Umma House

Location: Kenyatta Road, Lamu, ke

Star Rating: 8.9 Stars

Property Type: Villas

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Check-out: 11:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Terrace
• Free wired internet
• Internet access
• Swimming nearby

Rooms Available

• Three-Bedroom Villa

  This villa features a private pool. The villa has 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a kitchen. The villa's kitchen is available for cooking and storing food. Guests can make the most of a terrace and a balcony. The unit has 4 beds.

  Max Occupancy: 6 (6 Adults)

  • Kitchenette
  • Washing machine
  • Private bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Private pool
  • Terrace

Guest Reviews

• Javier JLR (9/5): - Umma House es una casa colonial preciosa, muy cómoda, con 3 habitaciones magnificas, una pequeña piscina que se disfruta muchísimo, la verdad, nos habría gustado pasar más tiempo disfrutando de la casa, pero es que Lamu también es genial. Hacía mucho calor en esas fechas, el ventilador ayuda, pero con la mosquitera (de uso obligatorio) se nota algo menos.
• milly (10/5): -
• Анастасия (10/5): -
• Werner (8/5): - Zum Haus gibt es nur positives zu sagen! Wunderschöner Stil, alles funktioniert und man fühlt sich einfach wohl! Leider ist ab 04:00 h morgens brutal laut! Es gibt soviele Moscheen die aus alle Richtungen den Gebetsruf mit Lautsprechern erklingen lassen, dass man senkrecht im Bett steht! Und das dauert bis zu 90 min. Ergo, gute Oropax mitbringen!
• linda (6/5): Noisy mosque - House is beautiful, located next a mosquee which is very noisy not a good location Location not suitable as holiday home
• Sivuyisiwe (9/5): - Great views from the roof top, accurate description of the property. Felt like the perfect getaway spot. Central accomdation and well organized host. Kitchen equipment was a bit dusty but we spent our time at restaurants so it wasn't a big deal.
• Gregory (7/5): Great for the Old Town experience. - Location in the Old Town was convenient for exploring Lamu. Rooftop space was particularly charming and comfortable with a nice breeze on a hot day. Beds were comfortable and equipped with mosquito nets. Bathroom was spacious. Muezzin’s loudspeaker was right outside my window., and work me every morning at 4:15. Call to prayer continued until 5:30.
• Géza (10/5): Autenticidad swahili en pleno Lamu - Nuestra estancia en Umma House fue fantástica. La casa es una joya de arquitectura swahili: auténtica, muy bien cuidada, limpia y cómoda. Vivir unos días allí es sumergirse en la verdadera esencia de Lamu. Es cierto que hay bastante ruido alrededor (rezos, burros, la escuela cercana), pero forma parte de la vida local y, en nuestro caso, valió totalmente la pena por la experiencia única que ofrece el lugar.
• MANUEL (10/5): Casa preciosa - Una casa preciosa, súper limpia. Justin, el empleado, nos ayudó muchísimo. Recomendable cien por cien
• Joanna (10/5): Enchanting - Stunning property: very elegant, tastefully restored old Lamu house using genuine Swahili/Arab finishes and details we were enchanted, refreshing little courtyard pool, lovely outside areas to relax. There was nothing we didn’t like, some people might find the scene school next door a little noisy but we didn’t mind, it added atmosphere
• Lieve (9/5): Beautiful, exotic and luxurious outdoor living - A beautiful and spacious house with a private pool in the center of town. Everything within walking distance. Good wi-fi and hot water showers. The house is very open, sort of outdoor living: beware of mosquitoes, noise from the surrounding streets, neighbours and the nextdoor mosk and school.
• Caroline (10/5): -
• Scott (9/5): A great place to stay while you explore Lamu. - Umma House is the perfect place to stay in Lamu. Comfortable and well located, the house has everything you need from the pool to the rooftop. The team provides great service so you can relax and explore during your stay. The house has modern comforts while still feeling like a true Lamu home. I’d happily stay again and recommend it to friends. While conserving water is always a good thing especially on Lamu, the showers at Umma house take this to the extreme. Perhaps there is a way to find a better balance between saving water and a more comfortable level of water pressure.
• Yolanda (10/5): Gorgeous home in the heart of Lamu - Wow. Couldn't believe my eyes when I walked in. Umma house is a beautiful swahili-style home right in the center of Lamu old town. The architecture and interior design was just exquisite right down to the details. Justin, the house manager, is a star and made our stay very comfortable. I really recommend Umma house if you want to experience Lamu - skip Shela and head to the heart of the island - you won't regret it. Just a warning - the call to prayer in the morning is very, very loud. Bring earplugs or just get out of bed and enjoy it.
