BOOK YOUR PERFECT ESCAPE IN LAMU ISLAND, KENYA
OUR STORY
In 1997, Monika Fauth a Dutch traveller exploring the world arrived in Lamu and felt something shift. She was moved by the island’s beauty and generosity. It was here where she met a warm, vibrant Shela local named Banana (Mohamed Ali Mbarak). What began as a chance encounter grew into a partnership that shaped not only their lives but that of the village itself.
With little savings but a lot of heart, Monika and Banana opened a small bed-and-breakfast in their home. He cooked fresh seafood from the day’s catch, she welcomed guests and shared stories about Swahili life and the island. People came for the rooms but stayed for the feeling, the sense of being part of a family, not just visitors passing through.
More than twenty years later, Banana House has become a small but well-loved boutique hotel, known for its Swahili charm and welcoming spirit. Its become a home rooted in community, culture, and the wellbeing of guests and locals alike.
Their hope is simple, that Banana House remains a home where people from all backgrounds can rest, recharge and share stories. Leave inspired to care for the world around them just as Lamu once inspired Monika all those years ago.
OUR KITCHEN
Our kitchen sits at the heart of Banana House. Meals are cooked fresh each day using local ingredients from our garden and surroundings. The food is rich in flavours, generous in size and prepared with care.
With guests arriving from many parts of the world, our kitchen is naturally flexible. Our chefs are happy to adapt dishes to different tastes, dietary needs, and spice preferences.
Whether you enjoy traditional local flavours or lighter meals. It’s home-style cooking at its best, relaxed, nourishing, and shaped around the people at the table.
Sands of Time
Guest Reviews
Also nice pool, good food, excellent staff.
Our favorite place in Lamu.
Wim Eising
Fatima Ahmed
Nduku Malombe
The breakfast served is amazing and the quality of the staff is great. Nothing was wrong during our 4 days there. I would definitely go back and recommend as well, this is a small piece of paradise.
David M
AWARDS
