Dhow Sailing & Island Excursions

The traditional wooden dhow is Lamu's defining symbol and its oldest mode of transport, still built by hand in the town's seafront boatyards using techniques passed down over centuries. Dhow sailing trips range from sunset cruises through the mangrove channels to full-day island-hopping excursions visiting the Takwa Ruins on Manda Island (a medieval Swahili ghost town), snorkelling on the outer reef, and seafood barbecues on sandbank islands exposed at low tide. Multi-day dhow safaris can reach the remote Kiwayu Island and the Kiunga Marine Reserve near the Somali border.