A Swahili island town where donkeys outnumber cars
Lamu Old Town is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa, a maze of coral-stone houses, carved wooden doors and mosques where there are almost no cars and donkeys carry the loads. Dhows with triangular sails ply the channel between the islands, and sunset sailing trips are part of every visit. A walk or boat ride away, Shela village has a long empty beach backed by dunes. The Lamu Museum and the Swahili House Museum explain the island's history of trade across the Indian Ocean.