GETTING THERE ... is an odyssey
You have to fly to Nairobi, take a little plane to Lamu Island, travel in a boat up the mangrove channel for forty minutes and then walk along the beach for half an hour. Your bags will be carried by donkeys, supplied by Yusuf from the local village.
1. FLIGHTS TO NAIROBI
Direct flights:
British Airways flies out during the day, leaving LHR at 10am and arriving in Nairobi around 9pm
Kenya Airways also flies out during the day and back overnight or during the day. There are often good connections via Amsterdam.
Indirect flights:
lots of different airlines connect with Nairobi but particularly KLM and Turkish Airlines - these can work out cheaper, but not always and can also involve long stop overs.
2. INTERNAL FLIGHTS (times change regularly)
Various airlines fly from Nairobi to Lamu (although you actually land on Manda Island). These can all be booked through Skyscanner but I would advise booking directly with the airline. At the moment there is JamboJet (which leaves from Nairobi International airport), Safari Link and Skyward Express (which both leave from Wilson airport)
VISAS
You will need a tourist visa for Kenya. You now have to get this on line (http://www.kenya-evisa-online.com) . You also need a minimum of six months to run on your passport - they enforce this strictly as we realised when my daughter Lily was thrown off her flight out so beware.
Our address for the visa form etc… is Kizingo Lodge, PO Box 138, Lamu, Kenya.
OVERNIGHT IN NAIROBI
We usually stay in the Ole Sereni. It is convenient for the airport and costs approximately $180: it’s often cheaper if you book through booking.Com
A slightly cheaper option is The Eka Hotel http://www.ekahotel.com is another possibility. Again it’s cheaper through http://booking.com or expedia.
The http://www.aeroclubea.com/facilities.htm is much cheaper - no membership required and it’s right near the domestic airport, Wilson. It’s not very comfortable but convenient if you are catching an onward flight on from Wilson (see below).
TAXI DRIVERS in Nairobi
We use two taxi drivers:
Christopher (00254721312173) or
Claude (00254721604166)
They will pick you up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and take you to your hotel and then return you either to JKIA or Wilson Airport in time for your internal flight, depending which airline you take. They will charge approx 3,000 ksh to transfer you. And again on the way back.
ARRIVAL IN LAMU
On arrival at Lamu airport you will be met by Abdul. He will help get your luggage and take you to the end of the jetty. You will need to tip him about 500ksh. Sule the boat captain will be waiting for you there to bring you to the nearest point to our house.
The journey up the channel to Kizingo takes about 30 minutes in a speedboat. Once you get to the point, you will be met by Yusuf with his donkey who will transport your luggage and will lead you to the house. Our staff will be waiting on the beach to greet you. Make sure you walk up via the beach as it is much nicer and much cooler. It’s about a 30 minute walk to our house.