If you want to stay in the middle of Lamu, Jambo House is your best option. The owner, Arnold, provides guests with large amounts of reliable, detailed information about Lamu and the surrounding areas. If the rooms are small, the terrace upstairs gives you room to spread out, work, read or drink tea or coffee.

Jambo House was perfect for me. It's best suited to backpackers or former backpackers in their 30s, 40s or 50s who are interested in this unusual place and its distinctive culture. If you''re looking for luxuries, you won't be happy. And you may not like being woken up at 4:50m by the call to prayer at a nearby mosque--but this is part of being in the middle of Lamu.

Arnold is an amazing host. He was reachable all day for any questions we had and he arranged even last minute tour requests. Every activity organized by Arnold is through local Lamu residents. He's a true part of the community in Lamu. Breakfast was amazing as well. Side note: I truly advise to stay in Lamu Old Town opposed to Shela beach, as this area feels very local and food is amazing and really affordable. Plus, it's easy to get to Shela beach.

The bathroom in our room had no "roof" so the walls to the bathroom were merely view blockers. WiFi worked well on the rooftop but not so well in our room.

I had an absolutely wonderful stay in Lamu! The location was incredibly accessible, making it easy to explore the area. Our host was fantastic — welcoming, attentive, and always ready to help with any requests. The property was ideally situated near local amenities, so everything we needed was just a short walk away. Plus, there were so many activities to enjoy, from scenic walks around the island to boat rides and exploring the rich history of the area. It was truly a memorable experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to visit Lamu!

The Location is in the heart of Lamu Old Town. The owner Arnold picks you up at the Jetti since it is hard to find relying on google maps the first time ;-) He provides you with all the important informations and is very helpful. The rooms are spacious and clean. The washrooms are very simple but with everything you need. I myself had a room with an external ( private) bathroom, which was fine! The rooftop is very spacious and nice to hang out & meet other travelers. It is a very good vibe in the Jambo House. The breakfast was amazing. You get coffee, a fresh juice and some fruits. You can choose between some options how you want to eat your eggs, which comes with toast and butter. I really loved my stay at Jambo house and hope to be back at one day...

Arnold the host is the best! They provide everything you need to make your stay in Lamu great! The breakfast is delicious with vegan options. Although the host is German, he knows everything and everyone, so I highly recommend this place if you want to spend your time with the locals (Shella, the other town with more hotels and restaurants is beautiful but basically made for European tourists)

No hot shower, but actually you don’t need it there

JamboHouse is a great place to stay if you want to explore Lamu. It's in the middle of the Old Town and has a great terrace to relax and enjoy the views. Arnold is an amazing host and provides you with all the information you need to enjoy the city(restaurants, activities, transport etc.). The breakfast (banana pancakes is amongst the options!) was the best we had during our trip!

It's a bit noisy from the outside, but that's to be expected if you stay in the middle of town.

The location is great, I chose this Hotel because it was the cheapest I found and I didn’t expect such a nice place. Great breakfast, nice rooftop and really nice owner

It‘s far from Sheila beach, so you need to decide if you want beach everyday in front of your Hotel or if you want to stay at Lamu. Sheila area is almost double the price with food and hotel compared to Lamu. You can go by Boda or Boat, but in the night when the water is high only Boat is available and it is expensive.

The in-house breakfast is tasty, great variety and value for money. Very relaxing and cooling roof terrace on hot days. There is laundry service in the property. Owner is very responsive.

A bit noisy early in the morning and night even though we had shut the window. Poor ventilation in the bathroom. The padlock to the external bathroom is not working, the owner had oiled it but still not not working, we are fine without a padlock as other rooms seem to have attached bathroom... Make sure you try before locking it.

Jambo house is easy to get to from the main road and seaside but also tucked away from the noisy centre. Anyone can give directions to help you get there but the owner can also arrange for you to get picked up for comodity. The house is really pretty, with an incredible veranda that gives on the sea and the hills. Really beautiful and relaxing. You can see that all details are well cared for. The owner knows everything and is really really helpful giving directions, very polite and accomodating, I was happy and grateful for his useful suggestions about getting around, food, activities and all necessities. Breakfast was really delicious too, best fresh juice and french toast made from scratch by Fred. Very recommended, you won't be disappointed!

Arnold makes Jambo House incredibly comfortable and welcoming. The facilities are well kept and we appreciated the attention to cleanliness throughout the place. We enjoyed that we were right in the heart of Lamu town and could experience the hustle and bustle of daily life while also being a short motorbike or boat trip away to the more touristy areas like Shela and Manda beach.