Just off the Kenyan mainland, almost on the border with Somalia, Lamu (and the nearby island of Pate in particular) is one of the oldest Indian Ocean Islamic enclaves. It may not have a spice industry, but in almost every other way it reminds one of Zanzibar. And it helps me imagine what Zanzibar would have been like 30 - or even 50 - years ago. There are only 2 cars on Lamu, and over 30 000 donkeys. Booze, unless you really know where to look, is not easy to come by. Unmarried Swahili women  more...