Prison Island and Nakupenda Sandbank Trip with Lunch

Prison Island (Changuu), a short boat ride from Stone Town

Prison Island lies a few kilometres north-west of Stone Town, and the wooden boat takes roughly twenty to thirty minutes to reach its jetty. The island is officially called Changuu. In 1893 a prison was built here, yet it never held a single prisoner: the British administration turned it into a quarantine station for yellow fever cases arriving from the mainland instead. The long low buildings with their arched verandas still stand, shaded by old trees.

The reason most people visit Prison Island today is the colony of Aldabra giant tortoises, a gift from the governor of the Seychelles in 1919. Some of the animals are over a century old and weigh as much as a grown man; their ages are painted on their shells. You walk among them inside the sanctuary, feed them leaves and take photos, then there is time for the small beach and the reef. Plan about an hour on the island before the boat moves on.

Snorkelling on the Prison Island reef

The shallow reef on the Stone Town side of Prison Island is the easiest snorkelling spot near the city, which is why this Prison Island tour from Stone Town is popular with first-timers. The water is usually calm in the morning, the coral starts a few metres from the sand and you drift over parrotfish, butterflyfish, sea urchins and the odd starfish without needing to swim far. Masks and fins are on the boat, so you only need swimwear and a towel.

If you prefer not to snorkel, the beach is pleasant for a swim or for sitting in the shade watching the dhows pass. The crew keep an eye on the tide and the light, so the time spent here depends slightly on the day. The best time to visit Prison Island for clear water is the dry season from June to October and again from late December to February, when visibility is at its best and the sea is flat.

Nakupenda sandbank, white sand in the middle of the sea

Nakupenda means "I love you" in Swahili, and the name fits. The sandbank is a crescent of brilliant white sand about twenty minutes by boat from Prison Island, lying off the western coast between Stone Town and the open channel. There are no trees, no buildings and no shade except the simple umbrellas the crew set up, just sand, warm turquoise shallows on one side and a deeper blue drop on the other. At low tide the bank is wide enough to stroll along; as the tide rises it shrinks, which is part of its charm.

This is where the day slows down. You swim, float, snorkel over the sandy edge or simply lie in the shallows while the crew light the barbecue. Nakupenda is often called the best beach near Stone Town, and a Nakupenda sandbank trip is on most lists of things to do in Zanzibar. Expect to spend two to three hours here, including lunch, which is the longest stop of the day.

Seafood barbecue lunch on the sand

Lunch is cooked on the sandbank over charcoal while you swim: grilled fish, octopus or prawns depending on the catch, with rice, salad and tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple, watermelon and passion fruit. Bottled water and soft drinks are included. If you do not eat seafood, grilled chicken or a vegetarian plate can be prepared, but you must tell us when you book so the crew bring the right ingredients to the sandbank.

Eating with your feet in the sand, with Stone Town a thin line on the horizon, is the memory most guests take away from this Prison Island and Nakupenda tour with lunch. After the meal there is time for a last swim before the boat heads back to the Stone Town waterfront, where our driver is waiting to return you to your hotel in the afternoon.

Stone Town waterfront, where the boat departs

The boat leaves from the beach in front of the Old Fort and Forodhani Gardens, the heart of the UNESCO-listed Stone Town. Even if you are staying on the north or east coast, this gives you a glimpse of the old city: the seventeenth-century fort built by Omani Arabs, the former sultan's palace along the seafront and the dhows moored in the harbour. If you are booked with hotel pickup, our driver brings you here from anywhere on the island; from the north coast allow about an hour and a quarter each way.

Those staying in Stone Town can choose the meeting-point version and walk to the beach in a few minutes. Whichever option you take, the boat normally sets off between nine and ten in the morning, when the sea is calmest, and returns in mid-afternoon, leaving the rest of the day free for the alleys and the sunset over the harbour.