Yoga Retreat in Lamu Island
Fatuma Tower
16-23 January 2011

16-26 January 2011

Yoga on Lamu Island

(a world that time forgot)

Margherita invites you to join her on this yoga retreat at Fatuma's Tower on beautiful Lamu Island. This is one of those travel destinations you hear very little about because travellers (and travel agents!) like to keep it to themselves. Beaches are vast, beautiful and empty. There are no cars on the island - time has stood still here in the most pleasant of ways.

This little known Kenyan island is a natural paradise, ten miles long and five miles wide, with white sandy beaches, coral reefs teeming with marine life, lush vegetation and rainforests rich in flora and fauna with pure fresh running waterfalls.

Lamu Island has always attracted artists and has very little mainstream tourism - there are no cars on the island, only sand roads. There has been a peaceful Swahili culture here for a 1000 years and their very traditional way of life endures. Lamu Town itself is a UNESCO heritage site. Our Yoga retreat will be held at Fatuma's Tower, an 18th Century ruin which has been lovingly restored by its owners, using natural materials of coral, lime and sand. Now a yoga retreat it is situated on the edge of the small fishing village of Shela where there are sandy lanes, local shops, mosques and gardens.

The beach here is eight miles of soft white sand, called crowded by the locals if more than eight people are visible! Besides yoga and relaxation, you can sail, dive, fish and visit neighbouring islands. We will help choose your boat captain and suggest where to go and what to do including looking for dolphins and visiting some of the other islands. Half of the property backs onto sand dunes, and a ten minute walk leads to eight miles of uninhabited sand beach. The Peponi Bar, not far from us, is where you'll get the news and find out who's in town.

Here at Fatuma's Tower we are surrounded by a peaceful garden. We often eat our meals outside; local fresh produce cooked on the premises with seasonal fish. Eight staff are dedicated to making you feel at home here and are on hand to see to all your needs. There are four trained cooks who can make any one of Fiammetta's delicious recipes for you, or prepare meals to suit your taste. A wide range of beauty treatments and massages are available in the purpose built treatment hut in the grounds. Our staff, who are all from coastal Kenya, have been living in Lamu for several years and can assist you with any information you may need.

Your day: The beach here is eight miles of soft white sand, called crowded by the locals if more than eight people are visible! Besides yoga and relaxation, you can sail, dive, fish and visit neighbouring islands. We will help choose your boat captain and suggest where to go and what to do including looking for dolphins and visiting some of the other islands. Half of the property backs onto sand dunes, and a ten minute walk leads to eight miles of uninhabited sand beach. The Peponi Bar, not far from us, is where you'll get the news and find out who's in town.

Here at Fatuma's Tower we are surrounded by a peaceful garden. We often eat our meals outside; local fresh produce cooked on the premises with seasonal fish. Eight staff are dedicated to making you feel at home here and are on hand to see to all your needs. There are four trained cooks who can make any o ne of Fiammetta's delicious recipes for you, or prepare meals to suit your taste. A wide range of beauty treatments and massages are available in the purpose built treatment hut in the grounds. Our staff, who are all from coastal Kenya, have been living in Lamu for several years and can assist you with any information you may need.

Yoga classes: this is an ideal environment for a yoga retreat, relaxing, refreshing and replenishing for your body, mind and spirit. The yoga hall has slanted windows and is conducive to meditation, encouraging a connection with nature and simplicity. A large and airy studio, featuring the slanted windows adopted by mosques, it can comfortably accommodate up to fifteen mats. We frequently host visiting yoga teachers and private yoga groups For those who wish to extend their stay, we are able to arrange individual yoga sessions and workshops with Gillies, the resident yoga teacher. These can be organised in advance if you wish.

