A Lamu Hotel That Crowds Don't Know of

What you need to know:

The Moon Houses continues to support Safari Doctors in their work.
With its own private rooftop pool overlooking the pristine Shela beach, Betty’s Suite is perhaps the most popular of them all; if you’re looking for a getaway with your lover, this would be the place to go.
Spaces like Kiwandani are ideal for large groups, but travelling solo, I stayed at The Garden House whose only downside was not having its own pool, although I had access to two given that the hotel was not fully booked.

From a rooftop infinity pool at the luxurious Betty’s Suite at The Moon Houses in Lamu, I watch fishermen at their speedboats and dhows against the backdrop of palm trees and an azure blue ocean.

The hotel's chef, Francis, brings out a jug of cold lime juice with bhajia. I pad across the lounge and settle into an antiqueLamu-styled chair, wondering how old it might be.

I sit with Nina Chauvel, a French woman who is the property’s manager, who explains the source of the antique furniture and the development of The Moon Houses that goes beyond hospitality.

The furniture was curated by Anne Spoerry, a famed flying doctor who visited remote villages in Lamu for vaccination campaigns and while there, she would meet women who had received various furniture like chests, beds, cupboards and chairs as dowry when they got married. The women would sell her the items, some of which now date back a 100 years, to get money for their children’s schooling and food.

Anne, a French-born physician was one of the first flying doctors affiliated to Amref and she spent 30 years in Lamu providing free healthcare until she died in 1999. Over 10 years after her death, her great niece, Chloe Spoerry, founded the Sailing Doctors to keep helping people of Lamu. Before help came to Lamu, the residents relied on an odd passing military truck to travel far see a doctor. Through the Sailing Doctors, medical personnel set out at least once a month to the villages furthest from Lamu District Hospital.

It was the Sailing Doctors that paved the way for Safari Doctors which was founded by Umra Omar, who won The United Nations Person of the Year 2017 for her outstanding efforts. Anne's home was turned in a hotel. The Moon Houses are part of her legacy and sitting out on the balcony of Mama Daktari House, so called because that is how the locals often referred to her, one can almost imagine her preparing for her medical expeditions.

Since she resided there in the 1960s, her family has since made several renovations and expansions to the property. Today, the spaces available for booking include Mama Daktari, Betty’s Suite, Full Moon, Kiwandani and Garden House, with about three other houses available for short term rental. Every piece around the property has a story.

The Moon Houses continues to support Safari Doctors in their work. With its own private rooftop pool overlooking the pristine Shela beach, Betty’s Suite is perhaps the most popular of them all; if you’re looking for a getaway with your lover, this would be the place to go.

Spaces like Kiwandani are ideal for large groups, but travelling solo, I stayed at The Garden House whose only downside was not having its own pool, although I had access to two given that the hotel was not fully booked.

I selected my meals for the weekend from a menu. The chef told me how much it would all cost, and I gave him money and he went out to buy everything, including negotiating with the fishermen.

As a lover of organic products, my other favourite thing about my stay was the handmade body products by Natural Lamu and Cinnabar Green; the fragrant oils in the moringa soap and geranium body wash were so intoxicating that I had to ask for souvenirs.