Fodor's Expert Review Lamu House

The rooms in this boutique hotel, located next to the Donkey Sanctuary on Lamu's waterfront, are all different, but each one is superbly decorated in traditional Swahili style and has a separate dressing room and a terrace looking out either onto the water or the town. The communal areas in the inside courtyard of the hotel are comfortable and tranquil, and there is one large pool and a plunge pool for cooling off. Don't miss the gift shop attached to the hotel, which sells gorgeous soft kikois, sandals, bags, and kaftans. The hotel's restaurant, Moonrise, is open to nonguests and is one of the best in town. You can order fish of the day steamed in a banana leaf or pan-fried with a tamarind sauce, or lobster, tuna, sailfish, pasta, chicken curry, or a good vegetarian dal. The hotel offers mid- to long-term rentals on high-end apartments in Lamu.