Push open the painted wooden gates and enter a secluded, peaceful world. Tucked away in the sleepy Swahili fishing village of Shela, off the East African Coast is Fatuma's Tower. Deep green foliage of flowering trees speckle shade over the raked sandy pathways and tropical birds fly overhead. A light breeze carries the scent of the Indian Ocean as the sounds of the village fade away. At Fatuma's Tower you are invited into the home of Gillies and Fiammetta Turle, who want you to feel at ease and experience the peace and comfort of this tranquil space. More than a guesthouse - this is a hidden corner of the world where you naturally relax and can enjoy life at your own pace. The Tower is named after Fatuma Abu Bakar a Swahili noblewoman who lived alone in her sanctuary surrounded and continuously attended by five devoted female slaves. Although she had many suitors vying for her beauty and property she remained unmarried, ruling successfully over her lands on Lamu and neighbouring islands until the abolition of slavery. Meticulously restored in 1998, the historic tower house has six bedrooms and there are two further cottages within the grounds providing accommodation to suit individuals, families or even small groups. Fatuma's Tower is furnished with hand picked antiques and local fabrics in a simple yet elegant style, which recreates the atmosphere of a fine Swahili house. No two rooms are the same and the cool, airy suites retain an informal feel while day beds and shaded balconies throughout the house provide comfortable spaces for relaxing and enjoying your time.

Accomodation

Balcony Room The Balcony Room is located across from the library on the first floor at Fatuma's Tower. Furnished with Swahili antiques, it is a large and airy double room which accomodates a third bed. The bathroom features the delicate traditional plasterwork patterns common in Swahili houses. This room is named for its balcony terrace with a large, comfortable cushioned barazza overlooking the garden.

Tower Suite On the top floor of Fatuma's Tower, with views out over the village to the sea, is the Tower Suite. Reflecting Swahili style throughout, the suite has two spacious double bedrooms and a shaded living and dining front terrace. Each bedroom has its own large bathroom combining elements of modern and Arabic architecture and comfortable, cushions. With its own kitchen, small dining room and separate staircase, the Tower Suite is self-contained if required. Above the suite, the spacious traditional roof-top terrace can be used for sunbathing, evening sundowners and star-gazing. The Tower Suite can be booked as a whole or as two separate units.

Garden Room Situated on the ground floor of Fatuma's Tower the Garden Room is a beautiful double room with its own bathroom. Furnished with local antiques, this room has plenty of living space and French doors open out onto the garden where guests can relax in the afternoon shade. Adjacent to the Garden room are the Peacock and French Rooms, two single rooms with a shared bath in the hall.

Sand Castle Named after its pale ochre walls and informal atmosphere, the Sand Castle is a spacious ground floor apartment with cool living and dining areas. Three bedrooms are arranged around a central living room which in turn leads on to an open plan dining room and small courtyard and in the front a garden pergola. Local fabrics and unusual antiques give each comfortable room an individual and unique feel. The Sand Castle has one twin and two doubles (all ensuite) and is available as a whole or as separate units.

Garden Cottage Tucked away in the shade of the gardens, the Garden Cottage combines simple living areas with quirky and imaginative architecture. The Cottage sleeps four in two double bedrooms with a shared downstairs bathroom. On the ground floor the bedroom is decorated in an eclectic style with Swahili antiques complementing imaginative details in the room's architecture. The ground floor has its own kitchen, dining and living areas. External wooden steps lead to a banda style thatched bedroom set within a rooftop terrace and features a private sunbathing area and covered pergola. The rooftop catches the cool evening breezes, has an excellent view out over the village and is an ideal place to relax or take your meals.

Acacia Room Third floor. “It’s high but it’s heaven” (and rapidly becoming something of a honeymooner’s haven….) A glorious spacious airy room with distant views of the sea down to Lamu and direct access to the rooftop sundeck.

Yoga will be practised daily at Fatuma's Tower and our yoga group will have one long morning class each day. The large and airy studio, featuring the slanted windows adopted by mosques, can comfortably accommodate up to fifteen mats. Yoga mats are provided.  If you wish to have a private one-to-one session  in the evening this can be arranged, please let Margherita know in advance.

What you can do with a day, Yoga 8.30-11.30am Each day will start with pranayama & gentle awakening stretches, gradually building up into a dynamic & flowing yoga practice lasting about 2 hours. The third hour will focus will focus more on the subtle aspects of yoga, such as partnerwork, breathing (pranayama), deep relaxation (yoga nidra), then followed by a led meditation. * 11.45 Brunch: Buffet Lunch available at request, 8 pm Supper: fish/catch of the day, vegetables. (programme may change so please confirm with us)

This retreat is not for absolute beginners but for those who already have some experience and are keen to improve their practice, deepen their understanding (physically, mentally, spiritually) and experience the transformative essence of yoga - bringing the benefits into their everyday lives.

