Lamu or Lamu Town is a small town on Lamu Island. This diverse island has become a variety of cultures and traditions from all its European, African, Arab and Asian influences.
 
"After Malindi the tarmac runs out and continuing my journey north along the coast turned out to be pretty hard going. The dirt road, softened by the recent rains and floods, had turned into a sea of mud making progress on the crowded bus very slow. On a number of occasions we all had to get out and help push the bus out of large pot holes. Progress was further hampered by a swollen river, where again we all had to push the bus up a steep ramp to get it onto the ferry, instead of the driver being able to drive on at one level. When we did reach a better stretch of road our driver drove like he had gone mad. I was really glad when we reached a small jetty where a ferry was waiting to take the bus passengers the last few miles. The ferry made it's way through a narrow channel between what seemed an endless expanse of mangrove trees. Just as dusk approached the channel opened up and at last the island and town of Lamu appeared in the distance.
 
Lamu, as I was to find out the next morning, was a bit of a mecca for travelling types like myself and the town was full of small cafés and hotels catering for our needs, reminding me a little of Kathmandu and Bali before they got spoilt." - MH