Destination: Pate Island

Pate Island is the largest island in the Lamu Archipelago, off Kenya’s northern coast. Once a powerful Swahili trading hub, it flourished between the 9th and 19th centuries, attracting Arab, Persian, and Asian merchants. It has the oldest mosque in East Africa. located in Shanga. The island is home to the Bajuni Swahili community, known for their unique traditions, poetry, and crafts. Today, Pate is quieter and less visited than nearby Lamu, but its ruins, mosques, and villages tell stories of East Africa’s deep Islamic and cultural heritage, making it a hidden gem for history and cultural immersion.