Private Guided Tour To Prison Island, Nakupenda Beach, Stone Town

Amina was a lovely guide! She was very knowledgeable about the history of Zanzibar. Stone Town was not itself as impressive to us as the history behind it. Prison Island and the beach cookout were also perfect. A great way to experience Zanzibar!

Mango Travel tour rep not very engaging, asked us what we wanted to know rather than 'selling' us the tour. Stone Town disappointing as all historic attractions allegedly closed for renovations ...so saw very little of what we expected to see. The boat rides were a bit like a fair ground rollercoaster...and without life jackets!...but the food and the visit to Nakupenda sandbank was a positive memorable experience

Pictures say one thousand words... We were so looking forward to our tour experience with Mango Tours. However, it was worse than what any paying customer should have to endure. ASIDE from the fact that the boat engine broke down leaving from Prison Island to Nakupenda Sand Bar, and a 10 minute trip took almost 90 minutes to reach the sand bar...hakuna matata at least we made it. Then they started setting up the lunch tent...and when we saw the disrepair of their tent and the table we were supposed to enjoy lunch on came, which appeared came from a local junkyard, we respectfully told our guide we wanted to return back immediately as we did not trust the quality of the food we were going to be served. Look at the pics...I'm sure any paying customer would agree. However, they ignored our wishes and kept setting up the tent and lighting the charcoals as if we were going to stay and eat under the shambles of their setup. Now we know this is Africa, but every other tent set up around us was beautiful. We looked like we payed for the no cost tour. But it was over $250!!!! They insisted on continuing setting up until we start enchanting no no no -- take us back. And all during this time they were laughing like little children. THEN they insisted on taking us back on the broken boat 😬🤐😠😧. We said absolutely no, and a fellow boat operator offered to lend them the boat to bring is back to Stone Town...and it took less than 10 minutes to arrive back!! When we departed the boat, we told our guide Amina that we cannot continue the tour as she completely disrespected us...and without apologizing, she just walked away, no apology. We ended up enjoying a wonderful lunch at Cape Town Fish Market at 3 pm, the same time our tour was supposed to continue until 5 pm. We enjoyed the rest of our day exploring safe Stone Town alone, and found out own transportation back to our hotel. For anyone reding this review, please know this Tour Agency should not exist given the extremely nonexistent customer service they offered. STAY AWAY from MANGO TOURS at all cost. P.S. when we were stranded on the water heading to the sand bar from Prison Island, they tried to reach the tour agency with no avail. No one answered! Good thing our boat was not capsized!!

We were so looking forward to this tour experience today. However, it was worse than what any paying customer should ever have to endure. ASIDE from the fact that the boat engine broke down leaving from Prison Island to Nakupenda Sand Bar, and a 10 minute trip took almost 90 minutes to reach the sand bar...hakuna matata at least we made it. Then they started setting up the lunch tent...and when we saw the disrepair of their tent (torn, with holes, and filthy) and the table we were supposed to enjoy lunch on appeared came from a local junkyard, we respectfully told our guide we wanted to return back immediately as at this point we did not trust the quality of the food we were going to be served. Look at the pics...I'm sure any paying customer would agree. However, they ignored our repeated requests to leave and kept setting up the tent and lighting the charcoals as if we were going to stay and eat under the shambles of their setup. Now we know this is Africa, but every other tent set up around us was beautiful. We looked like we payed for the no cost tour. But this tour cost us over $250!!!! They insisted on continuing setting up until we start enchanting no no no -- take us back. And all during this time they were mocking the situation and laughing like little children. THEN they insisted on taking us back -- on the broken boat 😬🤐😠😧. We said absolutely no, ESPECIALLY SINCE SAFETY WAS AT STAKE. Finally a fellow boat operator approached us and offered to lend them their boat to bring is back to Stone Town...and it took less than 10 minutes to arrive back!! When we departed the boat, we told our guide that we cannot continue the tour as she completely disrespected us...and without apologizing, she just walked away, no apology. Now we are sitting at Cape Town Fish Market about to enjoy a wonderful lunch on our own at 3 pm, the same time our tour was supposed to continue until 5 pm. We will enjoy the rest of our day exploring safe Stone Town alone, and will find out own transportation back to our hotel. We will not mention the tour guides name out of respect, but this Tour Agency should not exist given the extremely nonexistent customer service they offered. STAY AWAY from MANGO TOURS at all cost. P.S. when we were stranded on the water heading to the sand bar from Prison Island, they tried to reach the tour agency with no avail. No one answered! Good thing out boat was not capsized!! P.P.S. we never had a bad but experience on the many tours we have taken through Viator and expect we will be refunded for this terrible experience. Hopefully no one will have to endure such an experience like we had today.

