PRISON ISLAND ZANZIBAR
Prison Island, also known as Changu island, is one of the most visited landmarks in Zanzibar. Just a few minutes by boat from Stone Town’s port, this small island is not only a rich historical site but boasts a beautiful scenery of white sand Zanzibar type of beaches with heavenly like waters brimming with marine life. The island is also home to a colony of Aldabra Tortoises.
In this article I will share with you all you need to know to prepare your Prison island tour, either by yourself or with a group. Let’s jump into the juicy stuff.
ABOUT PRISON ISLAND ZANZIBAR
Prison Island in Zanzibar is a tiny island located very closed to Stone Town. The island dimensions are 800 meters long and 230 meters wide and in this small area it is home to plenty of things to do during your visit to the island.
The island has three different names:
Changuu island: The island receives the name of Changuu island due to the high amount of Changuu fish that fisherman catch for eating around the island.
Prison island: This is the most used name for the island nowadays. The name originates in the initial intention of the British governor of Zanzibar who purchased the island and was planning to turn it into a prison.
The island was in fact used as a prison for rebellious slaves for a very short time. The island later become a quarantine area for yellow fever cases and some people call it also Quarantine island.
Kibandiko: This name appears in old maps of the island but is not longer used nowadays.
PRISON ISLAND ZANZIBAR TURTLES
Prison island is not only a tourist resort to learn about the history and enjoy the island beaches. The island is home to a sanctuary of Aldabra tortoises, that are one of the longest living creatures in the world. The oldest tortoise in Changuu is 196 years old.
The Aldabra tortoises are endemic to the Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles. The Aldabra governor gave away four to Zanzibar in the 18th century.
The turtles population grew until they reached around 200 in number and at that time some people started stealing them for eating or to sell them as pets.
With the Aldabra turtles being on the “endangered list” the tortoises had to be moved to the island and the place which primary purpose was being a prison became a sanctuary.
At the moment there are around 100 of them in a area surrounded by trees and muddy puddles where they tortoises can sleep.
You can enter the sanctuary and interact with the turtles when visiting Prison island. Of course following the rules to preserve these adorable creatures
WHERE IS PRISON ISLAND ZANZIBAR
The island is located just 15 minutes boat ride from Stone Town, around 5,5 km.
Find here a pin with the island location
HOW TO GET THERE
The only way to get there is by boat and you can just walk around Stone Town harbor and many people will offer you to charter a boat for you. This can be a good option if you want just to experience the island at your own pace and your budget allows. The price you will get asked is high and negotiable. Bargaining is the day to day in Tanzania and it is a very big part of the Tanzanian culture so you will very rarely get asked the right price at first.
There is a public boat that the local people use that you can take in front of the “Dhow music academy” but these boats do not have a fixed schedule so you need to wait until the boat gets full and it can be pretty uncomfortable as local people usually carry goods that they sell in the island. I do not recommend this option as it can end up in a long waiting making you waste precious time of your stay in Zanzibar.
The best option if you are for a short time in Zanzibar is to take a Prison Island Zanzibar tour.
PRISON ISLAND TOUR
Most Prison Island Tours are whole day tours that also include a visit to Nakupenda beach, a stunning sandbank island very close to Changuu island. However you can choose to only to do the Prison island tour and that is possible.
If you walk around the maze of streets in Stone Town you can find several local travel agents that will sell you the tour. This is a good option if you have enough time and energy for bargaining. If not you can always book a tour on line.
You can also charter a boat and do a self guided tour through the island.
THINGS TO DO IN PRISON ISLAND
Visit the quarantine, prison building: The quarantine building is now a cafe restaurant where you can take a break and drink a beer or a coffee while you walk around the island.
Feed the Prison island turtles: The Aldabra tortoises guardians can sell you a type of lettuce that the tortoises eat and you can feed them once. They cannot eat a lot, that is why you will be allowed to only give them one leaf.
Watch the peacocks: There are several peacocks around the island and if you stick around long enough you will be able to see them with the tail open.
Walk at the beach: There are several beaches in Prison Island Zanzibar and a walk at the beach in the middle of your visit can be a very nice break
Go Snorkeling: The coral reef around the island is brimming with marine life. You can though not snorkel from the shore so you need to ask your boat to drop you at the nearby reef for this purpose.
Watch the sunset: I stayed until sunset time in Prison Island and the view was pretty spectacular. If you have time I would recommend to arrange a tour that will stay until sunset time.
Drink a beer: There is a nice bar in what it was the Prison area before and you can have a nice fresh Tanzanian beer while enjoying the views. Beers are quite pricey though as they need to bring them by boat to the island.
Spend the night: There is a lodge in the island and you can spend the night here. I did not do this but I guess it must be a very nice experience to wake up early in the morning and visit the Prison island turtles before all the tourists arrive.
PRISON ISLAND FAQs
CAN YOU SWIM IN PRISON ISLAND?
Yes, you can swim in Prison island. In fact it is a very nice swimming spot. The water is crystal clear and swimming can be a perfect break during your visit to other areas of the island.
WHO OWNS PRISON ISLAND?
The government owns Prison island and it charges an entry fee to tourists for conservation purposes.
IS PRISON ISLAND ZANZIBAR WORTH A VISIT?
Yes, Prison island is very worth a visit. I really loved the place so much that I requested the tour I was going with to
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Your site is great and I plan on exploring it even more in the future. It is well written.It was a great article, thanks for sharing!
I am very glad you liked the article and happy to have you back on the site in the future. Enjoy your travels:-)