About this property

This historical Arabian-style building is located in the UNESCO-listed town of Lamu. It is less than 300 metres from the seafront and 3 km from the white sandy beach. The bright rooms at Subira House have either a patio or a balcony and some have sea views and free Wi-Fi. Every room has a fan, a seating area, and a dining area. Guests can enjoy a free buffet breakfast each day at the restaurant. The restaurant serves a range of healthy organic cuisine, with packed lunches and room service available upon request. This eco-friendly property has a library and a garden with sunny terrace, and offers massages and babysitting services. Activities in the area include Snorkeling , whale-shark swimming, canoeing, yoga and a day trip to our Perma culture farm. The Lamu Airport is less than 3 km from the property, but can only be accessed by boat.

Couples particularly like the location — they rated it 8.5 for a two-person trip.

Distance in property description is calculated using © OpenStreetMap

Property highlights

    • Top location: Highly rated by recent guests (9.1)


Availability

Select dates to see this property's availability and prices

Room type
Number of guests
 
2 single beds
1 extra-large double bed
1 extra-large double bed
1 extra-large double bed
1 extra-large double bed
1 extra-large double bed
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Guest reviews

Categories:

Staff
Facilities
Cleanliness
Comfort
Value for money
Location
Free WiFi

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Guests who stayed here loved

  • Bernardine
    Ireland Ireland
    This place is so special. The staff really made me feel at home and as someone traveling alone, this was really welcome. The location was both amazing and challenging - in the heart of everything but sometimes the bustle (and tour touting) of the...
  • Alex
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Beautiful building with gorgeous style and comfort. An oasis in Lamu. The staff are wonderful. Would stay here again if I came to Lamu.
  • Tom
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Amazing building, very friendly staff, excellent food.
  • J
    Italy Italy
    The staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. Mama Subira was a very accommodating host and kindly assisted us throughout our entire stay. The breakfast was excellent. Make sure you try the banana bread by John, an excellent and creative chef!...
  • Annakathatina
    Switzerland Switzerland
    Great historical building with an amazing Swahili architecture. We came back to Lamu after two years and even though we browsed a little bit, there was no other place that we rather wanted to stay at. Perfectly located behind the Fort, right...
  • Male
    Belgium Belgium
    Very authentic atmosphere, with kind welcome from Christina and Paul, helping us to guide. Amazing dinner, lovely trip to their shamba and nice exchange with other guests. Staying in the old town makes you witness the "real" life in Lamu which is...
  • Georg
    Austria Austria
    We loved everything. The serenity of this old Lamuian House is very welcome after a day of exploring Lamu town and Shela. The staff was super welcoming and the food was exceptional and wholesome. The sustainable concept of the hotel with strong...
  • Annonnyymmous
    United Kingdom United Kingdom
    Breakfast was good with fresh fruit, The tours arranged were excellent, Muhammed was a great host and you must try the cinnamon and ginger lemon drink and the unique Coffee downstairs you will be hooked.
  • Jade
    South Africa South Africa
    Amazing location with a very special atmosphere. Even more beautiful than the photos. Great views fron the room including the fort and sea. Food (both breakfast and dinner) was delicious, highly recommended. Staff were amazing and service great.
  • Maëlys
    France France
    The house is very well located, making it convenient to get your bearings and experience Lamu’s authentic ambiance. The house in itself is gorgeous and well ventilated, with several resting areas. The room was very spacious and well maintained,...

Managed by Swedish Christina and Dutch Paul Aarts are owners since 1990.They met here 1975.

Company review score: 9.5Based on 205 reviews from 1 property
1 managed property

Company information

Paul and I met in 1975 in Lamu. 1990 we came back from Sweden with our children on a holiday and bought this magnificent building, the former "Liwali's House". We restored the old walls and ceilings in a traditional way. In 2006 we moved to Lamu after selling our Dala- Floda Hotel Restaurant in Sweden which we restored and run for 30 years. Sweden's first Slow Food Restaurant!

Property information

The property is a magnificent grade one historical building from 1880 of high architectural interest in Lamu's UNESCO listed Stonetown. You find Subira right behind the Lamu Fort in the middle of the Old Town. We have added two Top Terraces with a sea view. Spacious terraces, courtyards and gardens make Subira House very special. Lamu Town has no proper sewage system , therefore we have - in line with our environmental values - decided not to install regular flush toilets. Lamu, by tradition, used long drop toilets that discharge into a pit latrine. We have 2 types of toilets here at Subira House. The Swedish Separett waterless toilet system (which separates urine and solid waste, then usable for compost), and the traditional Lamu long drop toilets. We are eco certified since 2011.

Neighbourhood information

Subira House is located behind the big Lamu Fort not far from the magic Mkunguni, Lamu Square. No cars only hand carts and donkeys help distributing the incoming goods from the busy sea front .You will stay in a World Cultural Heritage Site. Lamu Town dates back to the 11 th Century. Life is slow and peaceful and time has gone by here much like today. To go to the beach you easily catch a boat from the nearby jetty. You have Shela Beach on the southern part and Manda Beach across the channel. Unspoilt and beautiful. If you wish to make a nice walk we let you come along to our "shamba", a three acres piece of land where we practice Permaculture. 3 km walk to get there. We show you our work, you rest on the terrace in the winds from the Ocean. We serve a simple shamba lunch with organcfood that grows there. Towards afternoon we help you find the way across the sand dunes to the sea. You walk another 6 km to Shela Village. Back to Lamu maybe by boat. A lovely interesting day out much appreciated by our guests. A Sunset Sail Tour is a must. Our captain comes by to pick you up to take you by a big "Kassa|" Dhow out to sail along the Mangrove boarded shores to watch the setting sun.

Languages spoken

German,English,French,Dutch,Norwegian,Swedish,Swahili

Property surroundings

Restaurants

1 restaurant on site
  • Karkadeh
    • Cuisine
      Local

House rules

Subira House takes special requests - add in the next step!
Check-in
From 11:00 to 17:00
You'll need to let the property know in advance what time you'll arrive.
Check-out
From 10:00 to 12:00
Cancellation/ prepayment
Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodation type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check the conditions of your required option.
Children and beds

Child policies

Children of any age are welcome.

Children 13 years and above will be charged as adults at this property.

To see correct prices and occupancy information, please add the number of children in your group and their ages to your search.

Cot and extra bed policies

0 - 2 years
Cot upon request
Free

The number of cots allowed is dependent on the option you choose. Please check your selected option for more information.

There are no extra beds available at this property.

All cots are subject to availability.

Age restriction
The minimum age for check-in is 18
Pets
Pets are not allowed.
Accepted payment methods
VisaMastercardCash
Smoking
Smoking is not allowed.
Parties
Parties/events are not allowed
Quiet hours
Guests must be quiet between 21:00 and 08:00.

The fine print

Need-to-know information for guests at this property

Please note that the island of Lamu is only accessible by boat. Flights arrive at Lamu Airport on Manda Island and buses arrive at Mokowe.

In order for Subira House to arrange boat transport, please inform them in advance of your flight or bus arrival details. Associated costs must be paid in advance. Contact details are provided in the booking confirmation email.

Lamu Old Town is Kenya's oldest settlement. It is an important site for Islamic activities and celebrations.

Please inform Subira House in advance of your expected arrival time. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly with the contact details provided in your confirmation.

This property will not accommodate hen, stag or similar parties.

Quiet hours are between 21:00:00 and 08:00:00.

FAQs about Subira House