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Fortress in Siyou
Mike's place at Kiwayu
Passing coral islands
Islands at Kuoi
Children in Mkokoni
Jacuzzi beach
on Manda Toto
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The Lamu archipelago expedition
Please note that this excursion cannot be made all year through due to weather conditions.
Contact us for more information.
Day
1
We leave Lamu in the sunrise, set sail for a 3 hours trip north. Breakfast is served onboard. We arrive at the south end of the island Pate and make a stop at the village of Pate. We visit the town. Afterwards we have lunch onboard.The lunch is freshly caught fish cooked on-board
by our fabulous chef.
Then we move on east-north, until we reach the town Siyou on the other end of the Pate island. After a short walk we reach the ancient village with the old fortress.
We then continue the trip and move on to the island Ndau.
The night is spent camping on the beach,
where we also have dinner where the only lights
come from the moonlight and a fire.
Alternative:
Day
2
Next morning we continue up north, make a quick lunch stop at the island of Kiwayu to visit a beautiful
coral reef, which has not been destroyed by the climate changes.
After lunch we sail north again, passing the Turtle island.
Hopefully we can get a glint of the giant turtles.
Then we arrive to the the island Kuoi and spend the
night in our tents on one of the many coral islands,
Day 3
The
next morning, we set
sails again back to Kiwayu and the village Mkokoni, where we spend some time bathing, visit the WWF camp etc.
A visit to Mark's place situated high up on Kiwayu for a drink in the sunset is also a special thing.
Day 4
The morning of the last day, we set sails again back to northern side of Pate island, and make a stop at the village Kizingitini, where they still build dhows like they been doing for 1000 years.
The last stop will be at Manda Toto, where we can snorkel and bath in the natural Jacuzzi.
Four days tour incl. all food. Beverages not included.
4 days US$ 180 / person
Minimum number of participants for this price is 5.
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Beach at Ndau
Tent camp at Kuoi
Dinner and beach party
Giant turtles
Flip-flops at WWF in Mkokoni
Ship wharf at Kizingitini
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FACTS
Pate Town is situated on the South-West coast of the island. According to the Pate Chronicle, the town of Pate
was founded by refugees from Oman in 8th century and re-founded by members of the Nabahani family, also from Oman, in 1204.
The Pate Chronicle also claims that in the 14th century Pate was so powerful that it had conquered most of the coastal towns of East Africa.
The 18th century was known as the "Golden Age of Pate", when the town was at its height of powers and also prospered in fine arts.
Builders constructed some of the finest houses on the East Africa coast, with extensive elaborate plaster works. Goldsmiths made intricate jewelry, fine cloths (including silks)
were made by Pate's weavers and carpenters produced fine wooden furniture.
The use and production of the musical instrument known as Siwa were most famous. Two examples of Siwas still remains in the museum in Lamu.
Both men and women wrote poetry in the Kiamu dialect of Swahili. The Utendi wa Tambuka, one of the earliest known documents in Swahili, was written in the royal Yunga palace in Pate Town.
The poetess Mwana Kupona (d. 1860) also lived at Pate Town.
The downfall of Pate town came as a consequence of continuous quarreling/warring with its neighbours from the end of the 18th century. In 1813 the famous "Battle of Shela" took place at Shela.
This was an attempt by Pate, allied with the Mazrui clan from Mombasa/Oman, to subject Lamu. The attempt failed totally, and many were killed.
Only a handful of people managed to return to Pate, and their losses were felt for years. By 1892 the number of inhabitants had fallen to only 300, down from 7000.
Today, the town have recovered some. Agriculture is today the main economic activity.
Siyou is situated on the North coast of Pate island. As no major excavations have been done in Siyou, its age is not known, but it might date from the 13th century.
Gaspar de Santo Bernadino visited the town in 1606, and stated that it was the largest town on the island.
Siyu's main claim to historical fame is that it through several battles withstood the Sultans of Zanzibar. In 1843 the Sheikh of Siyou, Bwana Mataka,
and the new Sheikh of Pate, repudiated the sovereignty of Seyyid Said, Sultan of Oman and Zanzibar. In response, Seyyid Said assembled an army consisting of 2000 people from Muscat, Baluchistan and Lamu.
Leading them was his relative General Seyyid Hamad bin Ahmed Al-Busaidy, known as Amir Hamad. He had previously been Governor of Bandar Abbas (in 1824).
He landed at Faza in early January 1844. On January the 6th they moved towards Siyu, but were ambushed and forced back to Faza. After three weeks without victory Amir Hamad sailed off.
In 1845 Siyu gave Seyyid Said one of his greatest military defeats. When Siyu finally succumbed to Zanzibars dominance, under Sultan Majid in 1863,
it was one of the last towns on the whole of East Africa's coast to do so.
Ndau is a small island with one of the most beautiful beaches in the archipelago. The island has no fresh water, but in the village they have constructed big tanks and special roofs to take care
of the rain water, and then distribute the water to the people from there.
Mkokoni is a neat village on the mainland, situated in the narrow strait within Kiwayu island. Its close to the WWF camp and is an interesting experience to visit. Here you meet the local Bajuni people,
a small ethnic group living mainly in the northern parts of the Lamu archipelago and on the nearby mainland.
Meet the “Solar women", cooking meals on solar energy.
You will also see the Flip Flop Arts project - a handicraft initiative recycling flip flop waste and turning it into crafts.
The WWF camp is the local station for keeping track of giant turtle hatching and all other animals living in the Kiunga reserve, e.g. the dugong.
Kiwayu is a long and narrow island which many people refer to as the "Honey moon island". There are several luxury bandas. On the side towards the mainland, its rather high,
while on the other side it has a long beautiful beach covering the full length of the island. Outside the beech there is coral reefs that could be visited if the weather allows.
These reefs are not so affected by the increasing water temperature, since there is both a warm and a cold water stream meeting here.
Kizingitini town. This small town on Pate island has the most active dhow wharf in the archipelago. Learn the secrets of the traditional swahili dhow constructions.
Kuoi is one of the many coral islands in the northern area of Kenya. The look of these small islands are breathtaking. The water is very clear and most of the islands have beautiful beaches.
Manda Toto is a very small island on the north-east side of Manda island. Outside the island there is a coral reef suitable for snorkeling.
In the narrow strait between Manda and Manda Toto, the air is trapped under the coral sand at low tide, which creates the effect of a jacuzzi then touching the sand. |
