After much thought and planning (and 10 year's successful experience with many other tortoise species,) we bought a two-month-old hatchling Aldabra in Daytona in August 2003. Then, in December of last year, we added a two-year-old from a guy in Pennsylvania who decided he had jumped in too quickly, particularly given his area's long cold season.
So, we've been Aldabra keepers for about 16 months or so, and all of this with just two, still quite small examples. And, we're in the coastal plain of South Carolina, so we have excellent 24-hr. outdoor weather, generally mid-April to
mid-October. Even when they later have to go up in the tortoise barn at night, there are usually five or six hours of OK temps. for outside daytimes for most of the rest of the year. Late December to early March is when we're really temperature challenged for these tropical beasts, and that just means more work, more mangement, and more money (proper heating, lighting and indoors room.)
The point is, this isn't a difficult species at all, if you're in a tropical climate with plenty of well-secured outdoor area.
We have the area, but we only have a percentage of the needed climate and that, in our experience, determines the difficulty.
I'm more enthused now than the day we bought our first little fellow, and wouldn't give them up for anything. They're just super beasts. But, for someone who's just enthralled with the idea of owning a giant tortoise and how cool they think that must be, there's a good likelihood that the infatuation will wane as the real work kicks in - or, worse yet, the tortoise may just suffer from lack of proper husbandry.
Nothing against our snake-keeping fellow herp hobbyists, but lots of those guys decide at some point that having few tortoises is a cool deal, and just aren't prepared for what's required to meet the needs of a tortoise. There's no slapping these guys in a sweater box and tossin' 'em a mouse every couple weeks.
I, like Ed, am all for keeping the fun in tortoise keeping, but this needs to be carefully thought out, with particular attention to climate, resources, and commitment over the very long haul.
We fully realize we haven't even begun yet as our older guy is only about 15 lbs. We do, however, own a 70 pound, "bull" sulcata who is more than a handful. Hard to imagine what it will be like with the Aldabras at, perhaps, four to six times that weight, even with their more shy personalities. But we know that, have (hopefully) thought it through, and are ready.
Only you can answer whether you are. Good luck!
Ed