A daughter’s promise: The heart behind The Cabanas
On a quiet stretch of Kizingoni Beach, on Kenya’s Lamu Island, The Cabanas is a story of family and reinvention. Continuing the vision of her late mother, Leslie Duckworth, who designed and built the original Kizingoni Villas. Anna and her husband Shawn have blended Hawaiian “Aloha” with Swahili “Karibu” hospitality, solar-powered sustainability, and a sea-to-table philosophy, all set against the backdrop of one of East Africa’s most stunning coastlines. Anna kindly shares her story with us in this latest blog.
How does it feel to walk in the footsteps of your mother, Leslie, and continue her vision for Kizingoni Beach?
I’m sitting on a breezy sand dune in the Cabana we lived in while my mum, Leslie, designed and built the seven Kizingoni Villas along this beach. My husband Shawn and I returned to the island years later to support her, and decided to curate “The Cabanas” as our own expression of island life – built on a shoestring, from driftwood and palm leaves washed ashore. Growing up, I watched mum turn bold, brave concepts into reality; that confidence in bringing daydreams to life is the greatest gift she left me.
Anna and Leslie
Returning to this beach without her was my most defining challenge; every corner held a memory that felt too close to the wound. But when it became clear her legacy rested in my hands, Shawn helped me find a happier ending; he is my rock and secret weapon. Together, we have built something beautiful from the barrel of grief – it has been a deeply grounding journey, and The Cabanas will always honour that love between mother and daughter.
What has been the most rewarding part of building a business as a couple in such a remote paradise?
“Remote” means there’s no one to call when a pipe bursts at midnight except each other! The most rewarding part has been seeing how naturally our skillsets fit together: Shawn is the backbone, self-taught and endlessly curious about solar, Wi-Fi and mechanics in a place that’s unforgiving on both. I design the front-end guest experience, staff training, interiors, and menus, keeping authenticity at the core. It’s the ultimate partnership, and we’re thankful every day we found each other across the globe, feels like fate had a plan all those years ago, as it’s with our combined skills that we’ve managed to create and maintain such a beautiful island sanctuary of others to visit, along with our Safari Lodge in Laikipia – Mukima Manor. And the challenge has only brought us closer.
The beachside pool area of The Cabanas
Shawn, you moved 11,700 miles from Maui to Lamu. What are the biggest similarities and differences between Hawaiian and Swahili island cultures?
Both cultures share a deep, soulful respect for the ocean as the ultimate provider. The difference is in the rhythm: Maui measures time by the swell, Lamu by the tides and the Call to Prayer. Maui has all the conveniences of modern life; Lamu is a masterclass in minimalism – no cars, no roads, just sand, sea and the bare necessities. You learn that with clean water, fresh food and good company, you already have everything you need.
Shawn and Anna
How do you weave the Hawaiian “Aloha” spirit into traditional Swahili hospitality?
Our story is the literal bridge between Maui and Lamu. Whether it’s the Aloha Shawn brought with him or the Karibu of my Kenyan upbringing, the core is the same: a deep respect for the person standing in front of you. We want guests to feel they’re being welcomed into a living, breathing home, where every palm-thatched roof and coral brick was hand-placed and consciously curated.
Ohana Cabana
You’ve saved over 50,000 litres of diesel by ditching generators for solar. What’s the biggest challenge of running a luxury resort entirely on the power of the sun?
Being at the mercy of a cloudy day! The real challenge is shifting the “luxury” mindset. Power isn’t an infinite, invisible resource; it’s a gift from the day. Shawn has worked out how to deliver every comfort, including chilling the pool, while staying entirely off-grid. We’re oddly addicted to the challenge of adding more little luxuries without compromise.
The Cabanas firepit
“Mālama” means to preserve and protect. Beyond solar power, how do you ensure the ecosystem and the Kizingoni Community are part of your success?
For us, success is a circle, not a line. We hire locally, support community initiatives, especially the village school, and keep our footprint on the dunes as light as possible, weaving our paths around the existing doum palms and planting indigenous trees. Mālama Cabana itself was built to protect the most beautiful tree in front of it. We don’t serve lobster or yellowfin tuna, and we stay informed on conservation issues we could unintentionally fuel.
The mangrove forests of Lamu Island
For a guest used to “standard” luxury, how do you define “barefoot luxury” at The Cabanas?
Standard luxury is about what you can buy; barefoot luxury is about what you can shed – your shoes, your phone, your schedule. Clean air, clean water, fresh food and the peaceful chorus of nature: that’s our kind of luxury, and it shifts the soul in the best ways.
The Cabanas swimming pool
How do you help guests balance adventure with total stillness?
We listen closely on arrival and curate the stay around what each guest needs. Most love dipping into both: morning yoga, a beach run or wakeboarding, an afternoon massage, a sunset dhow cruise, and evening yin yoga. There’s a real sense of ease here, we shape the day around how guests feel.
Yoga at The Cabanas
If someone only had 24 hours at The Cabanas, what’s the one “hidden spot” they must see?
This year, we’re opening our deluxe family Cabana, Kailani, perched on the highest dune with unrivalled 360° views. But for many guests, the real magic is simpler: claiming a pool pod for the day, or a sunset sail aboard Kilindini, our handcrafted traditional dhow – a genuine tribute to Lamu’s history, and the moment most guests remember best.
Kilindini – Dhow
Your menu focuses on “sea-to-table” and local smallholder farmers. What dish best captures the flavour of Lamu?
Our pineapple teriyaki fish – The catch of the day, zinged up with tropical pineapple and lime zest from our orchard or Kipungani village, served with a fresh coconut from our own trees. It’s a tropical island in culinary form.
A sample of the fresh food on the menu
Alice and Maddy from our team have both stayed at The Cabanas and fell in love with the wonderfully relaxed pace of life, warm hospitality and genuine charm of the place. It’s the perfect bookend to your safari.
What next?
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