Christmas Island Travel Guide

Christmas Island OVERVIEW

Why would a place be named Christmas Island if the only associable thing is the snow white feather of the endemic

sula sula

, gracefully called red-footed boobies (sic!)? Passing this tiny speck of land on 25 December 1643, Captain William Mynors of the Royal Mary decided to dub it accordingly, but years had passed before the first extensive exploration determined the island's future a phosphate extraction site. Tossed from hands to hands, with some inglorious records of workforce abuse and high-altitude hydrogen bomb testing, the territory is now under the sovereignty of Australia, which performs its motherly duties from 2,600 kilometers afar, and with a rather cold sense of affection.

At first glance, this world's largest coral atoll makes an impression of pretty a desolate place, if you don't count myriad flocks of birds cruising in the crystal clear air over the sparkling salt flats and lagoon shallows. The scintillating beaches, staggering abundance of fish, and glorious diving options keep visitors glued to the shores, while picturesque walking trails and movie-like waterfalls pull explorers into the even wilder section of the island. The obvious lack of sky-rise hotels and all-inclusive resorts will have you believe that even the capital, Flying Fish Cove, with its minuscule yacht harbor and airfield, is the most uneventful place on earth. Nothing could probably have less to do with the idea of Christmas than that. And much as you are willing to even enjoy this tropical diversion from the Santa-and-Rudolf standard, venture into the heart of the jungle and the Christmas atmosphere gets further dispelled in the way which is hard to come to terms with.

Behind electrified, razor-wire fences, as if the thick wall of rain forest, the craggy cliffs, and the raging sea weren't enough to discourage escape, asylum seekers from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka wait in a refugee detention center for their first-star wishes to come true. Called "the boat people", whole families take a dramatic flight for freedom only to end up lodging applications for Australian immigrant status. For many, the odds for fast claim processing are as high as for receiving an answer from the North Pole.