Published on Mar, 2023
We did a combined experience of the Stone Town Tour, Prison Island, and Nakupenda Island.
We arranged our tour through our resort. So, before even meeting Issa, who accompanied us on the tour, he reached out to make sure all of the details of our requests were accurate. We left very early (7am) because we wanted to avoid the crowd at Nakupenda Island and Prison Island.
He arrived on time and explained what we should expect throughout the day. Everything went according to plan.
We learned so much about Portuguese and Arab colonization as well as the current social and political culture of the combined Tanganyika and Zanzibar Island. We began our journey with Prison Island where we fed the protected Aldabra tortoises.
We had an amazing time swimming and sunbathing at Nakupenda and I found a beautiful cover up and reasonably priced souvenirs to bring back. My favorite part was the beach barbecue. There was an assortment of fish, shrimp, lobster, calamari, octopus and fries. In addition, we had a tray of fresh watermelon, pineapple, coconut and bananas. We'd inquired about cocktails during the trip, and he surprised us with a bottle of Tanzanian Konyagi and prepared mixed drinks for us to enjoy with our meal. We swam, we ate, we napped and then we enjoyed the short boat trip back to Stone town for our walking tour.
We were very interested in the tour, but tired from the long day of activities so we requested a condensed tour and to end at the market to purchase some items to bring home. Issa accommodated us, and it was a comfortable walk "Pole Pole (slowly slowly)" making our way back to our transportation.
We were so happy with our experience that we confirmed another tour to Baraka natural aquarium for the following day to see the sea turtles there. Seth, our guide, also took us to Kendwa beach where we relaxed on the northern coast and most beautiful beaches on the island.
As an added bonus I discovered new Tanzanian artist during our trips, whose music I have been listening to since I returned home.
On my next trip to Zanzibar, I will be reaching out to Crystal Tours to experience a safari on the mainland.
My first trip to Zanzibar and any place in Africa was enhanced by the professionalism and service offered. Thank you!