It was a perfect day trip for a family. Lots of stunning views, great guide, and a relaxed trip with no rush and time to explore on our own. Seafood lunch was perfect with fries, calamari, kingfish, prawns, octopus, shrimps, lobster and fruits. Loved the swim and lunch at sand island and second part of trip to prison island and stone town. Driver did a good job on picking us up from Mora hotel and brought us back before the sun down. Overall great value for the price!

An amazing experience with a great guide Amina which gave all the meaningful insights to the historical and cultural aspects of Zanzibar, Stone Town and Prison Island. It was a trully amazing experience!

Recommended tour: I visited many interesting places in one day with a good sea food lunch at the beach. Special thanks to the guide Amina and the driver Simba!

A long day of not very much! Too long looking at doors in Stone island. Very commercial on beach. Poor boat. Prison island very tired and disappointing. Nice guide and taxi driver but tour too long and poor

This was a great tour and the perfect way to hit the top attractions in Zanzibar! Our guide and a driver were able to pick up and drop off from Kendwa. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and excellent at communicating what we’d be doing and what to expect each step of the way. The three sites we visited were all very different and interesting. We never felt rushed at any of the sites. We’d highly recommend taking this tour if you’re visiting Zanzibar!

Absolutely brilliant tour at Prison Island, Nakupenda Beach and Stone Town. Our guide Ibrahim was fantastic, really accommodating, and knowledgeable about Stone Town, Prison Island and Zanzibar in general. We were able to spend as long as we wanted in each place and ask any questions, as well as focus the tour more on what we wanted to do. Nakupenda Beach was a real highlight - an amazing lunch cooked by our 2 boat drivers who were fantastic throughout the day. One of the best excursions I’ve been on - worth every penny!

We had for our guide Ibrahim, driver simba and 2 boat captians Khamid idi & kama kawaida and they were PHENOMENAL! We had the absolute BEST time and learned so much. They were so knowledgeable, accommodating and considerate. I really enjoyed our Zanzibar tour and when we come back we want the same team over and over again. Feels like we have a family here with them.

Amina was our tour guide and she was amazing. She was very knowledgeable, welcoming, and enthusiastic about each experience. The boat captain and his assistant were also very nice and cooked us the best lunch! Highly recommend!

I had a wonderful experience on the Private Guided Tour to Prison Island, Nakupenda Beach, and Stone Town. The destinations were breathtaking, and the overall excursion was well-organized and memorable. Although the price felt a bit high, especially for what was advertised as a solo tour, I ended up sharing the experience with another guest who turned out to be lovely company. Ibrahim was an excellent tour guide, and my driver, Khamis, was punctual and a delightful companion throughout the tour. Despite this, I highly recommend this tour, it was truly a beautiful and enriching experience!

We were very fortunate and grateful to have had this trip delivered by the brilliant duo of Amena and Jigga Boy. They both had a great entertaining rapport between them, and made us feel relaxed and safe immediately. The vehicle was clean & comfortable - Jigga boy was a great, friendly & confident driver. Amena is a real credit to herself profession and made our day feel extra special. The tour overall was very interesting and had a real variety of experiences to it - from the joy and bliss on the beautiful Nakupenda sandbank to the hustle and bustle of culture in Stone town to learning of the dark history of slavery both here and on prison island. With this we felt such peace and happiness with the giant tortoises! With the experience, the food prepared for us on Nakupenda was so delicious! If you are able to book this tour then it won’t disappoint and if through booking you get Amena as your guide like we did, you’ve hit the jackpot. Her knowledge, personable adaptable nature, humour and confidence in delivery makes her a premier guide!

We had an amazing day with our guide Amina on Nakupenda Beach, Prison Island and Stone Town. Amina was very friendly and provided lots of good information. The driver Rashid was also super nice and watched our luggage during the trip.

The trip was really nice, but not so much to see in Stone town as most of the landmarks are under renovation (Old fort, House of wonders etc). Prison Island was good and the tortoise sanctuary is something to see. Nakupenda Sand bank is amazing: clear water and white sand. There was also seafood lunch prepared in front you and it's super tasty. My guide, Mr. P was hepfull although he is still new in the business. Overall a nice experience but a little bit overrated. I would say real price is max 100 USD.

