Peponi Hotel Lamu - Kenya
Hotel · Lamu
PW48+39F Lamu Island, Shela, Kenya
Highlights
Intimate hotel with ocean views, exceptional food, and a social terrace
Intimate hotel with ocean views, exceptional food, and a social terrace
"Situated in Lamu’s historic core, Peponi is Lamu’s most famous hostelry—deservedly popular for its charm amid coral-stone buildings and carved timber doors, and a magnet for visitors seeking the town’s best-preserved Swahili ambiance." - Pippa de Bruyn
"A long-standing hotel in Shela village on Lamu Island, offering ocean views, exceptional food, and a sense of escape without modern distractions like TVs or air-conditioning."
"The palm-pinned terrace of the Peponi Hotel—a Swahili-tinged Chateau Marmont of sorts and the epicenter of Lamu’s social scene—still fills up with martini-sipping glitterati every night." - Chris Schalkx
"A five-decade-old, family-run oceanfront hotel on a curve of Shela Beach a couple of miles from the island’s main town. Staff welcome guests warmly and emphasize relaxation; interiors are cool, airy and white with a bright veranda overlooking glass-clear water. Renowned for excellent food and a lively-but-classy scene, the restaurant excels at classic Swahili dishes—notably maharagwe na chapati (red beans in coconut milk with soft chapati), ginger crab, linguine with crab, and barbecued reef fish. The property also offers modern watersports (kayaks, paddleboards, windsurfers and powerful ski boats), plus waterskiing in a sheltered channel that lets guests skim past sail-powered dhows. Managed by a long-time local family who organises itineraries, it blends village intimacy with resort comforts and often requires booking a year in advance during peak periods." - Jeffrey Gettleman
"Honestly, this set was an impulse purchase before the trip, as Google sent me to the Banana Republic site while I was hunting for some neutral tone basics. It became my favorite go-to outfit of the trip. It worked for dinner at the lodge in the Masai Mara or Peponi Hotel in Shela, but was actually comfortable to wear when flying from one destination to the next."
