The Majlis Resort

The seaside might not be the first image that comes to mind when you think of Kenya, but a visit to the Majlis will change that in a hurry. Originally a second home for an Italian family, this Lamu Archipelago hideaway quickly grew into something too good not to share. Today its founder’s sons, Federico and Stefano Moccia, preside over a boutique resort in the truest sense of the phrase.

The seaside castaway seclusion of Manda Island, steeped in Swahili, Arab and Indian influences, meets a dream team of architects and artists, including Julian Schnabel, perhaps the world’s most accomplished art/hospitality double threat. The result is a hotel that’s thick with personality, a place whose every square foot feels thoughtfully, intentionally designed.

In the end it’s less like a hotel, perhaps, than an impeccably tasteful guest house — perhaps not surprising, given its origins — albeit a guest house which sprawls across three separate villas, and whose twenty-five rooms and suites are outfitted with every luxury-hotel comfort. Add to that a pool, a long, gorgeous beach, a terrace cocktail bar and an open-air restaurant specializing in local seafood, and you’ll quickly find yourself casting about for reasons to return.

After arriving at Lamu Airport (LAU), guests are met and escorted on the 15-minute speedboat ride to the resort.