I spent about a month with Africa Nomads on Lamu Island in Kenya. They also go to other locations, like Nairobi, Watamu, and Diani, so make sure you check to see where they’re going next! I definitely recommend going with them to Lamu specifically because the founder lived here for five years.
Get $100 off a 4-week+ stay with Africa Nomads, or $50 off a stay less than 4 weeks if you let Alejandra know you were referred by Tasha – me!
I only recommend places I’ve personally vetted – you can read more about what I look for in a coliving space here & find my full list of recommendations (and discounts!) here.
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Lamu Island is a small Muslim island on the coast of Kenya – no cars, lots of donkeys, and small-town vibes. Think rural – you might not be able to find all the conveniences there. Be prepared to dress conservatively, and bring sunscreen, bugspray, and malaria meds.
Alejandra, the founder of Africa Nomads, has lived in Lamu for five years – as the general manager of a five-star resort. So she knows everyone. She arranged such special and cool experiences for us that you never could have had on your own. And we really felt like part of the community in Lamu, and got to know a lot of the locals. This was really cool for me, as a lot of times nomading, it’s all too easy to get stuck in a nomad/expat bubble.
I struggled with the wifi and power outages for the first couple of weeks, but once I mentally adjusted to mobile hotspotting as my primary source of internet, I really had a blast. Make sure you get a Safaricom physical SIM card at the airport, and have them enable M-PESA (Kenya’s mobile banking, like Venmo or PayPal). I usually use an esim, so that was a big learning for me! I have tons of video calls and do lots of webinars and courses, so reliable internet is a really big deal for me. Mobile hotspotting ended up working for everything – I promise. And Africa Nomads had batteries for when the power went out, too.
This is a unique colive experience – let’s get into it!
Price. I paid $1711.50 for 26 nights = $65.82 per night. I got the hassle-free package, which included airport transfers, daily breakfast, mobile data, laundry, and housekeeping.
Value. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5)
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Bedroom. I had a huge bed, which was nice – but it took up most of the room, which, with the mosquito net, made it feel kind of small. There was a massive closet space, I had my own desk, and a private bathroom. It also looked over the inner courtyard with a pool! I didn’t love my bedroom to be honest; I only had one window facing the street, so there wasn’t enough natural light or breeze for me. I also had a ceiling fan, and most nights I slept without a sheet. Our house, Nyota, had stunning traditional Kiswahili architecture. The uppermost floor of Nyota house was nice and light and breezy – next time I’d love to stay there!
Work space. I mostly worked from the rooftop of our beautiful house, which had an incredible view of the water and was really peaceful. I also worked a lot from a local coffee shot, using my trusty mobile hotspot! For calls, I used the desk in my room.
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Common areas. There were two houses the Africa Nomads crew stayed in. Our house had a pool on the ground floor and little lounge area, and the roof, which had lots of comfy seating and a big table to work from.
Kitchen/coffee. I didn’t cook a single meal in Lamu or even buy groceries! I got breakfast included – which I definitely recommend doing. It was delicious and had a lot of variety, and yummy coffee was included. To my surprise, my appetite did actually diminish in Lamu from the heat. There were enough restaurants around, and the food was pretty cheap.
Amenities. I recommend getting the hassle-free package for the breakfast alone! If you get that, you’ll have airport transfers, laundry, and mobile data included. We also had a weekly community dinner and yoga class included. Regular housekeeping is included too. There’s potable water and coffee in the house, and it’s fully furnished. Plus the pool! We got some really sweet little welcome gifts – a kikoy – like a sarong, a little basket, a notebook, and a postcard. Alejandra organized incredible activities – so if you get the chance to get a cheaper rate on activities by booking them in advance, do it!
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Location. Lamu Island is an island on the coast of Kenya, closeish to the border with Somalia. It’s a quick and easy flight to/from Nairobi or Mombasa. It’s Muslim and conservative, so make sure to bring appropriate clothing. It’s hot, and you won’t be in air conditioning. Definitely think rural/island vibes, and plan to bring things you’ll need. Be prepared to talk to everyone when you leave your house – small town vibes.
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Community management. This was a group I eased into; I arrived a little late, and in our house people mostly spent time in our rooms. The daily breakfast was a great chance to get to know people, and we had a community dinner and lots of fun activities every week. The weekend trips organized by Alejandra were definitely a highlight! By the end we were a really tight-knit group. Alejandra’s background is managing a resort, so the vibe was a little more done-for-you than co-created.
Members. I met some really amazing people through Africa Nomads and loved our little group. There were some folks who weren’t really digital nomads, and three of the crew happened to be a bit older (50s and 60s). It made for a cool intergenerational mix!
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Community. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4/5)
Overall feel. Rural, small-town, beachy island vibes.
This was a really special, unique experience as a nomad. I loved getting out of the nomad/expat bubble and feeling like part of the local community. Highly recommend!
Get $100 off a 4-week+ stay with Africa Nomads, or $50 off a stay less than 4 weeks if you let Alejandra know you were referred by Tasha – me!
Let me know if you make it to Lamu Island, and what you think of Africa Nomads! Tell me your thoughts on Instagram @t.prad.
