What's on in Lamu, Kenya through the year

Peak crowds — Kaskazi, the calm season, Festive season peak

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Kaskazi, the calm season (1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually)), Festive season peak (18 Dec – 5 Jan)

Peak crowds — Ramadan, Kaskazi, the calm season

• Holiday

  Ramadan

  17 Feb – 19 MarClosures

  Lamu Town is almost entirely Muslim and keeps the fast seriously: daytime kitchens shut, hours move, and eating in the street is not done. Shela's hotels stay open for guests. Source ↗

Still on: Kaskazi, the calm season (1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Peak crowds — Ramadan, Kaskazi, the calm season

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Ramadan (17 Feb – 19 Mar), Kaskazi, the calm season (1 Dec – 15 Mar (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Season

  The long rains

  1 Apr – 15 Jun · usuallyMonsoonClosures

  The kusi arrives with heavy rain and rough water in the channel, and a fair share of the guesthouses and restaurants in Shela close for it. What stays open is cheap and nearly empty.

Still on: Ramadan (17 Feb – 19 Mar)

Quiet — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: The long rains (1 Apr – 15 Jun (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Season

  Kusi, the cool monsoon

  15 Jun – 30 Sep · usuallyWind season

  The southeast monsoon settles into a dry, steady wind. Cooler and far less humid than the turn of the year, and the best sailing months for the dhows working the channel.

Still on: The long rains (1 Apr – 15 Jun (usually))

Busy — Maulidi, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Maulidi

  15 Jul – 30 Sep · usuallyReligious feastCrowded

  The biggest Maulidi on the Swahili coast: a week of recitation and poetry, donkey and dhow races, and a procession to the tomb of Habib Swaleh. It moves eleven days earlier each year, so check before you plan around it. Source ↗

Still on: Kusi, the cool monsoon (15 Jun – 30 Sep (usually))

Busy — Maulidi, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Kusi, the cool monsoon (15 Jun – 30 Sep (usually)), Maulidi (15 Jul – 30 Sep (usually))

Quiet — travelers describe it as quiet, Maulidi

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Kusi, the cool monsoon (15 Jun – 30 Sep (usually)), Maulidi (15 Jul – 30 Sep (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Festival

  Lamu Yoga Festival

  4–8 NovMajor festivalBook early

  Five days of classes on Shela's rooftops and beach as the short rains end, which quietly fills the good houses before the cultural festival does. Source ↗

Busy — Lamu Cultural Festival, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Festival

  Lamu Cultural Festival

  27 Nov – 4 Dec · usuallyMajor festivalCrowded

  Three days at the end of November given over to dhow races, donkey races, bao, henna and Swahili poetry along the seafront. The one stretch when the island's rooms are genuinely tight. Source ↗

Still on: Lamu Yoga Festival (4–8 Nov)

Peak crowds — Lamu Cultural Festival, Kaskazi, the calm season

• Season

  Kaskazi, the calm season

  1 Dec – 15 Mar · usuallyMonsoonCrowded

  The northeast monsoon: hot, still and humid, with flat water in the channel and a steady breeze for the dhows. The island's easiest stretch of weather and its busiest.

• Holiday

  Festive season peak

  18 Dec – 5 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook early

  Christmas to New Year is the busiest fortnight on the coast: Kenyan families and holidaymakers from Nairobi arrive, hotels charge peak rates and book out months ahead, and beaches and restaurants are at their most crowded. New Year's Eve parties run late. Source ↗

Still on: Lamu Cultural Festival (27 Nov – 4 Dec (usually))