Lamu Island, part of the larger Lamu Archipelago, is tucked away at the northernmost point of Kenya’s enviable coastline. Very possibly Africa’s ultimate beach hideout, the island is sultry and spicy, bohemian and charming and totally, magnificently contradictory. In Lamu Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site of Arabic, Omani and Portugese influences, winding, donkey-filled alleyways lead to elaborate mosques and ornate mahogany doors, perfect for getting lost in. Yet just around the corner are the raw, untouched beaches of Shela, kissed by the turquoise waves of the Indian Ocean and ideal for doing absolutely nothing. And both are just as wonderful as the other.