Luxury
Travel to Kenya- Lamu
The latest word in
island chic, Lamu, a strict Muslim fishing village
where the call to prayer permeates the village five
times a day presents an appealing option for the
seasoned jet-setter looking for unspoilt territory.
An island where an
easy candour is still to be had with the locals,
where the infrastructure is still charmingly lacking
and where the visitor is never able to fully
insulate him/herself from the surroundings, combined
with some of the most refreshingly isolated (empty)
beaches has presented itself into a proposition
appealing enough for jaded jet-setters to make the
trip to splendid isolation. Lamu is a town that
enchants right from the get-go. An 'airport
transfer' is via a magnificent dhow that connects
you to either Shela or Old Lamu town (we're fans of
the latter).
Many luxury villa
rentals have sprung up in old Lamu town as well as
Shela, each channeling its own version of Swahili
chic. The winding alleys of old Lamu town, with its
individual houses that reveals its splendours only
once you step inside (recalling the 'architecture of
the veil' in Morocco), are a must-stay during your
time in Lamu.
Or take a luxury dhow
trip to remote beaches off Lamu for some excellent
snorkeling and a sundowner at Manda Bay. Or take a
longer dhow 'safari' to even more remote islands
(some do take it down to Zanzibar, linking the coast
of Africa, an instrumental route in the slave
trade).
Luxury travel in Lamu,
more so than any other locality, is about insider
access. Urbane Nomads is able to arrange for the
best villa accommodation with luxury dhow trips in
Lamu as a post-safari trip or as a standalone
getaway.
Luxury travel in
Kenya largely is about the safari experience. Urbane
Nomads tailors bespoke luxury itineraries that
either facilitates the best in accommodation that
Nairobi has to offer as a precursor to your safari
or skipping Nairobi altogether, connecting instead
by private plane to the lush, tranquil Lake Naivasha,
staying in a private home with a spa unique in its
proximity to wild life (it's almost as if you could
touch the giraffes passing by!)
Urbane Nomads also
arranges for you to travel in luxury to remote parts
of Kenya. The famed Lake Turkana, for example, the
backdrop of 'The Constant Gardener' and romanticized
for its savage beauty and extreme remoteness, can be
accessed as part of a heli-tour. Remote parts of
Northern Kenya- at the forefront of responsible
tourism in Africa with its private game reserves, is
also Urbane Nomads' idea of a luxury safari for
those who'd already dispensed with the Big Five but
are looking instead, for a greater taste of the
culture and being in the remote wilds of Africa.
Large photo courtesy of Jonathan Hills