Gaba Gaba House

Anchored in Shela village at the quieter end of Lamu Island, Gaba Gaba House sits within the UNESCO-listed old town where donkeys replace cars and coral-stone walls line every lane. The property draws a near-perfect 9.8 rating across its early reviews.

Shela's beach stretches north from the village edge for several kilometres of uncrowded sand, reachable on foot in under five minutes. The Indian Ocean dhow channel runs directly offshore, and traditional jahazi sailing trips depart from the Shela jetty most mornings.

Lamu town, with its 14th-century Swahili fort and Thursday market, sits a short water-taxi ride west along the waterfront. Flights connect Lamu's Manda Island airstrip to Nairobi in under two hours.