Beachfront vacation rentals in Manda Island

The house is a great place if you want to be away from noise and distraction. A little paradise :) it‘s around 10 min to walk to the beach (with kids of course it can take longer… 🙈) but if you are lazy you can ask bodabodas (motobikes) to pick you. The chef was amazing, really good food! So no need to go to any restaurant in Lamu town or Shela :) From the beach it is just a 5 min boat ride to Shela. We felt very safe and would always come back, asante sana!

Authentic Swahili Town House on three floors. Lovely roof terrace. Amazing housekeeper Elizabeth who is very helpful and on hand.

Super idyllic place! Definitely best location to be and relax. Staff is extremely kind and there are lots of nice activities (movie night, live music). Loved it a lot!

Paradise! The Shanti Beach House was an exceptional place to spend our last week in Kenya. The staff was excellent and answered any questions that we had about the island, traveling to Shela/Lamu or the food. We never did try any of the restaurants as Katana’s cooking was magnificent. Any little hint of what we might like to try for a meal and he made it happen! The accommodations were exactly as described, but the outdoor shower was the best part! Leave your cares behind and unwind at this beautiful beach front property. I highly recommend!!

beautiful natural house on the sandunes, very quite and next to the beach.

We had a great stay! The location of the house is excellent, and Millicent was incredibly helpful throughout our visit. George and the staff at the house were warm, welcoming, and cooked delicious meals. Overall, a great experience!

We had a great time in Shela. The place is beautiful and reigns peace. Chloé's house is comfortable and welcoming. Dickson has been a very kind and professional host. She responded quickly to all our requests and delighted us every day with her kitchen. Chloé's house is highly recommended and, if I go back to Shela I'm sure to repeat. Thank you very much for a great few days.

We loved our stay at the apartment! Everything was very clean, all necessities were provided and we could get any kind of help at any hour. We felt super welcomed and regret not staying longer. We would love to come again.

Feisal's place was amazing. The house sits on its own plot on Manda Island, just a quick boat ride from Shela and Lamu Town. We had a family of 5 adults, 2 kids, a toddler and 2 infants. There was more than enough space with a balcony on each floor and 3 bedrooms. The sea breeze was incredible and the pool did not disappoint. There is a long dock to go to the boat and as the level of the tide varied each day we enjoyed swimming in the sea some days and beachtime on others. Amina the housekeeper and her daughters kept the place clean and helped us with anything we needed. We hired a chef, Yousef, who cooked amazing meals and even grocery shopped for us. This allowed us to truly relax and our kids loved their time on the island..it was a true adventure for them. We visited the Takwa Ruins, shopped in Shela and ate at several local restaurants. The weather was gorgeous and when it rained it only lasted minutes. The internet speed was great both inside and outside and allowed for streaming and movie afternoons when the kids were tired. We would love to return some day!

We had a wonderful 5-day stay in Lamu. The service was outstanding, the meals were delicious with a chef who took great care of us, and the house was impeccable. Nina and Jamal were very responsive to our requests. The house is perfectly located right on the water, between the pool and the sea, with plenty of shaded areas thanks to several patios. We will definitely come back!

Jane was very helpful even before our trip, her house, Jaha is definitely prettier than the pictures. She has done a good job with the interior and she a nice collection of books you can read while relaxing. James the chef made such tasty meals, his soups are a must have 😅 Juma was also very proactive and he helped us around the Island. Jane has done well with her team, including Nasir who picked and dropped us at Manda Airport. We had a such a lovely stay.

I actually booked this for my parents who don't have Airbnb and are notoriously picky. They absolutely loved everything, in particular the incredible food from the chef. I cannot wait to stay here myself!!

We loved the Asali house. Beautiful, and very well designed. It was great to have the pool! The Chef, Daniel, was very talented and prepared wonderful meals for us. During our 5 night stay, we only had dinner at a restaurant the first night, since Daniel's dishes were so delicious. He prepared fresh caught seafood for us every day! The housekeeper, Margaret, was so sweet, kept a very clean house, gave us a nice "turn-down" service each evening laundry service whenever we needed it. Our sheets were always nice. The gardener, Kazungu, kept bougainvillea bouquets on the dining room table, in our bathroom, and in all the foot baths in the yard. So pretty. Monica gave us superb deep tissue massages! Sheke, our host, was always available to assist with our activities and walks into town. The paths through town are winding, so it takes some skill to find our way. We had such a wonderful experience in amazing Shela Lamu. Our sunset sail was dreamy. The people are so kind & friendly. Loved it!

What a magnificent villa. Very peaceful and relaxing time with family. The house was beautifully designed and the open spaces were amazing. Our kids really enjoyed the pool and the location was very central to Lamu. The staff were super friendly and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and would definitely recommend!

We’ve visited Lamu six times, and this house is by far our favorite—surpassing even some of the most historic hotels. The house is impeccably decorated, with every detail thoughtfully designed by a talented interior designer. It’s clear a lot of care went into creating this space, and it made this our favorite stay in Africa to date. The amenities were fantastic—multiple fridges stocked with a wide selection of drinks (alcoholic/non), coffee stands with milk frothers, filtered water taps, and a small bites menu. These thoughtful touches really elevated the experience. The location couldn’t be better—right on the beach, we enjoyed watching the Dhows sail at sunset. Finding a house with a pool in this prime location is a real gem! The staff were exceptional—friendly, attentive, and respectful of our privacy. Francis, the chef, was wonderful, and the tablescapes every evening were stunning. Suzanne was also incredibly helpful and responsive through our stay. And of we love the dogs!

Loved this place stayed June 2024. The host even arranged a boat transfer to the airport for us... unfortunately we didn't know about this service until we had got to the apartment and made our own way across the water, but do contact the host before you fly and I'm sure they'll take care of you. The space is huge, there were just 2 of us and it felt like a home. There was always someone available at the property to assist with any queries we had. We will definitely stay here again if we are back in Lamu! We recommend Sailor's Joint restaurant for nice fish and amaizing mango juice at great price :D

Great place to stay with a fantastic location.

Amazing location and beautiful building with A/C (which is a must) and an amazing roof terrace

The place is incredible! Right on the beach, in a very quiet area, it's like having your own private beach. The space is really nice and if you pay extra for the cook it is completely worth it! You have amazing food for breakfast, lunch and dinner served on the terrasse. We could easily go to the Shema thanks to the captain who works with the place.

I spent 4 wonderful days in this wonderfully beautiful house, it was paradise! The house is very large and beautifully furnished, on the terrace there are beautiful lounges and deck chairs with a fantastic view of the sea and Shela in the background. The beach is very nice and quiet, the water is clear and you could swim well even at low tide. The staff was very friendly and helpful, the food was delicious. There is a boat with a captain available if you want to go on excursions. I can really recommend it, it's fantastic there, I loved and enjoyed every single moment! :-)

We had the most amazing stay at Mary's place. The house is absolutly stunning, best location and the staff were all fantastic making our stay perfect ! We will definitly be back at Madarina. Thanks again Mary and the whole team!