Matondoni, on the western side of Lamu Island, is the centre of dhow-building on the Kenyan coast. The boats — the small lateen-rigged jahazi and the larger mtepe-derived ngalawa — are still built here by hand, plank by plank, with techniques unchanged since the 19th century.
You can walk to Matondoni across the island (a hot 2.5-hour hike through the bush) or take a dhow round the coast (an hour or so each way). On arrival, ask for the boat-builders' yards and you will be shown around for a small tip. It is a working village, not a tourist site, and that is part of its charm.