101 Kizingo Dunes (Mia Moja Na Moja is 101 in Swahili) is a cluster of five buildings (bandas) making up a small encampment in a remote spot nestled in the dunes on Lamu Island, Kenya, only a few steps from a gloriously deserted 12 km beach and the Indian Ocean. The weather is always warm with a cooling breeze rustling the palms.
Three of the bandas are self-contained bedrooms, each with fully equipped bathrooms. The largest house is a sitting and dining room with one bedroom and bathroom on the side. These are all built using the local architectural style, made simply of timber frames with soft matting floors and woven palm leaves for the walls and thatch. There are no wooden doors or glass windows; just openings with split-cane and heavy blinds which can be lowered to cut out wind or light.
The only solid building is the kitchen; this has a terrace with gorgeous 360 degree views of the high dunes behind the house and the sea to the front. From here you can use the binoculars to watch birdlife, sometimes monkeys on the dunes, dhows out at sea and the occasional human walking the beach; there is a dining table also for breakfast and lunch.
Mia Moja Na Moja sleeps 8 comfortably but is lovely for any number from just two to 10. It costs £250 a night for the whole property and staff. We charge £50 per adult for food per day: this includes a cooked breakfast, two course lunch, cakes at tea, pre-dinner bitings and a two course dinner plus tea and coffee throughout the day. Soft drinks and any alcohol and tips are extra. The minimum rental is four days.
The island of Lamu is off the East coast of Kenya. The Lamu name is shared by an archipelago, its principal island and the island’s main town. Less than a mile from the mainland coast, the island is two degrees from the equator and two hours by air from Nairobi. Lamu town, a former Arab slaving port, is a UNESCO world heritage site still evoking a byegone era with donkeys and camels rather than cars providing transport. The island has a number of settlements around its coastline with boatbuilding and fishing the main occupations.
Travel to Mia Moja Na Moja is by boat from the airport to Kizingo Point. From there it is a half hour walk to the encampment where simplicity and luxury combine to provide a sanctuary, a paradise, away from the cares of the world.
SEASONS
The house is not let in May, June or early July which is the rainy season; we go in August and September when the weather is cooler and there can be the odd rain shower. Peak season for Lamu is from October through to March.
