Changuu is a five-hectare speck of coral rag about 5 km north-west of Stone Town, and its history is a compressed version of the island’s own. In the 1860s an Arab trader used it to hold enslaved people. In 1893 the British built a prison there — which never received a prisoner. It became instead a quarantine station for yellow fever, and later a government rest house.
What draws visitors now is a gift: in the late nineteenth century the British governor of the Seychelles sent four Aldabra giant tortoises to Zanzibar. Their descendants live on Changuu still, a sanctuary of a hundred-plus animals, several of which carry painted ages well past a hundred years.
The island itself takes half an hour to walk. There is a small beach, a decent house reef off the jetty and a peacock or two. It is almost always combined with the Nakupenda sandbank in a single boat trip.
Top things to do at Prison Island (Changuu)
The tortoise sanctuary
A walled enclosure you walk into. The tortoises are entirely unbothered by people, and you can feed them leaves bought at the gate. The oldest have their estimated birth year painted on the shell.
The quarantine ruins
The prison-that-never-was and the yellow-fever hospital buildings still stand, roofless and overgrown, a short walk from the jetty. Nobody will interpret them for you unless you ask your guide to.
Snorkel off the jetty
The house reef is shallow and modest but perfectly good for an hour — plenty of small reef fish and easy entry from the beach. Most boat trips carry masks.
The forest walk
A short trail through coral-rag forest to the far side of the island, with a fine view back to Stone Town and a good chance of seeing Ader’s duiker and fruit bats.
How to get to Prison Island (Changuu)
- Boats leave from the beach in front of the Old Fort and Forodhani Gardens in Stone Town; the crossing takes 20–30 minutes.
- There is a park entry fee for the tortoise sanctuary, payable in cash on arrival. Most organised tours include it — check when booking.
- Almost every operator sells Changuu as a half or full day combined with the Nakupenda sandbank, which is far better value than the island alone.
Insider tips
- Go in the morning. Afternoon boats meet choppier water and the tortoises retreat into shade.
- The tortoises are old, wild-ish animals in a sanctuary — feeding them the provided leaves is fine, riding or sitting on them is not.
- Bring cash for the entry fee and something to drink; the island café is limited and pricey.
- Reef shoes help at the jetty, where the entry is over coral rubble.
Best tours & tickets for Prison Island (Changuu)
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to enjoy Prison Island (Changuu) and its surroundings:
Boat day trip from $42 Stone Town, Prison Island & Nakupenda Sandbank with BBQ
Nakupenda means “I love you” in Swahili, and the sandbank that appears offshore at low tide earns the name. Boat out to Prison Island for the tortoises, then anchor at the sandbar for snorkelling and a grilled seafood lunch.
- Swim off the Nakupenda sandbank at low tide
- Seafood BBQ served on the sand
- Century-old tortoises and the old quarantine station
Full-day classic from $55 Stone Town, Spice Farm & Prison Island with Lunch
The single best first day in Zanzibar. You get the history of Stone Town, the spice farms that gave the island its name and the giant tortoises of Prison Island in one well-paced day, with a Swahili lunch in between.
- Guided walk through UNESCO-listed Stone Town
- Taste and smell spices straight off the plant
- Aldabra giant tortoises on Changuu (Prison Island)
Where to stay near Prison Island (Changuu)
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See hotels & prices →Prison Island (Changuu) FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Prison Island if nobody was imprisoned there?
The British built a prison complex on Changuu in 1893, but it was never used to hold convicts. Before that the island had been used to detain enslaved people, and the prison buildings became a yellow-fever quarantine station instead. The name stuck.
How old are the tortoises?
The sanctuary’s oldest residents are estimated to be over 190 years old, and many carry a painted estimated birth year. They are Aldabra giant tortoises, descended from a gift from the Seychelles in the 1880s.
Is it worth visiting on its own?
Not really — the island takes about ninety minutes. It is much better as half of a boat day that also takes in the Nakupenda sandbank, which is how nearly every tour sells it.
