The Zanzibar Archipelago is as mystic, beautiful and serene today as it has been for centuries. Zanzibar, a happy mix of Africa and Arabia; Noel Coward sang about it in the 1930s, Dr. Livingstone used it as an expedition base and it was the birth place of Freddy Mercury. The turquoise waters and white sands with the sun glinting off tin roofed residences.

Zanzibar is the second largest island on the East African coast and it’s roughly about the size of Hertfordshire in UK, being about 53 miles long by 21 miles broad and having and area of 640 sq miles. It is situated in latitude 6 degrees south, longitude 39 degrees East, and it is separated from the African Continent by a channel 22 ½ miles across at its narrow part. Zanzibar Island is distant 135 miles from Mombassa, 45 miles from Dar es Salaam, 1,607 from Durban ( South Africa) and 6,764 from London.

The winding narrow streets in Stone Town, classified as World Cultural Heritage, with ancient buildings, superb balconies, amazing sculptured doors, mosques, ancient palaces, Livingstone’s house, the House of Wonders (the first building with electricity and an elevator in the whole of East Africa)…

Just off Zanzibar, a superlative land of beach of bush with a view of Stone Town: Prison Island meets the Stone Town; Zanzibar will never be the same again.

Prison Island, once a Quarantine Station, is a heaven for rare bird species and Aldabra Giant tortoises, with 27 stunning sea facing beds, a magnificent restoration project done by the owners of these islands, reclaiming a block of 19th century colonial building and adding other new cottages in the local architecture style.

The white sandy beaches of Prison Island, the dense forest and the splendor of the graceful dhows fishing at night draws foreigners and frequent tourists that come on excursion alike to Zanzibar year after year.

In this Paradise Island, 3 ½ miles away from the mainland Zanzibar, the management often recommends to their guests to arrive wearing a swimming costume or a bikini; once you have landed on the island, the dream has just begun.

Changuu is a small island with an intense history.

The importance of Changuu in the History of Zanzibar can be today seen through its different names: Changuu is its original name, which in Kiswahili is the name of a common fish in these waters.

In the 1860s, the uninhabited island was given by the Sultan Seyyid Majid to two Arabs, who used it as a detention centre for rebel slaves. In 1893, when Zanzibar had become a British Protectorate, the First Minister, General Sir Lloyd William Mathews, bought Changuu Island for the Zanzibar Government from its former Arab owners with the objective of building a prison. The construction of the Jail was finished by 1894, when the island became known as Prison Island. But the island was never used as a Prison: at the end of 19th century Zanzibar was East Africa’s main port and the authorities were concerned about the danger for epidemics brought through cargo and passengers. At the end of the 1890s it was therefore decided to establish a Quarantine Station on Changuu Island for the whole of British territories in East Africa and the former jail was then used as a hospital; since 1923 the Island was officially named Quarantine Island.

Although the main function of Changuu was to hold the sanitary station, the island was frequently free of quarantined people due to the monsoons and seasonal arrival of vessels only between December and March. During these periods, Changuu was one of the favorite leisure resorts for Zanzibaris and European residents. For their short holidays and parties on the island, visitors used to stay in a bungalow, built in the late 1890s, known as European Bungalow, which has been now restored and converted into Mathews’ Restaurant. The number of leisure visitors had to be strictly controlled, since the only available fresh water was rain water stored in underground tanks. Today, fresh water reaches the islet through an underwater pipeline from Zanzibar mainland, which enables visitors to enjoy the delightful swimming-pool. 

In 1919 some visitors came to settle permanently on the island: the community of the endangered species of Aldabra Giant Tortoises, a gift of the Government of Seychelles. The initial group consisted of 4 Tortoises, but since grown and today the population is over 100 individuals. The Group continues its happy growth in The Tortoise House and the Tortoise Foundation ensures their welfare.

In 1931 a new Quarantine Area with new buildings were erected in the south-west of the island, which gave the Quarantine Station a capacity to accommodate 904 people. After the island lost is role as a Quarantine Station, due to lack of use, the buildings started to collapse. Today, the remains of these semi-collapsed buildings have been skillfully converted into 12 exquisite sea-view rooms.

Since 2002, Changuu Private Island Paradise has restored the island’s many historical buildings to make them living structures, adapted to new uses while preserving their authenticity, and many recreational facilities have been incorporated, such as shops, cultural centres and sport venues such as a footlight tennis court. The prison ruins have now been restored and converted into a bright living structure, and the island also offers a host of entertainment facilities, such as a café, boutique and library, the library being the cultural centre of the island. The 15 exclusive cottages built in the north-west of the island offer an unrivalled, luxurious experience. 

This awesome renovation has been achieved whilst maintaining the perfect balance between nature and culture. Welcome to our small Paradise on Earth.