The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are a collection of 27 islands that together make up an overseas territory of Australia, situated in the Indian Ocean. These remote islands may be small but they are fascinating. They are so remote that the next closest land is Christmas Island, more than 900km away, another of Australia's overseas territories.
On my mission to visit and share every country and territory in the world (a total standing at 269), I sometimes end up booking trips to visit some of the world's most remote places and undertaking serious bucket-list worthy adventures.
We are basing ourselves in Australia for a year, traveling around the country in a campervan. Given it's the biggest country in Oceania, it's also the perfect opportunity to visit some of the many islands surrounding it across the Indian and South Pacific Oceans.
I spent six weeks backpacking around Australia back in 2019, one of my first solo adventures and my first on a one-way ticket. During my two years I would end up living down under, mostly based out of New Zealand, I also visited Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Samoa, scratching the surface of these fascinating island nations dotting great expanses of open ocean.
Here is my complete guide to visiting the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, somewhere we could have happily spent many more days, they're just that wonderful.
Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about the Cocos (Keeling) Islands can be found in my Australia | Ultimate Map!
As the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are an overseas territory of Australia, I have included it there, along with the other two overseas territories, Christmas Island and Norfolk Island.
This is a digital map which opens straight in your Google Maps featuring hundreds of my favourite restaurants, campgrounds, accommodations, shops, photo spots, museums, beaches, lakes, animal spots, bridges, viewpoints, hikes and SO more in Australia, including its three external territories.
Each pin includes exact locations, images, detailed information and a link to my relevant blog post to read more.
COMING SOON → Buy the Australia | Ultimate Map!
Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: As the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are an overseas territory of Australia, the official language is English. However, the local population of about 600 people predominantly speak Cocos Malay, a dialect of Malay.
Currency: The currency used in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
When the Clunies-Ross family, Scottish coconut farmers, ruled from 1827 to 1978 as a private fiefdom, they paid their workers in their own currency, the Cocos Rupee, which was only redeemable at the shop owned by the Clunies-Ross family.
Data/WiFi: There is no mobile phone network or data service on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The only way to communicate is via the internet, which is limited in availability. We only had WiFi at our accommodation.
I recommend downloading a map of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands on Google Maps before you arrive so you can use it to get around. Otherwise, take the opportunity to switch off and enjoy being disconnected!
Visa: As the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are an overseas territory of Australia, they follow Australian immigration laws. Whatever visa you would use to get into Australia is applicable for entry to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Although the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are a territory of Australia, it is considered an international destination and therefore requires all arrivals (including residents) to fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
Time of year to visit: The Cocos (Keeling) Islands can be visited all year-round, with temperatures rarely dropping below 24°C and most days sunny, warm and with blue skies. It doesn't often rain, with most of the average annual rain falling between March and May.
The main thing to consider is the different winds; from May to September consistent southeast wind blows, so people often visit to kite-surf across the lagoon. From November to May the wind is more variable.
Length of stay: We spent three days on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands which was fine to visit the main highlights on Home Island (where we stayed) and a day trip to Direction Island. We could have happily spent more days here just relaxing and enjoying island time.
The only thing to consider is that flights come from Christmas Island just twice per week on Mondays and Fridays. Therefore, you'll need to plan a stay of a minimum of three nights (Fri-Mon) or longer (e.g. four nights from Mon-Fri or seven nights from Mon-Mon or Fri-Fri).
By flight: The only way to reach the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is by flying from Christmas Island, another of Australia's overseas external territories. You can book a flight directly from Perth on mainland Australia however it will still have a stopover on Christmas Island in both directions. Originally serviced by Virgin, Qantas took over the route from 1 November 2025.
All flights to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands land on West Island, the largest of the 27, where the territory's only airport is located. For the best views of the lagoon of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the best side of the airplane to sit on when flying in is usually the left side.
→ Check out my reel of flying into the Cocos (Keeling) Islands!
→ Check out my reel of flying out of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands!
Due to the weather and remoteness of the islands, flight delays are common on this route. We had a 25-hour delay on our departure from Christmas Island due to heavy rains and therefore lost a day on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Be sure you have good travel insurance to cover any delays and lost costs!
→ Purchase global travel insurance with World Nomads.
Flights go from Perth to Christmas Island and on to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands only twice per week, on Mondays and on Fridays. Therefore, you'll need to plan a stay of a minimum of three nights (Fri-Mon) or longer (e.g. four nights from Mon-Fri or seven nights from Mon-Mon or Fri-Fri).
Flying into the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Airport
The airport has just one gate for the twice-weekly flights
All flights to and from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands have a stopover on Christmas Island
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are a group of 27 islands located around a gorgeous, bright blue lagoon. Only two are inhabited, West Island and Home Island, and these are the only places you can stay.
West Island: All flights to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands land on the territory's only airport on West Island. West Island is about 10km long so a bit too long to comfortably get around on foot. You can book a rental car to get around West Island, but be sure to do so in advance as cars are limited. You can also rent a bike or e-bike.
Home Island: The other inhabited island is Home Island and is actually where the majority of the local Cocos Malay population lives. We chose to stay on Home Island. Home Island is much smaller and has no cars. Locals get around on foot, by bike or on ATVs. We walked everywhere.
