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Wimbi House is the perfect home for a large family holiday or for a group of friends on an adventure. It is an ideal base from which to explore the Lamu archipelago and local culture.
With 5 large en-suite rooms the house easily accommodates 10 – 14 people, with multiple entertainment and dining areas and a beautiful pool and lush courtyard on the second floor.
99% Solar powered, a 3 minute walk from the waterfront and an easy 10-minute walk from the long 12km pristine sandy Lamu beach.
About Wimbi House
Wimbi House has been built using local materials and traditional building methods, with an emphasis on textural contrast, natural lighting, and cooling airflow.
The style of the house is sympathetic to traditional Swahili architecture, constructed from coral stone and finished with ‘neru’ plaster carvings, coral walls & locally made bespoke furnishings.
The three ground floor fountains cool the air at the base of the house, which then creates a natural breeze which rises through the building. The swimming pool is suspended on the second floor and the large body of water further regulates and cools the centre of the building.
Wimbi House operates on 99% solar energy which provides uninterrupted power and as you can imagine, this makes a massive difference to comfort and your time in Lamu.
Each of the 5 large bedrooms has a king size bed, protected by mosquito netting and cooled by powerful ceiling fans. All bedrooms have en suite bathrooms with showers.
We have a Starlink internet connection for high speed, uninterrupted internet access. There is a dedicated workspace in the library on the first floor, and a computer is available for guests’ use.
Ground floor: main reception room, entrance hall with 3 fountain pools, formal dining room, kitchen, guest toilet, laundry room and staff areas.
First floor: three en-suite bedrooms, study area and library, balcony.
Second floor: two poolside en-suite bedrooms, rooftop pool and outside sun deck / informal dining area.
Third floor: top bar, informal dining / lounge area and a slice of ocean view.
Location: Wimbi House is in a relatively quiet corner of Shela village, close to Banana House and the boat building beach.
Shela is a bustling Swahili village and it is not unusual to hear the sound of children, donkeys, chickens and goats through the windows. The muezzin calls the Muslim community to prayer five times a day, and the first call is at sunrise. This is gently audible from the house, and the call to prayer sets a timetable for the village: people are up and about around 5am, and the village falls silent at around 9pm.
We ask guests to respect this and refrain from playing loud music after 9pm.
Guest Access
Guests have exclusive use of the whole property. Our team of staff take care of cleaning, laundry and cooking.
The kitchen and utility areas on the ground floor are predominantly used by staff.
A member of our team will be on hand to grant access to the property day or night.
Staff Interaction with Guests
Our team of 4 staff will be available to handle most requests and queries. We can be contacted at any time by telephone or email for anything else.
We have 2 care takers – chef and a night watchman. There is always someone present at Wimbi House to let you in or to help in case of emergency.
Our chef is happy to create a meal plan for your group. Fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood and fish are readily available on the island and we can assist in getting quality meat, luxury food items and drink deliveries from Nairobi if required before your stay by arrangement.
We recommend pre-ordering wine, spirits and fresh food so that it’s ready for your arrival.
Our team can provide assistance with water sports setup, launching and landing kites, inflatable SUP and Kayak setup, night security and local guides (if desired) for longer walks down the beach or through village at night.
We can also recommend nannies for childcare and babysitting services.
We work with some fabulous boat drivers and fishermen who would be happy to take you on local ocean adventures. We can also arrange a dedicated speedboat for exploration further afield and traditional sailing Dhows for day trips and sunset sails.
We recommend pre-arranging any planned activities or adventures with us before your stay to avoid disappointment.
Other things to note:
Our water is sourced from a nearby well, and we ask guests to be mindful of their water consumption. Clean filtered drinking water is provided in bottles in each bedroom and in the fridges.
Our electricity is predominantly solar powered, which means we are not affected by power cuts. Although we do also have access to mains power, it is generally unreliable in Kenya and power cuts are common place. We ask guests to ensure that lights and fans are turned off when they leave their bedrooms so that there is sufficient power in the batteries to maintain supply through the night.
We do not have air conditioning and do not consider it necessary. We have a number of powerful ceiling fans throughout the house, and the building is naturally cool by design.
Extra Accommodation / beds
3 Additional single beds / sofas can be used for additional members of your group / kids but these beds are located in the shared / public sitting room areas. They have their own mosquito nets and can be made up on request.
One baby cot and small net is also available on request.
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