The first thing I thought when I arrived in Lamu, the pearl of the Kenyan coast, was where have I taken my 7-year-old son? Dusty, dirty and smelled horrible.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site for its cultural significance, Lamu is steeped in the Swahili culture that once dominated the East Coast of Africa from Somalia to Mozambique. And despite my first impression, it doesn’t take long for this backwater town to get under your skin.

Narrow streets, buildings with elaborately carved wooden floors and doors make up the backdrop. Donkeys, the city’s only means of transportation, provide local charm. But what sets Lamu apart from beach resorts further south is the people: courteous, welcoming and warm. While one should be aware of the little tricks, so far, there are few ‘beach boys’ here.

We spent the first afternoon wandering the bustling streets of the settlement, stopping whenever something intrigued us. watching the local game Man it, a board game, was fascinating; his skill was only fully appreciated after we first played Count and Capture, as the game is often called in the West. Shopping was also hard to resist. kikoi, the plaid and striped cloth worn by the men, lines shops throughout the ‘old town’. And while you might be able to buy the stuff and get a beach cover for less than the $5 we paid, negotiating change can leave you feeling more guilty than satisfied.

Our full-day excursion on a dhow, the ancient Arab vessels that grace the shores of the archipelago, was more than just learning to fish with a line tied to a block of wood. no post Unreal. Lamu’s drive to Manda Beach, just a few miles as the crow flies, was a lesson in how to navigate a channel at low tide. Our lunch (fish, vegetables and rice cooked over an open fire) was a reminder that simple means can result in delicious food. The mangrove swamp, home to the large crabs that are offered in restaurants up and down the Kenyan coast, is teeming with birds and prompted many whispers: “Mum, look, over there.”

On our last day in Lamu we organized a donkey ride through a local boy. For my daughter, riding a donkey with a burlap bag for a saddle was one of the highlights of our family trip. But the adventure will be equally remembered for the exchange that took place when my daughter’s new friend showed up at our hotel with a gift, an ice cream. As my daughter happily shared the bag of cookies she had saved for the flight home, she decided that baseball caps and old t-shirts would be a better trade and should be packed on all future trips.

While the initial impact of Lamu can be strong, scrape the surface and pour. You can’t judge a book by its cover, you know.