Prison Island (Changuu Island), WW

Changuu Island, more commonly known as Prison Island, is a small island off the coast of Zanzibar. It's a short 20 minutes boat ride from Stone Town. It's a popular tourist destination, where people can see, feed, and pet the Giant Aldabra Tortoises. The tortoises were a gift from the British governor of Seychelles. They bred quickly, but then were illegally poached in the pet trade or eaten by the locals until protective measures were in place.


Prison Island was created to house insubordinate slaves, but it was never used for that reason. Slave traders/owners thought the locals could easily escape via swimming back to Stone Town. Instead, they used the island as a quarantine area for sick folks. The island has been modified for tourists and has a small snorkeling area. It is also a place to raise dik-diks and peafowl. $10 to $20 bucks can get you a roundtrip boat ride with a guide. You can walk most of the island minus some of the restricted areas, which were well-marked.