A rustic beach house, Robinson Crusoe style. At the southern tip of Lamu Island, the house faces the Indian Ocean as it rolls in along a great stretch of empty beach. An absolutely perfect place for simply doing nothing, one can nevertheless also lie on the beach, float out to sea or take long walks across the island. Lamu, centuries old, and the most ancient Swahili settlement on the East African coast, is just a 30 minute boat ride away. The space The main living area is a large open plan space, built on stilts to capture the lovely breeze that drifts along the beach, and the magnificent views over the dunes and down to the sea. At one end is a well-stocked library, work space and a dining area. At the other end is a simple kitchen and living area. A private chef is included in the rate the kitchen has a fridge, freezer and gas cooker. Room One is connected to this living area with a short deck, and is also on stilts. It has an ensuite bathroom with a compost loo and a shower. Room Two, about 100m away, is a huge makuti banda built on the sand. It has a big verandah, en suite bathroom (with an eco loo and a shower) and a lovely view of the dunes. A swing bed on the verandah can be used as a single bed if another is needed - we just add a net. Both rooms have big double beds and mosquito nets, fans for the warmer months and space for travel cots if traveling with young children. There is also a mezzanine deck above the living room with another double bed and a fan, which serves as a third sleeping area when required, though it doesn't have its own bathroom. All the rooms are solar powered. Water comes from a local well, and we have a water filter for drinking water in the kitchen, though guests should bring their own drinking water if they prefer. The beach, which runs along the whole side of the island, is 12kms long and almost entirely empty. There is also a two km sand bar which runs out in front of the house at low tide, which makes for lovely walks, shallow paddles and sand castle building. Access to the house is a beautiful 30-40 minute speedboat ride along the creek from the airport, depending on the tides and wind. We can arrange pick up and drop off in our boat at an additional cost, or provide you with numbers for third party operators. Guest access The entire space is available for guests to make their own while they are staying. A fantastic private chef is included in the rate, and a housekeeper who will take care of cleaning and washing. Other things to note The house was built many moons ago by the Van Aardt family, who also founded (and since sold) Kizingo Hotel, next door. It will offer you everything you need for a good, old-fashioned holiday: salty sea air and sunshine, well-thumbed books and decks of cards, no interference from phones or other people. There are no shops on our side of the island, so guests should arrive with all their own food and drink. These can be ordered directly from shops in Lamu and/or Shela and collected when you are picked up from the airport. Kizingo Hotel, our nearest neighbour, has a fabulous bar where guests can drop in for delicious cocktails, and you can talk to management to arrange meals if you wish. There is also a fun bar at The Cabanas, just a short walk along the creek. The main activities are swimming in the sea, long walks on the beach, extensive reading and generally lazing about. If you like kite surfing, this is available with our neighbours at The Cabanas, or bring your own and enjoy one of the best kite surfing locations in the world. Keen fishermen with their own equipment can take our boat and captain to fish in the mangroves and the creek, catching snapper, rock cod and barracuda for supper. Casting off the main beach at the right tide can also be great fun and even fruitful. The more adventurous can head out into the ocean for deep sea fishing, swimming with dolphins and snorkeling around Kinyika Island, but this needs to be arranged in advanced and is done through a third party. There is very little phone signal at the house, though it gets stronger if you stand on top of the little dune behind the living area. We do not have WiFi. In spite of all these exciting activities, we hope you will also allow yourself the rare treat of being totally and completely bone idle.