• Manuel (10/5): Espectacular - El personal. Tanto Zeinab como Justin hicieron que nuestra estancia fuera fantástica. Nada
• Lærke (9/5): Superb - Absolutely beautiful house. Plenty of space and in a good location in Lamu town. We’d have loved to stay longer and have more time to appreciate this lovely house, including the pool. Despite some of the other reviews here, we probably underestimated the noise from surroundings in the early mornings. Not a major drawback, but for light sleepers we highly recommend to bring ear plugs :-)
• Irene (7/5): I enjoyed the stay but struggled with stairs and was too hot to sleep at night - History great building near to town Too many stairs and no air conditioning
• Felix (3/5): Beatiful pool and a house with big potential but still long way to go - The bathrooms, the space & the pool. That it wasnt clean, the service double charged me, the location, the amount of noise next to a mosque, and the lack of attentiveness.
• Ali-g (8/5): Very good - Very neat and clean and good decor. Some nets on windows would have been useful, esp in the bedrooms and main seating areas. Terrace was amazing but could not use at night as no lighting. AC would have been wonderful, esp in the bedrooms. The fans were ok but did not move very fast.
• Abdullah (10/5): Exceptional - Had an amazing stay at this beautiful house, it’s in a great spot for exploring and experiencing life in Lamu. The rooftop was definitely the highlight for me, especially the sunrise views. We had the whole place to ourselves which made it even better. The housekeeper was super friendly, always around when we needed something but gave us space too. Would totally recommend and stay again if in Lamu the mozzies were starting to come out in the evenings (seems like the season's kicking in), but we still slept fine thanks to the mosquito nets in the bedrooms.
• Caradog (10/5): Ideal location for the work we had to do - Charming well renovated and characterfully presented town house, connected to hotel Lamu - perfect for our group
• Filipa (9/5): Superb -
• Kiarie (8/5): Very good -
• Mark (7/5): Good - Location Shower cold
• Olga (10/5): Exceptional -
• Martin (10/5): The best villa on the island. Clean, spacious, amazing pool. A true gem! -
• Eyan (10/5): Amazing! - Good swahili breakfast. Farid was an exceptional help that made our stay seamless. N/A
• Fariya (10/5): The Gem of Lamu Island - Incredible space with even better people. First, even before we arrived, communication with the host (Tarik) was impeccable. We always felt we were in good hands and that rang true from the moment we arrived especially with the housekeeper Farid who was absolutely excellent and was on top of every need we might have. I should take a moment also to say that the space itself is STUNNING. Absolutely gorgeous with many, many beautiful details. Truly a hidden gem of Lamu. Not a didn't like but rather a warning for those not used to it (we grew up in the middle east so it wasn't an issue for us).. the house is located next to a mosque so expect noise from daily quran school (children reciting) and the call to prayer.
• Oluwasolabomi (8/5): An amazing space in Lamu! Spacious, comfortable with such unique features and a lovely housekeeper - A great home for a group visiting Lamu. You have your own pool and the house is so spacious with 3x bedrooms each with an en suite. Check in was so smooth, we chose the option where the captain picked us up from the airport and escorted us to the boat (definitely do this as it’s tricky to find the house yourself the first time). He was amazing and offered to carry our bags, we had a great boat ride across and he showed us to the house where the housekeeper met us. We had some problems with the water being lukewarm during our stay but apart from that we felt so looked after by the housekeeper. Their captain organises boat trips on he Dhow and we really recommended you take this up, he was brilliant. The location is on Amu (Lamu Old Town) with lots of restaurants on the waterfront and Shela is a short boat ride away. It’s a traditional house so don’t expect ‘mod cons’ everywhere but the WiFi was superb and every bed handily has mosquito nets.
