Thatched cottage on a stone platform behind sand dunes, doum palms and coastal scrub on Manda Island, Kenya.

Manda Bay

Lamu Archipelago, Kenya

Swahili Craft on a Sheltered Shore

Manda Island lies across the channel from Lamu, its northwestern point facing the calm inner waterways of the archipelago. Here Manda Bay occupies a secluded peninsula, set in a grove of coconut palms, acacia and tamarind above a long beach of soft white sand. Sheltered from the trade winds that sweep the coast, the bay stays smooth and clear, and the lodge is only a short boat ride from the airstrip.

The lodge is built in the Swahili tradition from wood, makuti thatch and stone, with high roofs and open sides that welcome the sea breeze. Palm-woven floors, stone paths, splashes of sand and locally made Lamu furniture blur the line between lodge and beach, and shoes are soon forgotten.

The bandas are spacious and airy, some standing right on the seafront and others set slightly back on higher ground to catch the view. Each has a veranda with a hammock, tailored interiors and an en-suite bathroom, and several have minimal windows so the breeze moves freely through the room.

A relaxed, varied pattern, part island retreat and part adventure, lays out fresh choices each morning. Water-ski, wakeboard or windsurf on the flat water of the bay, paddle up mangrove creeks, snorkel the reefs of Manda Toto alongside green turtles or fish inshore and offshore. Excursions reach Lamu Old Town and the Takwa ruins, and island drives pass baobabs where buffalo, dik-dik and monkeys roam. The kitchen favours seafood landed by local fishermen, and as evening approaches the dhow sets sail for sunset, followed perhaps by dinner on the beach by candlelight.

Aerial view of Manda Bay Lodge's palm-lined beach, swimming pool, thatched roofs and three motorboats moored in clear shallows.

You will love

Barefoot chic
Glassy water for waterskiing
Sunset sails aboard the dhow
Island drives past ancient ruins
Seafood from local fishermen

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Overhead view of the swimming pool with blue loungers, a flagstone deck, coconut palms and thatched roofs at Manda Bay Lodge, Kenya.

Open-sided lounge and bar under a high makuti thatched roof, with cushioned sofas and carved wooden tables, and palms and sea beyond.

Cushioned swing daybed under a thatched roof facing the sea and tidal sand flats, with low sun glowing through palm fronds.

Aerial view of two guests kayaking along a calm channel lined with dense mangrove forest in the Lamu Archipelago, Kenya.

Thatched cottage 17 with a coral stone wall, rope swing daybed and wooden chairs on its veranda, shaded by palms at Manda Bay Lodge.

Guests with binoculars and a camera on a game drive in an open blue four-wheel drive among palms and coastal bush near Manda Bay.

Staff member lights a lantern on a beach dinner table for two, ringed by brass lanterns on the sand at dusk, Manda Bay, Kenya.

Children on towed inflatable tubes skim across the water as three guests paddleboard past mangroves near Manda Bay Lodge.

Traditional wooden dhow under a white lateen sail flying the Kenyan flag, with crew and guests aboard in the Lamu Archipelago.

Motorboat with guests anchored over turquoise water and coral heads beside an exposed reef flat at low tide off the Kenyan coast.

Guests on a game drive in an open blue four-wheel drive stop beside a giant baobab in green coastal bush near Manda Bay, Kenya.

Large bedroom with a canopied double bed, round jute rug, carved armchairs and a cushioned swing daybed under a high thatched roof.

Close-up of a rope swing daybed with striped cushions under a thatched veranda, with wooden armchairs and palm fronds behind.

Open-sided bedroom with a canopied bed, white curtains and a swing daybed looking out over sand and palms, Manda Island, Kenya.

Thatched beach cottage at Manda Bay Lodge with a swing daybed, wooden chairs and a stone footbath on the veranda, shaded by coconut palms.

Rope-hung swing daybed with striped cushions on the veranda of a thatched cottage, framed by palm fronds in bright daylight.

Twin room at Manda Bay Lodge with two mosquito-netted beds, bedside lamps, a potted palm and woven palm walls beneath a thatched roof.

View from a bedroom through an open doorway to a shaded veranda, wooden lounger and palms, between woven palm walls and white curtains.

Two cushioned loungers on a stone terrace outside a thatched beach cottage at Manda Bay Lodge, with palms and morning sun behind.

Spacious bedroom with a mosquito-netted double bed on a rustic log frame, coir matting, a wooden writing desk and a high thatched ceiling.

Beachfront bedroom with a canopied bed, writing desk and open doors to the sand and ocean in soft golden light, Lamu Archipelago.

Bedroom at Manda Bay Lodge with a mosquito-netted log bed, woven palm walls, a wicker sofa and warm lamplight under a makuti thatched roof.

Aerial view of thatched beach cottages among green trees and palms, their long shadows falling across the sand and shallows at low tide.

Thatched beach gazebo hung with white curtains and set with chairs on the sand, framed by a thatched shelter at Manda Bay Lodge, Kenya.

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Beachfront bedroom with a mosquito-netted bed, bedside lamps, swing daybed and two planter's chairs facing open sea views, Manda Island.

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