Prison Island, known as Changuu in Swahili, is a small island near Stone Town. Its main attraction is the colony of Aldabra giant tortoises, but you’ll also see historic buildings and a small beach.

In my view, Prison Island is a pleasant half-day trip, not a place I’d travel all the way across Zanzibar for. It makes the most sense if you’re staying in Stone Town or as part of a full-day boat trip to Nakupenda Sandbank.

Compare trips to Prison Island

Is Prison Island worth a visit?

I’d recommend the island to families with children, animal lovers and travellers who want to escape the bustling streets of Stone Town for a few hours. The boat trip itself takes only about 20 to 30 minutes.

People mainly visit Prison Island for:

• the giant tortoises of the Aldabra Atoll
• a brief tour of the historic buildings
• the views of Stone Town and the surrounding sea
• swimming or a spot of snorkelling, depending on the weather and the tide

In my opinion, there aren’t enough activities here to fill a whole day. A typical visit to the island takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, not including time spent on the beach. If you want to swim and relax for longer, choose a combined trip with Nakupenda.

A prison that was never a prison

The English name refers to a prison, which, however, never existed here. The island served solely as a transhipment point for slaves.

Following the abolition of the slave trade, the British built a building here in 1894 that was intended to serve as a prison, but ultimately functioned only as a quarantine facility during a yellow fever epidemic.

Today, the ‘prison’ building houses several souvenir shops, a restaurant and a small museum (accessible free of charge, or included in the island’s entrance fee).

In front of the prison building, you can have your photo taken with the sign reading ‘"I love ZNZ" ’.

Aldabra giant tortoises

In 1919, four giant tortoises from the Aldabra Atoll were brought to Changuu from the Seychelles.

They gradually multiplied, but in the second half of the 20th century their numbers declined significantly due to theft and illegal trade. Today they live in a protected enclosure, through which a visitor walkway runs.

Some of the tortoises are over 100 years old, and their age is usually marked by a number on their shell.

However, the exact number of animals and the details regarding the oldest tortoise vary across different sources, so I would not present them as definitive facts in this article.

You can observe the tortoises up close and, in accordance with the on-site rules, feed them the leaves provided. Do not sit on them, lift them up or touch their heads. If there is a large crowd around any of the animals, please wait or move on to another part of the enclosure.

Beach, swimming and snorkelling

There is a small sandy beach on the island, the size of which is significantly affected by the tides. When conditions are right, you can swim here, and some tours also include a short snorkelling session.

However, I wouldn’t choose Prison Island as a primary destination for beach days or snorkelling. The sea can be choppy due to boat traffic, and the marine life isn’t as abundant as at Mnemba Atoll. A combination trip with Nakupenda offers better swimming.

A separate trip, or Prison Island combined with Nakupenda?

Prison Island only

The standalone boat trip takes a total of 2 to 3 hours and is ideal if you only have half a day in Stone Town or are mainly interested in turtles and history.

When booking, check whether the price includes entry to the island, a guide, snorkelling equipment and any hotel transfer. With cheaper offers, the entry fee is often charged separately.

Prison Island and Nakupenda Sandbank

The full-day combination tour lasts around 5 to 7 hours. After visiting the turtles, you’ll continue on to Nakupenda, where you’ll have more time for swimming, sunbathing and a fish or seafood lunch.

I would choose this option for a first visit to Zanzibar. The trip is more varied and combines history, wildlife and the beach all in one day. We provide details in a separate guide to Nakupenda Sandbank.

How to get there – admission and fees

There are no regular ferries to Prison Island; you can mainly get there as part of organised boat trips, all of which start in Stone Town – usually at the Livingston restaurant near theTembo B&B Apartments.

There are dozens of agencies in Stone Town offering guided boat trips, including the option of being picked up from other resorts and beaches across Zanzibar.

All trips can be booked almost exclusively via getyourguide.com, which features all of Zanzibar’s travel agencies.

The price of the trip does not usually include the entry fee for the Prison Island Nature Reserve, which is 60 000 tzs / 22 usd. You pay this fee in cash on the spot to the guide, who will accompany you throughout the trip.

The actual prices and durations of the trips vary depending on the specific agency and itinerary. As a rough guide, you should expect the following amounts:

• Prison Island only (2–3 hours) – from 35 usd
• Prison Island + Nakupenda Sandbank with lunch (5–6 hours) – from 65 usd

Compare trip prices on getyourguide.com

Whilst it is possible to visit Prison Island independently, this is only possible after negotiating the price for the boat trip directly on the beach; however, this is likely to be more expensive than a pre-organised trip booked via getyourguide.com.

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