• Te (10/5): A truly beautiful house in the heart of Lamu Old town surrounded by a rich culture and history. There is no other place - We had a truly memorable and amazing experience staying 4 nights & 5 days at Umma house. We had a warm and welcoming greeting from the staff Zeinab and Farid who were amazing. Zeinab stayed in contact the whole time and she booked all of our activities for us. We gave her a budget and what we wanted and she made sure everything was organised and that our stay was stress free so we could just focus on enjoying Lamu. On our last day she let us check out later at 1pm because our flight was at 2:55 which was amazing so we could enjoy our final houra. Farid is the young house keeper and he was exceptional. He did all of the house work including laundry, dishes, ironing, cleaning the house and pool everyday and he even went out to the markets to get our groceries. He was so friendly and we were able to go with him to the markets and he showed us around and was helpful with anything we needed. If he is there you can ask him to show you around and he is very enthusiastic to do whatever you need to make the most of your stay in Lamu. The house itself is beautiful and we spent a lot of time in the pool and on the rooftops for sunset drinks. There are lots of different areas in the house to relax including 3 different balconies / roof tops. The best bedroom in the house is located on the top floor which has a lot of stairs so may not be suitable for elderly or people who struggle getting up stairs. This didnt bother us though and we got used to it quickly, it is so worth it for the amazing big bedroom! Umma house is located in Lamu old town so you are bound to hear the mosques and prayers but it is a beautiful way to experience the true essence and culture of Lamu and the prayers only last 5-10 minutes at most. If you are easily disturbed by loud noises then maybe bring ear plugs but if you are genuinely interested in the rich culture of Lamu then it should not be a problem.
• Galo (9/5): Fantastic house in Lamu - Very beautiful house. It is big plenty of space. Rooms are very nice and staff great. Farid is very helpful with everything you need. Theres a mosque next to the house and it is very loud by night. First call its around 4:30. But other than that its perfect and recommended.
• Suzan (5/5): Okay for budget backpack group - The pool. Faridi was a nice house help, ready to assist with anything. It needs maintenance and a good cleaning. We didn't use the kitchen, because it was not clean. It really smelled. The downstairs bathroom was used bij the housekeeper.
• Ana (10/5): Exceptional - The house is incredible and it deserves to take time to enjoy it. Farid, the person in charge of the house and to take care of all we needed, is a really nice person, he took care of everything and helped us a lot. Asante sana for all of it!!
• Sole (10/5): Perfect stay in Lamu - Thanks to the housekeeper Fadir our stay was 10. We spent 3 nights in the house with all the comforts and the incredible kindness and closeness of Fadir. He gave us many recommendations like the guide Abu who show us around very professionally and close, everything was in detail. We also thank the cook Barak who came to make us breakfast and dinner, it was incredible! If we ever come back to Lamu we will come back to Umma. Asante sana!
• Ayub (9/5): Great stay, would love to come back in a larger group! - Very nicely designed and maintained. It is quite big with 3 floors with a great architectural design. Not too far off from the main road of lamu with easy access and shops nearby (<5 min walk) to top up on any essentials. Comfortable and cleaned well in a quieter side of Lamu town (except for call to prayer from the mosque next door) which you just have to manage if you want to visit a culturally rich Islamic & historic town such as Lamu and especially if you want to stay inside the town where there are 23 mosques. Well secured property. Due to space limitations on the Island, the space has been used very wisely and it has been built upwards. On the ground floor, I would have preferred to have a "lounging family" area near the small plunge pool (there are 3 spaces already for this - one serves as a dining/ seating space, lounge beds and above the swimming pool another lounge area but that would have been a good addition in the limited space.
• Ashley (9/5): Wonderful getaway to soak up Swahili culture and history - Very clean and friendly staff, the villa is cozy and there’s many spaces to relax on. Everything worked well and the Umma house team catered to all our needs. It’s better to prepare because there is a lot of mosquitoes
• Kelvin (9/5): An enjoyable stay in the heart of Lamu - Umma house is an architectural gem. We felt like we were in a period movie set. Two well-appointed ensuite bedrooms on second floor. Master bedroom on 3rd floor is stunning - airy and sunlit. Expansive views from roof top. Ceiling fans in bedrooms a real plus. Peter, the house keeper, was most helpful and obliging. He did our laundry, ran to the shops to get us water, candles, mosquito coils; even took us to a supplier where we got wine and beer for the house. We also recommend their in-house chef, Baraka, who cooked us breakfasts and delicious seafood dinners. Arrival and departure were pre-arranged; porters met us at the airport, carried our bags first to the boat and then through a circuit of narrow lanes to the house. Same deal going back. We also enjoyed our day sailing on the dhow. The bedrooms directly overlook a small mosque/madrasa with powerful speakers, as such it gets loud in the early mornings. The kitchen could use a good cleaning and perhaps better trash disposal. As one reviewer mentioned, flies can be a problem. Also, time replace the pegs for the clothes line; they've mostly lost their spring and don't hold down the drying laundry, which often end up blown to the floor.
