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Kiwayu Safari Village resort in Lamu in September 2011.

| William Davies | AFP

Kidnapping that sparked a war

What you need to know:

  • Before 2011, Kiwayu was an idyllic tourist spot hailed in magazines as one of the best in the world.
  • Things changed dramatically when the Tebbuts arrived.

Kiwayu, 75 kilometres north of Lamu by speed boat, is a remote and unblemished island where time seemingly stands still.

It has the whitest sand you will ever see and the blue colour of the Indian Ocean around it creates a seamless intersection with the sky.