The Shela Houses

Situated on a quiet corner of Lamu Island in northern Kenya, Shela Village is a tangle of narrow sandy lanes, tall stone houses, smaller thatched dwellings, mosques, ruins and a spacious square. At one edge of the village, a deserted beach stretches out for fourteen kilometres. We offer four separate houses in Shela Village: Palm House, Shela House, Garden House and the luxurious Beach House – which is owned by Princess Caroline of Monaco.

Beach House is a large cool building set on three floors, located – as it’s name suggests – right on the beach. The four double rooms and one triple are all en-suite and with tasteful Lamu décor. Raised above the beach on the first floor, there is a stunning freshwater swimming pool whose ‘infinity’ edge appears to merge with the sea beyond. There is a large dining and living room leading out onto an alfresco terrace, and the rooftop has panoramic views of the whole Lamu channel. House rental includes the services of an experienced chef and a room steward.

Palm House is a stunning Arabic style house designed around an open courtyard. A five minute walk from the beach, it has 4 bedrooms, all of which have en-suite facilities and private balconies. Like all the Shela houses, there is a panoramic view from the covered rooftop, which has a bar, sun beds and cushioned lounging area. House rental includes the services of an experienced chef and a room steward.

Shela House is neighbour to Palm House on the outskirts of the village. An old house with great character, it has five en-suite bedrooms and a nursery room adjoining the master bedroom. Built on three floors, there is a roof top terrace, a spacious dayroom on the second floor and dining and living rooms on ground level. House rental includes the services of an experienced chef and a room steward.

Garden House is situated alongside the dunes at the edge of Shela Village and has two en-suite double bedrooms. The house has a ground floor dining and seating area, plus a shaded rooftop baraza (traditional sitting area), with an open terrace and sunbeds. House rental includes the services of an experienced chef and a room steward. Rental includes the services of a room steward, and an experienced chef who will do the house shopping and cooking. Expenditure is recorded in a book, which clients settle and sign-off on departure.