Local Swahili residents have quietly resisted the cultural change that in recent decades has engulfed their inland compatriots. Women cover up in black bui-buis, and each morning muezzins sound the call to prayer from two dozen mosques. Though a mark of erudition in Nairobi and elsewhere, English is only grudgingly acknowledged by local Lamu residents. And motor vehicles too broad for the town's narrow, tortuous streets remain a pointless innovation.

Yet few come to Lamu for a sense of history alone; many prefer more indolent pursuits. Swimming is finest on Shela beach, which is a short ($3 to $4) dhow ride from Lamu town or a 45-minute walk along the waterfront. Here the waves roll in directly off the Indian Ocean, and privacy can be had by walking a few hundred meters beyond the latest arrivals. The beach arcs along the island's south coast for 10 km, most of which remains empty except for the occasional crab digger or passing donkey train.

Along the waterfront of Lamu town, beachboys and dhow owners persistently offer excursions to nearby ruins at Pate, the coral reef for snorkeling or a deserted island for a fish barbecue. Regardless of the destination, sailing in a dhow is worth the (always variable) price. These are hardy vessels, and their technology has not changed for centuries: wooden pegs instead of chrome winches, knotted rope for pulleys and a long mangrove-wood boom on which crew members (and passengers) can hike out when the breeze stiffens. Most captains are friendly and able and unruffled by the occasional inevitable mishap.

Finding a place to stay on Lamu is not hard, and for those who arrive without reservations, the ubiquitous beachboys are more than eager to lend a hand. Dozens of guesthouses and several mid-range hotels offer reasonably priced rooms. Houses, with a cook, can also be rented intact; there are some beautiful renovations recently purchased by foreigners in Shela town, a place whose reputation as a retreat from the bustle of Lamu has grown in recent years.

Shela is also home to the Peponi hotel, which at $130 a night and up is a little pricey but worth the cost. At high tide, warm waves lap against its whitewashed walls. Bougainvillea flowers year round, and thorn trees cast welcome shadows throughout the day. The best rooms are spacious and airy, with four-poster beds, hardwood furniture and serene views of the channel and Manda island beyond. The Peponi is a small place with many devoted regulars, yet at low season (anytime but school holidays in Europe and North America) rooms are usually available.

Seafood, of course, is plentiful throughout Lamu, and many thatched-roof, open-air restaurants serve lobster, coconut prawns, parrot fish and other local dishes. At Peponi, guests order dinner before noon, and local fishermen are dispatched to catch the evening meal. A legacy of the budget-traveler days is yogurt, muesli and pancakes, which can all be had for a pittance at any number of restaurants along the waterfront. Reflecting the Islamic influence, only three hotels serve beer, but juice bars offer a cheap way to cool off.

One reason why Lamu remains Lamu is that it is remote, even by Kenyan standards. The coast road leading north from Malindi and Mombasa is unpaved and not recommended in any case, since shiftas, or bandits, operating south of the Somali border have ambushed several buses in recent years. But flying is simple, if a little expensive. Depending on the kind of plane, the trip takes about 60 minutes from Mombasa ($150 round trip) and two hours from Nairobi ($240 round trip). There are cheaper holidays in East Africa, but few places cast as lasting a spell. If you go, the sound of the wind will stay with you long after the dhow ferries you back across the channel to a more sheltered life away from the sea.