Chuchungi House stands low behind the dunes on the southern shore of Lamu Island, taken by one group at a time and reached by a thirty-minute speedboat run down the mangrove channels from Lamu town. No road reaches this stretch of coast. Waterskiing, snorkelling and creek swims start at the beach. The pool lies in the garden behind the dunes.
Waterskiing, snorkelling and creek swims start at the beach.
The house belongs to Ed and Moon Hough, the couple behind Moon’s Camp in Laikipia. They run it themselves rather than through a management company. Moon came from travel and hospitality. Ed handles building projects and keeps a collection of vintage vehicles running. The pairing is deliberate, Moon’s Camp in the Lolldaiga Hills for the bush and Chuchungi House for the coast, with one team for both halves of a Kenyan trip.
The speedboat and its captain belong to the house. Mornings go to reefs, afternoons to mangrove creeks. Guests waterski or ride the donut straight off the beach, snorkel the coral, then swim in the still creek water behind the island. Kitesurfing and deep-sea fishing can be arranged locally, and paddleboards live on the veranda.
Mornings go to reefs, afternoons to mangrove creeks.
A chef cooks whatever comes off the boats: crab, lobster, tuna, fishcakes, and coastal curries loosened with coconut, lime and tamarind. Dinner might be on the roof, in the garden or by candlelight on the sand, and the crew set up sandbank picnics and beach dinners. Lamu Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the cafés of Shela are a boat ride away, as is Kipungani village next door.
The run from Manda is thirty minutes of mangrove channel and salt spray, and the house shows itself only at the end, low behind the dunes on Kizingoni Beach on the southern shore of Lamu Island. Thick plastered walls and high ceilings keep the rooms dark and cool through the middle of the day, arched openings and carved wood mark the doorways, and makuti thatch shades the veranda where most of the living happens. The cement floors stay bare and cool underfoot, and the garden runs down to the sand.
An outside stair climbs to the flat roof, which catches breeze from both the ocean and the creek side of the island, which is why yoga mats, sundowners and long lunches tend to end up there. There is no reception desk and no set mealtimes. Days are negotiated over fruit and eggs on the veranda: a sandbank for lunch, a swim, a dhow at six. Children are easily absorbed into this, with bedrooms that interconnect, safety gates at the pool, babysitting arranged in advance and homemade fish fingers from the kitchen. Older children tend to get more out of the boat days.
Dolphins work the channels and shorebirds pick over the tideline in front of the garden.
Kizingoni Beach runs empty in both directions, and ghost crabs skid across it ahead of you. Dolphins work the channels and shorebirds pick over the tideline in front of the garden. Sea turtles nest along the beach itself. Fishermen pull nets along the shore in the early morning. Game viewing belongs to the Laikipia half of the trip; Lamu supplies water, Swahili towns and the slow end of an itinerary. The staff come from the surrounding villages.
Guided village visits next door can be arranged. The rest of the coast comes by water: Lamu Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the cafés of Shela, and a yoga studio down the beach for anyone who would rather not climb to the roof.
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accommodation
Three bedrooms are taken by one group at a time, airy behind thick plastered walls, with high ceilings and shutters open to the sea breeze. Each has a walk-in shower, robes and a safe. The master opens onto its own terrace, two bedrooms can be set up for children next to their parents, and Wi-Fi reaches throughout.
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activities
Waterskiing, wakeboarding and donut rides from the beach, snorkelling on the reefs, paddleboarding, creek swims and fishing that supplies dinner. Dhow sailing at sunset, sandbank picnics and beach dinners. Yoga on the roof or at a studio down the beach. Boat trips to Lamu Old Town, Shela and Kipungani village.
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conservation
A nightly conservation fee is carried on every stay and goes to protecting this stretch of coastline, its reefs and the mangrove creeks behind the island. Kipungani village sits next door, and guided visits can be arranged for guests who want to see it.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
