On Manda Island, in Kenya’s Lamu Archipelago, three beachfront villas stand above white sand on Ras Kitau Bay. Across the channel lie Shela village and Lamu’s whitewashed houses, close enough to watch the dhows crossing all day, far enough to keep the noise at arm’s length.
Across the channel lie Shela village and Lamu’s whitewashed houses
Being on the Manda side is the point. Guests wake to the sound of waves and the distant call to prayer drifting across the water, then cross by the resort’s own boat to Shela for its cafes and boutiques, or for drinks at Peponi Hotel, before returning to a base quieter than the village itself can offer. Lamu Airport is only ten or fifteen minutes away by speedboat, the transfer arranged by the resort.
Nanni and Elena Moccia, an Italian family with a long connection to Africa, built a house on Manda to escape the European winters, and almost by accident it grew into a hotel, run today by their sons Federico and Stefano. Majlis is Arabic for a sitting room, the place where people gather, which tells you exactly how the family thinks about the space they have made.
Majlis is Arabic for a sitting room, the place where people gather
Swahili and Italian sensibilities meet in the architecture, in villas of lime-washed coral stone whose high beamed ceilings, carved wooden doors and open stairways keep the air moving. Inside, white walls set off neutral linens and furniture hand-crafted in local timber, alongside pieces the family has collected across Africa and the Indian Ocean coast.
People drawn to Lamu for a private staffed house in Shela will find something different here. This is a resort, and a considered one, where three swimming pools lie among the gardens: a main infinity pool and two more kept for in-house guests, each with its own poolside bar. Days are shaped by a spa, a gym and an activity centre, and the appeal is having services, facilities and a full programme on hand, run by staff who know the archipelago, rather than the self-contained logistics of a private home.
Across the three villas, the rooms and suites run through a range of categories. Superior rooms are the entry point, Deluxe rooms add space and often a private terrace, and Junior Suites bring a separate living area with sea and garden views. Family Suites join two interleading rooms, one double and one twin, each with its own bathroom, while Royal Suites pair two junior suites around a shared living room. All are air-conditioned and en-suite, with Swahili four-poster beds and carved wooden doors.
People drawn to Lamu for a private staffed house in Shela will find something different here
Traditional dhows sail out for sunset cruises along the Lamu Channel and full days at remote sandbanks, often set up with a picnic, while snorkelling runs to the offshore reefs. The calm bay and mangrove creek suit gentler pursuits and faster ones alike, from kayaking and paddle boarding to waterskiing, wakeboarding and tubing, with inshore and deep-sea fishing arranged from the resort. Ashore, guided visits take in Lamu Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of narrow lanes and Swahili houses, and the sixteenth-century Takwa ruins on Manda itself.
Meals lean on the fresh seafood landed locally, the prawns, lobster and crab served across Italian, international and Swahili dishes, with wood-fired pizzas a fixture. Dinner might come in the open-air beachfront restaurant, on the terrace above it, or laid out on the sand under lanterns. Mornings bring coffee on a terrace as the first dhows head out, and evenings a swim under skies with little light pollution, sundowners as the colour rises behind Shela. Families are well looked after, with interconnecting suites and a play area of their own.
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accommodation
39 rooms and suites sit within three beachfront villas. Categories run from Superior and Deluxe rooms through Junior Suites to Family Suites of two interleading rooms and Royal Suites pairing two junior suites with a shared living room. All are air-conditioned and en-suite, with Swahili four-poster beds, carved doors, and sea, garden or pool views.
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activities
Dhow sailing, sunset cruises, snorkelling on offshore reefs, and boat trips to sandbanks. Kayaking, paddle boarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, waterskiing, wakeboarding and tubing run from the bay. Inshore and deep-sea fishing, mangrove walks, visits to Lamu Old Town, Shela and the Takwa ruins, plus mainland game drives near Lake Kenyatta.
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conservation
The Majlis Resort employs Kenyan staff and supports ANIDAN, which runs a children's shelter on Lamu providing food, education and accommodation. Heat pumps, water recycling and a switch to cleaner four-stroke boat engines reduce the resort's footprint.
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.
You fly to the coast from Nairobi. A light aircraft from Wilson airport reaches Lamu's airport, which sits on Manda Island, in about an hour and three-quarters, and the resort's own speedboat brings you across in ten or fifteen minutes. We arrange the flights and the transfer together, and if you would rather travel privately we can charter a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12 for the flight to Manda, timed to your international arrival.
Coastal flights often allow a slightly more generous soft-bag limit than the bush routes, though a duffel is still wise. You can also fly via Mombasa if that suits your wider itinerary better.
Yes, and the Kenyan coast, Lamu included, is one of the higher-risk parts of the country. Its low, hot, humid setting suits mosquitoes, so the CDC and TravelHealthPro both class the coast as a malaria area with year-round transmission, higher during the rains, and antimalarial tablets are strongly advised.
Because this is a health matter, please confirm the current guidance with a travel clinic or your doctor before you travel, and take real care against bites in the evenings. The rooms are air-conditioned, which helps keep windows closed after dark.
The coast is hot and humid the year round, cooled by the sea breeze, with the heaviest rain and roughest seas in April and May. The two monsoons set the rhythm: calm, clear water on the northeast Kaskazi from December to February, and breezier conditions on the Kusi from June to September.
Pack light, breathable clothes, swimwear, a hat and strong sun protection, and reef shoes for the coral. Lamu is a Muslim community, so bring something to cover shoulders and knees for the village and town, and keep the swimwear for the beach and pool.
For calm seas and the clearest water for snorkelling, come during the Kaskazi from December to February, when the days are hot and dry. October is a quiet spell with the year's clearest water and fewer guests, while the Kusi months from June to September suit sailing more than snorkelling.
We would steer you away from April and May, when heavy rain and rough seas cloud the water and unsettle the boat trips.
A great deal turns on the sea here: dhow sailing and sunset cruises, snorkelling on the offshore reefs, boat trips to the sandbanks, and the full range of kayaking, paddleboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, waterskiing and fishing from the bay. Trips across to Lamu Old Town, Shela and the Takwa ruins fill the rest.
The coast is tidal, so the beach, the swimming and the timing of dhow trips shift with the tides through the day. The resort plans the boat outings around them, and it is worth being flexible about exactly when you head out.
Yes. The resort has family suites of two interleading rooms and larger royal suites, all air-conditioned, and the range of watersports and boat trips keeps children of most ages busy. The calm bay in the Kaskazi season is the easiest time for younger swimmers.
Some watersports have age or ability limits, so tell us your children's ages and swimming confidence and we will make sure the activities and the room configuration fit.
rated five stars by our clients
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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.