Treatments  The thatched garden banda with its calming blue walls and hand painted details is used for massage and selected therapies, and our two trained masseuses can be booked by guests at any time. The gardens and terraces are the perfect setting for quiet contemplation.

Library Adjacent to the Balcony Room, the Library at Fatuma's Tower is a lovely room in which to relax, read or hold group meetings. There are many novels and books on the area which are available for our guests. High ceilings and an open design make it cool and airy during the day and the wooden balcony looks out over the remains of some original ruins.

Dining For all meals, great care is taken by our cooks to prepare the freshest local ingredients, combining the best of Swahili and Italian cucina. Fresh from the ocean, fish and seafood are our speciality. You can take your meals in the shady courtyard dining area or in the privacy of your terrace or roof-top. At night lanterns are lit throughout the sandy garden for dinner served under the stars

Lamu & Activities Situated on the fringes of the Indian Ocean, the Lamu Archipelago is this Unesco World Heritage Site where life still retains the pace of traditional Swahili culture. Arabic architecture and rich inlaid door carvings hint at an affluent past and the streets of Lamu and Shela ring with the five daily calls  to prayer. Lamu is an area of stunning natural beauty, with clear waters and pristine beaches. Life here revolves around the sea - Lamu was established as an important Arab trading port in the 16th Century and fishing and seafaring remains its principal activity to this day. At dusk, the time-worn, narrow alleys come alive with women dressed in traditional black buibuis, donkeys congregate in the squares and street sellers ply their wares. Free from cars, this unspoilt and culturally fascinating island offers a wide variety of activities, from fishing, snorkelling and sunset trips in the wooden dhows for which the coast is renowned, to wind-surfing, scuba diving and visits to the ancient town of Lamu and the ruins on neighbouring islands. The eight mile, dune-backed, white sand beach just minutes away is perfect for sunbathing or a sunset stroll. Over one hundred kilometres north of Mombasa, the island of Lamu is undisturbed by the turmoil of modern times, and boasts a timeless serenity. Set in an archipelago of coral fringed islands, Lamu Town was a trading centre for hundreds of years. Great lateen-rigged dhows sailed in from Arabia and India, buying and selling ivory and spices. The resultant blend of cultures has produced a vibrant people, the Swahili, who are rich in history and justifiably proud of their maritime tradition. To this day there are no cars on the island, and transport is by dhow, donkey or on foot.

How to get there:  you need a flight to Nairobi or Mombassa and an onward flight to Lamu Island. If you can not get an overnight flight to Nairobi to link up with midday flight to Lamu then a pleasant medium range hotel for an overnight stay in Nairobi is Mayfair Hotel. The owners of the hotel and other locals usually fly in via Italy on Ethiopian Airways from Rome via Addis Abbaba Please note: in the past students have booked flights with Southall Travel (talk to Neha 0208-843-5661) contact Jillie or Margherita at shantiyoga@gmail.com for advise they might know of latest cheaper solutions.

Transfers: we will arrange for you to be met at the Lamu Island airstrip, (or, if you are arriving by bus/ferry, at the port) and transferred to Fatumas Tower.

Visas: at the time of writing this (January 2007) British passport holders may purchase their visas on arrival at Nairobi or in advance from the Kenyan Embassy. Visa requirements do change frequently so please check their website for up to date information before travelling: http://www.kenyahighcommission.net  (click on visas and then on FAQs which will then tell you if you can pay and receive your visa on entry) Embassy address is: Kenya High Commission, London, 45 Portland Place, London, W1N 4AS Telephone: 171-636271/5 Fax: 171-3236717 E-mail: kcomm45@aol.com

*If you do not hold a British passport please go to the website http://www.uyaphi.com/kenya/visa.htm to establish the Kenyan embassy within your country and contact them direct for your visa requirements.

Other Useful Information: Money - nobody on the island takes credit cards except the bar at the Peponi Hotel. You can also draw cash against a card at the local bank. We suggest that you change money into Kenyan shillings whilst changing planes at Nairobi airport. There is one cash point machine in Lamu town - however be warned it rarely works!

Retreats

Home