• Frida (9/5): Superb - The design of the house is amazing. It's centrally located in Lamu. The facilities are very comfortable, including the mattresses. The kitchen is well equipped. We enjoyed the pool and the relaxation areas of the property: around the pool, the terrace, the rooftop. Peter was very kind, helpful and discreet. We would like to thank you.
• Gary (7/5): Good - Conveniently located, but need a guide to find the house for the first time. Beautiful architecture with plenty of room to stretch out. Easy access to Lamu old town and Lamu House Hotel restaurant. Not a lot of other good restaurant choices nearby. Due to widespread power outage along Kenya coast, we had NO power for first 36 hours. That meant no ceiling fans, refrigerator, or ability to recharge phones, etc. The house had no back up generator. It was very hot, and each evening the number of mosquitoes searching for a blood meal increased. We used the mosquito netting on the beds, but the mosquitoes in the upper bedroom were able to get in resulting in difficult and sleepless nights. The houseboy could have been a little less conspicuous but he was friendly and helpful. Pool could be cleaner. We hired the recommended cook for several meals and he did a good job.
• Lavin (8/5): Lamu is a lovely place to visit, Tarik is such a good host. Make sure to carry your powerbanks and power back ups if any - The place was clean. The staff were so good especially Peter the house keeper and Abu who was our chef. Its private so you get to enjoy your space. Spacious rooms and clean beddings. Also Tarik is such a good host he gave us contacts of people who would be able to offer us assistance incase we needed any and hence our stay was seamless and very easy. There was alot of flies especially when servicing food, if they could get a remedy on how to atleast get to curb that especially when they host.
• Anna (9/5): We loved staying in this house in lively, friendly, historical Lamu - Beautiful house with private pool, spacious bedrooms and several terraces to hang out on. Great location in old Lamu, close to shops, museums and the sea with great boat rides to wonderful beaches Manda and Shela.
• Margherita (10/5): A unique and pleasant stay in old lamu town - The house is a beautiful gem within old lamu town. The architecture is stunning, the rooms are freshened by fans and the pool is great to escape the day’s heat. The house staff is incredibly helpful and Peter was a great caretaker. We would also warmly recommend arranging a tour of the old town and of shela, as well as a boat tour if one wishes, with Abu. Abu is knowledgeable and loves his job; he is a great storyteller and a great artist (ask to see his recycled art). Walking around Lamu with him and learning about this unique place from him was a wonderful experience.
• Stefan (8/5): S - Peter was very supportive and the swimming pool Weather was super hot and humid so was not possible to sleep at night. Jannuray February and March are not recommendable. Matresses were worn up. Unusual for Africa where you meet a very good standard in Matresses.
• David (8/5): Peter, the on-site staff, was very helpful - a back-up generator would be helpful
• Olivia (9/5): Wonderful Stay and Authentic Experience. - We stayed at Umma House for a week which was great. The rooms and bathrooms are spacious. Peter the housekeeper made us feel safe and if we needed anything he was always around which we liked. I recommend to get the in house chef and food arrangements we had with Abuu and his staff. We ate deliciously well every day. Our guide Abu from Lamu House was also a great contact to have, you'll definitely meet him if you stay here. The property is very easy to get too. Only comment and point you'll need to know is that there is a mosque next to the property. If you are a light sleeper you'll be up at 5am. None the less I'd like to thank everyone who made our stay memorable. Thank you so much!!
• Juma (10/5): Enjoyable, relaxing and peaceful - The host was friendly and available. We enjoyed the swimming lessons. The house was big and spacious and the atmosphere very relaxing. I highly recommend the facility.
• Saghar (10/5): Living back in time - The house! Loved everything

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