Aldabra tortoises
Some over a century old.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0
A small green island off Stone Town, about twenty to thirty minutes away by boat. It is called Prison Island because a prison was built here in 1893, but it was never used as one; instead it became a quarantine station for travellers arriving in Zanzibar. Its best-known residents today are giant Aldabra tortoises, a gift to Zanzibar from the Seychelles in 1919, which still live here in a fenced sanctuary, some of them more than a hundred years old. You can feed them leaves and wander quietly among them. Around the island are coral reefs and clear water for swimming and snorkelling, with a small sandy beach on its edge. The old prison building still stands and now houses a café and restaurant. Entry is about USD 4 per visitor guides, and the boat is a separate fare agreed with the boatmen on the Stone Town beach. It is an excellent trip for families and children.
Some over a century old.
Over the reefs.
Never used as a prison.
About 5 km north-west of Stone Town, by boat
By boat from the Stone Town beach in about twenty to thirty minutes; agree the fare with the boatman before setting off.