We had a great tour guide and her name is Amina. She was very informed about the history of prison Island, professional and patient. We also had a great cheerful driver name Abdul. His name name Simba. He offered to be our DJ as well. We really enjoyed our tour and it was fun being with them.

What an incredible experience! Amina was such an intelligent and friendly guide who made my experience so unique and special! Our driver who was known as Simba was brilliant getting us to each of the places! I came as a solo female and I felt very safe and had a brilliant time! Thank you Amina for showing me all around stone town and prison island! This excursion is not one you want to miss, worth every penny :) thank you!

We had a full and delightful day visiting wonderful places with the guide Ibrahim and the driver Abdul (Simba). We started with Prisoners' Island where we learned the history of the place and could admire the beautiful giant turtles. Then we arrived at Nakupenda beach where we had time for the beach and swimming. Also here a delicious seafood lunch was prepared for us. We returned on land to Stone Town where we saw Freddy Mercury's house and visited the central bazaar where we had time for shopping. We were shown the constructive styles of the houses from the perspective of the civilizations that left their mark on the place (Arabs and Indians). The walk ended in the city's main square, where we were picked up by car to the hotel. Recommended 100%. Nicolae Daniel Radu & Eduard Petre from Bucharest-Romania.

Nakupenda beach is exceptional, really amazing. Prison island with turtles was poorly interesting. We visit Stone town really fast, less than an hour. Our guide was a kind young man. Kind but nearly mute…

Our Guide Abas Y. Kassim from Zan Mango Tours did an amazing job. We enjoyed the whole day, he explained everything in german and also knew the best german Schlager songs. He gave us all the time to enjoy the tour and told us the history behind everything. Best tourguide in Zanzibar.

Be sure to ask specifically for Ibrahim to lead you through your Zanzibar day tour. His exceptional knowledge, communication skills, good nature and wonderful sense of humour will make all the world’s difference in how you see this magnificent island. From Stone Town to the Spice farms, and onto Prison Island for some of the most spectacular views of the Indian Ocean, Ibrahim brings insight to deepen all of these experiences. Abraham is also connected to drivers and boat captains who are highly skilled and have your safety top of mind, so you’re open to simply observe and soak in all the wonders that await you.

This tour is a must do as allowing you to see the best spots of Zanzibar in one day. It starts at Prison island where you can see huge tortoises, following by the relaxing time in Nakupenda beach with lovely sea food for lunch, ending with the historical part and walk around the Stone town. The guide Abbas was amazing and was giving information about the island and its history throughout the whole duration of the tour!

Stone Town was very good at the slave museum we was given a guide from there that was very informative . Did not think much of prisoner island,was not really told enough information about the history. Lunch on the sandbanks was very tasty

Giga is the very good guy he loves Everything that he is doing and also he is responsible for any thing that you need he has the good experience he is charming and trust he is bigger and strong in the company

I had a wonderful time, tour guide was very polite & knowledgeable. I will definitely recommend. Experience will be for a lifetime what a beautiful rich cultured island.

We had an amazing day with our driver Abdul and our guide Ibrahim, they were very polite and funny, they made the day very special despite the weather being so rainy. Ibrahim is a young guide but he is very knowledgeable and kind, I hope he gets to develop further in his fantastic career! Ps: Food was very delicious!!!

The whole tour was wonderful. Our guide Hassan was excellent and very friendly. The lunch at the beach was very relaxing.

During my recent trip to Zanzibar organized by this company, I had a mixed experience that fell short of expectations. The tour took place during heavy rainfall, and unfortunately, there was a lack of clear communication regarding the weather conditions and the option to reschedule or cancel due to safety concerns. The decision to proceed with the tour despite the heavy rain made it challenging and unsafe, causing discomfort as we were not adequately prepared for such weather conditions. The tour guide, albeit friendly and helpful, was unequipped to handle the rain, leaving us waiting for a significant amount of time under inadequate shelter until the rain subsided. This delay impacted the overall experience, limiting our ability to enjoy and explore as anticipated. The visit to the Spicy Market also fell short, as I encountered unexpectedly inflated charges, seemingly influenced by connections of the tour guide. There were positive aspects, such as the delicious food provided and the commendable English-speaking abilities of the team. However, these were overshadowed by the adverse weather conditions and certain disappointing aspects of the tour, leading to a less than satisfactory experience. Although the team's effort and the guide's language skills were appreciated, the overall tour failed to meet my expectations due to safety concerns, unexpected additional charges, and the inability to enjoy the tour due to the heavy rain. There's room for improvement in ensuring better communication and preparedness in adverse weather conditions. I hope that these points are taken constructively to enhance the overall experience for future travelers.

