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For over 40 years the Peponi Hotel has carved out a name for itself amongst a myriad of palm trees along the edge of the beautiful Shela Beach, two miles south of Lamu, Kenya. Small and intimate and in an utterly idyllic setting Peponi has all the laid back beauty of a luxury beach break with the ambiance of a home away from home. Admire the traditional dhows sailing gracefully past or perhaps spot the odd celebrity peeking out from behind the white washed walls surrounded by the largest collection of tropical palms and exotic plants on Kenyas coastline.
From $240 person/night
The food. The restaurant at Peponi is famous on the island and the seafood is exceptional - we’re talking ginger crab, calamari ink risotto, and the freshest sashimi, all served with a good dose of Swahili passion!
If it’s available, try and nab ‘Top Room’ – with its private staircase entrance, enormous balcony and three-sided views, it’s the kind of room you’ll dream about for years to come.
All-singing, all-dancing resort this is not - Peponi is all about the chill, where days pass in a blur of beach walks, swimming pool dips and good books.
Peaking out from a crowd of beautiful bougainvilleas, Peponi is right on the water’s edge, making for a very stylish entrance via motor boat from the airport! Rather traditional on the outside (cream walls, carved Swahili doors, intricate archways), it’s incredibly stylish on the inside and the grounds are beautiful - a reason that many locals flock for dinners and sundowners. There’s a beautiful terrace with incredible views of the ocean, a cosy indoor bar, a restaurant and dining room, and a shady courtyard for breakfast and lazy lunches. Overlooking the ocean, the swimming pool is also very pretty and a dreamy spot for a quiet read and a dip.
Uniquely decorated with their own individual flair and stylish decorative Swahili accents and beautiful exposed wooden beams. With just 28 rooms divided into suites, superior and standard rooms there is never a sense of overcrowding. Each room boasts ocean views and are comfortable and light, with billowing mosquito nets and fresh, crisp linen. The superior and suites have outside balconies with comfortable swing chairs and larger private outside spaces. Five have their own verandahs overlooking the ocean.
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There is plenty to explore in Lamu and Shela village, a world heritage site and home to the oldest inhabited Swahili settlement south of the Sahara. Sail by sunset on traditional dhows, visit the Takwa ruins or make use of Peponis' boat to try fishing, snorkelling or diving on the archipelago reefs. If you are around on New Years day, assist in the biannual dhow race, a unique spectacular. There are also wake boards, water skis and body boards for hire.
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