Prison Island & Giant Tortoises

Changuu is the island people call Prison Island. It was a quarantine station, not a long-term prison, and that history is worth hearing before the photographs. The reason most guests come is the giant Aldabra tortoises, descended from animals gifted from Seychelles, some of them decades old and a few much older. You walk among them on the grass. Do not sit on them or feed them. After the tortoises there is time to swim off the small beach. Snorkelling is possible when the water is clear; some days the sea is too stirred, and we say so.

Guide price: from USD 55 per person. Replace this number when you edit the trip.

Highlights

• Boat ride from Stone Town harbour
• Giant tortoises at close range, without handling them
• The old quarantine buildings and their story
• A swim, and a snorkel when the sea allows

Included

• Return boat
• Guide
• Island entrance
• Life jackets
• Snorkel gear when the sea is calm
• Stone Town pickup

Not included

• Lunch and drinks on the island
• Tips
• Towel
• Pickup outside Stone Town, unless added

Questions

Can we touch the tortoises?

No. Watch them, photograph them, and leave them to walk. The guide will show you where to stand.

Do we have to swim?

No. The beach is optional. Life jackets are on the boat for anyone who wants them.

How long is the boat?

About twenty to thirty minutes each way in normal weather. We do not cross if the harbour is rough.