Cocos Islands Travel Guide

Cocos Islands OVERVIEW

Haphazardly scattered across the Indian Ocean, the two atolls and twenty-seven coral islets are the kind of place you choose when deserted beaches and swimming with the dolphins hold more value to your holiday than streets chock full of night clubs and the clutter that comes with conventional paradises. Sure it's not easy to get here (flights depart from Perth International Airport on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with economy fares starting from $500 one way), but the flip side is that what you would otherwise spend on drinks is double the price they're going to charge you here.

So here you are on board of a small plane approaching the runway in the capital and you immediately realize the place is worth every penny you've chipped in. Those elongated masses of coconut trees fringed with circles of white sand and floating in the most magical infusions of blue and green tints are actually going to be your home for the next couple of days. Your mind is racing.

And what's there to be found on arrival? West Island is a place to drop off the world for a while. You'll hardly be following in others' footsteps as you bike along the palm fringed roads, treat yourself to a reef walk at low tide, goof around at Trannies Beach, and take in the breathtakingly kaleidoscopic sunsets from a hammock rocking gently right next to the shore.

Once you've had your fill of the tropical sanctuary, take the ferry to Home Island and mix with the Cocos Malays whose spicy cuisine, mellow restaurants and welcoming attitude will make your dining experience particularly memorable. Here you're also in for a good deal of sightseeing as the Museum and the Oceania House are said to provide some curious historical insights. And if snorkeling is your thing, Direction Island and its world famous "Rip" await with their staggering riches of marine life, including huge parrotfish and reefsharks. Will you dare? If not, clamber into a glass bottom boat and gape at the Manta rays spreading lazily underneath. Or just unwind under the canopy of a huge Calophyllum tree and spare a thought or two for all those who decided to order overpriced drinks.