A boat day combining Prison Island's giant Aldabra tortoise sanctuary with a swim and seafood lunch on the shifting Nakupenda sandbank -- two of the most photographed short trips from Stone Town.
Prison Island (Changuu) was built as a quarantine station in the 1890s and never held prisoners -- today its main residents are giant Aldabra tortoises, some more than 100 years old, gifted from Seychelles. A short boat ride away, Nakupenda is a sandbank that appears and disappears with the tide, big enough for not much more than a picnic table and turquoise water on all sides.
Short boat crossing from Stone Town to Prison Island, arriving at the old quarantine buildings.
Visit the giant Aldabra tortoise sanctuary, then snorkel the reef just offshore if conditions allow.
Continue by boat to the Nakupenda sandbank for a fresh seafood barbecue lunch and swimming in shallow, clear water.
Relaxed boat ride back to Stone Town harbour as the tide shifts.
Short, self-contained experiences that pair well with any safari or climb.
What guests usually ask before booking this excursion.
Nakupenda is tide-dependent -- it's largest and driest at low tide and can shrink or partly submerge at high tide, so departure times are planned around the tide table.
Yes -- the sandbank shallows are calm and comfortable for wading, and snorkelling at Prison Island is optional.
Several of the giant Aldabra tortoises are estimated to be over a century old, originally brought from Seychelles as a gift in the 19th century.
Add Prison Island and Nakupenda to your Zanzibar itinerary, or enquire about it as a standalone day out.
