Banana House and Wellness Centre

We so enjoyed our stay at Banana House! Location is perfect in Shela, very central. We had the Swahili breakfast each morning on the terrace, then explored, and came back for lunch poolside to relax in the heat of the day. The service is impeccable. The only reason for the 4 and not 5-star review is the heat at night combined with mosquitos which somehow enter the net. Two fans in the room couldn't quite cool me down. I'd highly recommend this property, regardless!

The house is beautiful and has a lovely vibe to it. There is a personal touch to the way it has been decorated. The breakfast was lovely. The yoga session was the highlight as our trainer, Joy, was incredible. The staff were excellent. They were friendly and catered to all our needs. The idea of the honest bar/fridge was refreshing and unique. Our room's fan stopped working in the middle of the night and it was very noisy in the morning as we felt like we were in the middle of the house and it didn't feel very private. The shower pressure was very weak on the second day we were there. The bedding and towels and kikoys were lovely.

We first stayed at Banana House in October 2020 and fell in love with the property and Lamu island itself. We dreamed of coming back and finally returned in February 2024. Back then, the only downside was the food. Today, though, we were pleasantly surprised to find the menu has been revamped and the taste and quality of the meals remarkably better. There’s a lot of fresh seafood, as well as tasty vegetarian options. Dinners we had in our room every night, while we enjoyed amazing lunches at Peponi Hotel just for a change of scenery. Furthermore, I credit Banana House for getting me started on my yoga journey after our first visit. It was great to see Kelly and Fred still leading classes. Joy is also a great instructor for building strength. You don’t have to be an advanced yoga practitioner by any means. This is the perfect place for first-timers to give yoga a try. For the best experience, you must book one of the suites, which have lots of space and gorgeous views. The open-air design allows for the breeze to pass through, acting as natural air conditioning. Both visits we have hardly encountered any mosquitos or biting insects, but there is a net over the bed just in case. For both trips, we stayed four nights. Lamu is a place where you can do as much or as little as you’d like. We’re inclined to return for at least a week next time. My only suggestion for Banana House is perhaps they could organize a “happy hour” for their guests or anything to help facilitate a little more socialization. They have a nice courtyard space that’s perfect for it.