quarters downstairs is now a two room flat with a small
kitchen
Meditative single room
Outside dining area
- 
Many places
to sit
Lamu town is a busy but still slow and peaceful Swahili town with about
14.000 inhabitants,
and about 6.000 donkeys wandering about
the narrow streets.
No cars, only wooden weeled carts.There is even a donkey hospital.
Lamu Town square at lazy mid-day
There are a few small restaurants in town, some exist because of the
tourists and some are basic
Swahili style ones. Two more elegant "real" restaurants with
bars that serve alcoholic drinks also
have newly renovated rooms in European style.
The muslim religion is dominant
and you will hear the 22 mosques calling for prayers
five times a day. Starting at 5.30 a.m. (Using a loudspeaker.)
You must visit Lamu
Museum, the Swahili house Museum the old Fort,
(just in front of our house has
been restored with Swedish and Norwegian aid money.)
6th Year of Lamu Cultural Festival in November a
weekend filled with events!
Sometimes there are great wedding parties in the
Fort- our neighbour.
Lamu market
Supermarket
There are many small duka, little shops and a fruit and a fish market.
- 
Lobster an -d mangoes mm mmm
Fortyfive minutes' walk along
the seafront towards the south of the island you find another little
village SHELA,
also with a smaller "stonetown". Many captains are ready to
take you to the beach in their boats,
just look for them on the seafront in Lamu - Shela Beach, Shela Beach!
Here it is extremely quiet .There are some hotels and many guesthouses.
Peponi´s Hotel is a well kept Danish! -run 20 rooms hotel with a nice grill
right on the beach.
Sunrise in Shela
Shela Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches of the world. I have
asked many travellers who have been "everywhere" and they
mean that this one is one of the best. Best because it is so unexploited.
The sand dunes always change their character and the Indian Ocean is
always different but soft and gentle.
There is nothing but the sea and the sand and the sun and You.
Soft wawes on Shella Beach after a long walk.
Walking past the majestic baobab trees on the island
of Manda
Jelani our friend since 1975 can arrange Your town
and sailing tours.
Fishing or sailing by dhow, trip around the island,
snorkeling at Manda Toto or a two days sailing trip to Kiwayu...
He helps to pick up our guests at the airstrip on
Manda.
We have many things to learn from the Swahili
society.
The way of organizing life is so different from life in Europe.
Europeans have a lot of money
and no time. Here there is a lot of time and not so much money.
It is a very good start to slow down kwenda pole pole
(to go slowly) and see what else there is to discover in life.
My advice to those who want to come and stay in Subira House:
Prepare yourself for a visit to a very different society. You will meet
wonderful people!
Try to spend at least one week of Your life here.
If you look for peace of mind You will need several weeks.
. -------
Sustainable and Eco Travel
Subira House is one of the special hotels of
The
Good Travel Company in the world!
ANOTHER INTERESTING ART
COURSE ORGANISED BY WILDEBEESTE WORKSHOP
Visit Lamu in the wintertime and Dala-Floda,
Dalarna, Sweden in the summer!
Contact us for more information, please!
Tel: +46-707 29 38 32
Christina and Paul Aarts info@lamuhouse.net
address: Badvägen 6, 78044 DALA-FLODA SWEDEN