It was great! Rahima was a very happy and overall great guide for this day. She made us laugh, and had a good knowledge of all the historical information.

Guide in Stone City, Hassan was great guide, he is excellent talker, knows history very well and introduces very interesting way. Highly recommend him. The tour also was enjoyable and it is one of the best things to do of you have limited days

We loved our day with Ally and team. He’s was so friendly and sweet and knowledgeable. And the turtles!! And the barbecue!! Amazing!!!

We had a great time, especially at Nakupenda. We had the best tour guide, Hazam. He made the tour and attended to all our needs and requests. Thank you so much Hazam.

We met Mango in November during the holiday in the east of the island of Zanzibar. Great hike, prepared guide, friendly, definitely recommended.

A great experience on Prison island, Nakupenda Beach and Stone Town. The sandbar is breathtaking, just beautiful in the middle of the ocean. The turtles were ao big and we took many photos. The Hasan is very nice and has told us many stories in Stone Town and speaks super German. A big thank you.

Superb day spent with our guide who spoke perfect French and our driver! Visiting the Prison Island and its giant turtles was our favorite. After a seafood barbecue on the Nakupenda sandbar, we reached Stone Town where our guide explained to us with great detail & anecdotes the history of slavery in Zanzibar. Really unmissable activity!

Very important things to know they give you no lifejackets and it's small boats that go very fast the rapas is succulent

Vi hade bästa guiden, Amina från mangotravel. Underbar och duktig tjej. Rekommenderas verkligen. Ovanligt med tjejer som guider.

Excellente journée avec un barbecue aux fruits de mer et une baignade très agréable sur cette île de sable blanc..

Thank you Ibrahim for your explanations and sympathy. The organization of the day was perfect. What wonderful sites to discover!

Très bon moment cette activité est passionnant si on veut découvrir l'histoire de zanzibar et voir les Tortues centenaire

Magnifique journée en compagnie du guide francophone Charisma ! Excellent niveau en français et beaucoup de connaissances partagées. Seul bémol, l’oubli des équipements de snorkling inclus dans notre pack (nous n’avons pas pu observer les coraux …)

Día completo que comenzó con hora y media de camino desde el hotel hasta Stone Town. Allí nos encontramos con nuestro guía Saleh que hablaba muy bien nuestro idioma. Nos contó muchas cosas interesantes. Primero fuimos a Isla Prisión, luego Nakupenda en la que pudimos hacer un snorkel genial, comer rico y bañarnos. Después de comer volvimos a Stone Town para visita a la ciudad. Gracias a Saleh por este día ✅

Excelente Tour com o Kimba o Guia que não me lembro do nome e o capitão da embarcação. A visita à ilha da prisão com as tartarugas enormes é fantástica e o almoço feito pelo capitão numa ilha de areia foi incrivelmente fantástico 🙏 A visita à Stones town foi excelente para completar este tour pelo mercado e passagem para casa onde nasceu Fredy Mercury! 👌👏

Tout était parfait ! Merci à Ibrahim notre guide français ! Nous avons appris pas mal de choses sur l’histoire de Zanzibar, l’île Prison, stone tone, Nakupenda. Vous pouvez réserver les yeux fermés.

Great trip alone with a German-speaking guide. Swimming in the crystal-clear water with a great seafood platter for lunch

Tour tres complet et notre guide Karisma,qui parlait français,nous a fait partager ses connaissances Nous avons passé un super moment avec les tortues et le banc de sable etait paradisiaque Superbe visite de stone town aussi poignante que coloree Super journee

Merveilleuse journée avec Charisma un guide bienveillant et qui transmet sa passion pour sa ville avec beaucoup d enthousiasme. Quelques arrêts en plus pour goûter la canne à sucre, les bananes rouges et les fruits de baobab. On a vraiment apprécié ces petites attentions. A recommander sans problème !

Superbe expérience guide très sympa parlant bien le français et ayant donné de bonnes explications - belle surprise du déjeuner improbable du plateau de langoustes au milieu d un Lagon perdu dans l océan au top - petit regret de ne pas avoir eu de matériel de snorkling … sinon tout était parfait