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Location
The Lamu Archipelago, is located north of Mombassa, on Kenya's northern coastline near Somalia. It consists of the three islands of Lamu, Manda and Pate, together with some smaller islands such as Ndau and Kiwayuu.

Views and Vistas
On Lamu Island the most important settlements to see are the town of Lamu and the village of Shella. On Pate Island the largest settlements are Pate, Siyu and Faza. As for Manda Island, at the beginning of the 19th century it was uninhabited. Growth in tourism has now seen several deluxe resorts come up on the island giving a livelihood to the small population on the island.

Lamu is the most important islands in the archipelago. It has an excellent natural harbour and mangrove forests flank its west, north and north-east sides. On the south of the island, there is a sandy beach that rises to a height of about twenty metres at the estuary of Lamu Bay. The village of Shela is located here. The village site is probably over five hundred years old and reached its zenith in the middle of the last century. The village is a maze of winding, sandy lanes, traditional Swahili houses, mosques and a couple of hotels. On the other side of Lamu Island is Lamu Sea Front and the small village of Kipungani from which a navigable channel runs parallel to the shore up to the fishing village of Matondoni and continues in a southerly direction towards Lamu town about two miles north of the open sea.