Shela Village 5 Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms 1 King, 3 Double and 1 Twin. Garden courtyard with plunge pool. Self-catering with full staff Closed November Recently refurbished
	Jasmine was built by a family in 1989 and has always rung with peals of children's laughter. It remains a family's holiday home. With five bedrooms, four bathrooms, its many terraces and patios and the safe and secluded Pool Garden, Jasmine is an ideal choice for families with kids or groups of friends. For up to five couples sxharing it's an unbeatable oasis to relax in. Refurbished and refurnished in 2005, Jasmine is our flagship Retreat and our own Shela escape for two months each year.

Jasmine House

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About Jasmine House

The house has 5 (five) bedrooms and 4 (four) bathrooms all plastered in the neru style and with hot water, (by no means a given in Lamu). The master bedroom is en suite and has a king-size bed and private sitting area and terrace. The first floor bedroom at the top of the stairs is a twin room as and shares the bathroom (with shower and bathtub) with the a second doouble bedroom which also has couches suitable as kids beds. This room with its raised walls, louvered windows and a high boriti ceiling supports a rooftop terrace that is accessed by a bridge from the master bedroom stairs. Perfect for sundowners!

The annex wing has two bedrooms. The downstairs bedroom, accommodates a double bed and has a huge bathroom and separate w.c. This room is is the most suitable for anyone who prefers not to tackle too many stairs. The upstairs annex room is also a double room and is again complemented by a newly renovated neru plastered bathroom and private terrace overlooking the pool garden.

The kitchen is plastered in the neru style with new work surfaces, recessed alcoves, niches and windows opened up for light and ventilation. In 2005 it was refitted with an additional gas/electric oven, two new fridges (in addition to the existing fridge which has been kept for drinks in the pool garden) a deep fat fryer and all new appliances, pots, pans and utensils. Crockery, cutlery and glassware have been replaced to a high standard for ten people (with extra in case of guests' guests!) and there are also unbreakable plates and picnicware for kids, outings and pool use.

The sitting room has been opened up and adjoins a new terrace area next to the dining room which combines a comfortable cushioned area for breakfast and drinks. New soft furnishings throughout are of simple cotton whites and colours that complement the 'Swahili-Maroq' mood of the house. All mattresses are new (July 2005), and pillows replaced with a choice of polyester or duck down. The bed linen is 200 thread per inch Egyptian cotton percale.

In its new configuration Jasmine House can accommodate 10 adults in 1 King, 3 Double and 2 twin beds, and in addition there are extra mosquito nets, pillows and sheets to allow for kids to sleep on the cushioned cement couches of the master, first floor and upper annex bedrooms and the pool garden barazza, though we would not recommend exceeding ten adults and four children purely due to overcrowding and bathroom facilities.

Peter Buya, who looks after Jasmine for us is not professionally trained in the hospitality business, but is one of the most hospitable people we know, and will assist you with anything you need in Shela. Horace, the chef, will work with you to suggest and produce your own choice of menu and to run the kitchen as you wish. He is great with kid's food too. Dominic moves through Jasmine like a friendly ghost tidying the rooms and collecting laundry. For larger groups we bring in more help and can arrange child care too!

We have outfitted the house with all new equipment from the furniture, mattresses, bed linen and soft furnishings to cutlery, crockery and kitchenware. There is plenty of glassware in the house and there are unbreakable "glasses" for use around the pool area. There's also lots of plastic ware for the kids to use and an extra refrigerator in the Pool garden for drinks.