This is a magical house, a unique oasis of calm, set in the heart of Shela village in Lamu, Kenya.
Waridi was designed and built as an integral part of the village yet is private and peaceful for those who stay there. This is a place full of tranquillity, beauty and peace. You will awake every morning to a cacophony of bird song, surrounded by beautiful gardens, abundant wildlife and ten minutes from the beach.
The house has five bedrooms, and a full roster of staff: there is Ketana who is the waiter, artist and also in charge of maintenance, Naima the housekeeper and our resident masseuse and beautician and Crispus who is the manager of the house and a first class cook.
The vision behind Waridi was to create a home which was an integral part of the village of Shela. An environment that is welcomed by the villagers, where visitors can experience the unique flavour of community life, feeling a part of the communite, combined with absolute privacy, in an oasis of calm.
Every morning you will wake to the sounds of bird song, and you can hear the call to prayer in the distance.
The fishermen will pop in with fresh fish for supper and the ladies might bring in freshly cut flowers. Yet you will be cocooned in an envelope of peace and tranquillity. It is a unique environment. The house was built in keeping with the traditional Swahili building lines in this part of the world. The positioning and design of each room ensures absolute privacy, yet provides breathtaking views across the surrounding countryside. It is entirely self sufficient, the water is from a fresh water well, solar panels provide elecrtricity and solar thermal for hot water.
The house has five bedrooms, including a roof top bedroom, all with ensuite bathrooms and private verandas, a small plunge pool, and large reception rooms. It can comfortably sleep 10 couples and five children and has a permanent roster of staff ready to welcome you.
The beach, which is eight miles long, is quiet, breathtakingly beautiful and a mere five minutes walk away- reached either by walking through Shela or scaling the famous sand dunes which surround the village.
There is an established symbiosis between Waridi and the rest of the village, as part of that harmonious balance we created the Shela dispensary to provide the villagers with affordable medical advice, allopathic and European complementary treatments. It has been set up and run entirely by donations from visitors to Waridi house and Wendy's acupuncture practice in London.
We welcome you to Waridi and wish you the experience of a lifetime.
Baobab
This is the largest guest room in the house, sleeping five people. It has a king size bed, a large single bed and two sofa's which can be converted into sleeping berths.
It is complemented with a large ensuite bathroom, a walk around verandah on two sides with views out over the sand dunes.
It has a large writing desk and is secluded and quiet.
Honeysuckle
This sleeps two people, it has a double bed, ensuite bathroom, a sofa that becomes a sleeping berth and its own balcony.
It is a quiet and reflective space with views out over the gardens.
Frangipani
This room is a large and airy guest room. It can sleep 2 children and two adults. It has a large king size bed, a traditional swinging cot, a swinging bed and two sofa's which convert into sleeping areas. It has a large ensuite bathroom and a sunbathing area with two sunloungers.
A walk around verandah with superior views out over the sandunes.
Jasmine
This guest room sleeps two adults and a child, with a large double bed, ensuite bathroom, a swing bed and a sofa which becomes a sleeping berth.
It is open and airy with views over the gardens and a cozy area for relaxing and watching the world go by.
Rooftop Guest Room
This room is rather special offering breathtaking views across the sandunes during the day and the open African sky at night.
It has a double bed and a swing bed with a traditional Makuti roof overhead, a self contained shower room and a sunbathing area with five sun loungers.
It also has a dining area which will comfortably seat six-eight people for incredible views while enjoying supper.
Lamu town is the oldest living Swahili town in Kenya, comparable to to Zanzibar in Tanzania.
The town dates back to the 12th century. Since this time, Lamu has flourished as a maritime trading centre whose main population, the Swahili tribe, engaged in international trade, fishing and farming.
Lamu was established as a Swahili trading outpost and settlement in the 14th century. The town became an important landmark on the Northern sea trade route, and one of the great centres of Swahili culture.
Shela was the scene of a great battle and massacre in the mid 18th century, as Lamu battled its neighbouring islands, Manda and Pate. And local legend speaks of the lost city of Hadibu, an Arab settlement buried beneath the famous rolling dunes of Shela beach.
Lamu has seen many visitors over its long history, including traders and explorers from ancient Arabia, China, Portugal and Turkey.
Lamu was also culturally influenced by the Bajun people. The Bajun are an indigenous tribal group, centred around the Lamu archipelago, whose origins and history have become blurred with the Swahili to the extent that one of their sub-clans, the Shiradhi claim to be direct descendants of Shirazi Arabs.
The Bajun are traditionally a fishing people, who also cultivate coconuts and mangrove logs. Many of their traditions have melded into Lamu's cultural melting pot.
Their traditional woodcarving played a major part in the development of the locally renowned Lamu carving industry, and their language was the genesis of Kiamu, a Swahili dialect that is the true language of Lamu.
Lamu was listed as a World Heritage site in 2001 for its unique social-cultural life, which has remained relatively unchanged for centuries, and for its architecture which
demonstrates the cultural influences that have come together over several hundred years from Arabia, India, Europe, utilizing traditional Swahili techniques to produce
a distinct culture.
The labyrinthine streets of Lamu town are a historical attraction in themselves. These narrow streets are all built upwards along a gentle slope, letting the rains wash the town clean. The narrow, winding streets accommodate only pedestrian or donkey traffic.
The architecture is uniquely Swahili, with its narrow streets, storied buildings, intricately carved wooden doors and mosques. Most buildings date back 18th century or before and are constructed out of local materials including coral blocks for the walls, wooden floor supported by mangrove poles, and palm thatched “makuti” roofs.
Lamu is a very relaxed place, and its easy going lifestyle has long attracted those seeking an alternative and exotic lifestyle. In the early 1970’s, Lamu became a spiritual centre of sorts for hippies and other non-conformists drawn to its undisturbed traditional culture. It was often described as the Kathmandu of Africa.
This started in 1894 with the arrival of the 'Freelanders", a group of idealistic British and European intellectuals who planned to use the island as base for a utopian commune to be finally located near Mount Kenya. Their plans fell apart almost immediately, and some never left Lamu.