Between islands: To get between West and Home Islands, you can take a ferry every day except Sunday. The ferry departs West Island at the Rumah Baru ferry terminal, to which you can take a bus from the airport. The bus departs the airport half an hour before each scheduled ferry crossing.
→ Check out the current ferry schedule and latest ticket prices.
The bus from West Island airport to the ferry terminal
West Island ferry terminal
The view from the ferry at Home Island ferry terminal
From the ferry
Home Island from the ferry
The welcome sign at Home Island ferry terminal
An ATV, the local preferred way of getting around Home Island
Getting around Home Island
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are a group of 27 islands located around a gorgeous, bright blue lagoon. Only two are inhabited, West Island and Home Island, and these are the only places you can stay.
The airport is on West Island and is the largest island in the territory. Most of the hotels are located on this island as is the Visitor's Centre and most of the tourism infrastructure. However, most of the local Cocos Malay population lives on Home Island and therefore to us felt the more authentic choice.
Originally we had four nights booked to stay on Home Island however a 25-hour flight delay from Christmas Island meant we had to forgo one night.
There is just one hotel on Home Island, Oceania House. Oceania House is the former home of the Clunies-Ross family, Scottish coconut farmers who ruled the islands from 1827 as a private fiefdom, joining the British from 1857 - Queen Elizabeth II herself stopped by on the Royal Yacht in 1954 - and then Australia from 1955. They imported Malaysian workers to work the harvest who were paid in a local currency only accepted at the Clunies-Ross’ shop.
In 1984, the islanders had the choice to become independent or to become a territory of Australia; they overwhelmingly chose the latter. Today, the inhabitants are descendants of the original Malaysian slaves yet they are the ones who now rule the islands, running the shops and owning land. The islands were sold to Australia in 1978, except for the house, which was sold eventually in 1993, at which point the descendants of the original Clunies-Ross’ were bankrupt.
A beautiful quote in the local museum on Home Island summarizes this multicultural history:
This is our home and we are Australians by choice. Our island culture has traditional Malay/Indonesian and Islamic roots. We have modified and adopted a variety of ancient Scottish and Western practices.
We had to laugh when the woman running the local grocery shop on Home Island told us their traditional island dish was a Scottish shephard’s pie!
Oceania House has been operating as a hotel since 2017 after a private sale from the Australian government in 2000 and a listing as a heritage building in 2004. Getting to stay here is like getting to experience a slice of Cocos (Keeling) Islands history.
Oceania House Library
The property surrounding Oceania House includes some ruins of the former coconut farming buildings
In general, there is not a huge amount of tourism infrastructure on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
West Island
West Island has most of the restaurants being the more touristy of the two inhabited islands.
I can recommend Salty's at the airport. They serve a variety of meals throughout the week and, on flight days (Mondays and Fridays), they serve pizza, so it's not uncommon to see most of the passengers sitting at the departure lounge with a takeaway pizza box or grabbing one for dinner after landing!
→ Check out the weekly offers at Salty's.
We had lunch at Surfer Girl before our flight which is open at limited times throughout the week.
Salty's is located at the airport
Surfer Girl
The view from Surfer Girl overlooking the beach
Home Island
We stayed on Home Island and there were two options for meals: ordering the night before at Oceania House for a locally cooked meal which is delivered in the late afternoon to the hotel or shopping at the island's grocery store and cooking for yourself in the hotel's communal kitchen.
The grocery store on Home Island is surprisingly well-stocked for a remote island territory and we had no issues finding yummy ingredients to make our meals.
The supermarket on Home Island
We had just two full days to explore the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. We were meant to have three, but a 25-hour flight delay from Christmas Island meant we had to forgo one day / one night.
In order to maximize our time, we spent one full day exploring Home Island, the island we chose to stay on, and then did a day trip to Direction Island, home to arguably one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole world.
We did not do anything touristy on West Island as we immediately arrived at the airport and caught the ferry to Home Island, so I cannot make any personal recommendations for that island.
Learn the history of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands at Pulu Cocos Museum
On Home Island, there is a small two-room museum near the supermarket. There is a museum attendant on Wednesdays; every other weekday you can grab the key to let yourself in from the nearby Shire Office. In a carefully curated collection, you can read the stories of the history of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the Cocos Malay people.
The Clunies-Ross family were Scottish coconut farmers who ruled the islands from 1827 as a private fiefdom, joining the British from 1857 and then Australia from 1955. They imported Malaysian workers to work the harvest who were paid in a local currency only accepted at the Clunies-Ross’ shop. You can see many artefacts from this time, including some pieces of currency, on display in the museum.
Walk through Bantam Village
The majority of the local population of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands live on Home Island in Bantam Village. Peaceful bungalows line quiet, car-free streets. Palm trees bristle in the gentle winds and bikes and ATVs carry locals from home to school and the shops. Everything is clean and a pride of their island life shines through.
We spent an afternoon walking around the entirety of Home Island, a stretch of just under 7.5km, a walk that took us just two hours.
Enjoy the beaches of Home Island
The western side of Home Island faces into the lagoon of which the 27 islands are dotted around and all the beach fronts along this stretch are just sublime. There is no trash to be seen, just crystal clear blue waters, palm trees and soft sand.
Essentially the whole coastline from Oceania House up to the cemetery has beach access but here are a few of my favourite spots to visit:
- Jln Pantai (just before the walkway leading to Oceania House)
- Jln Melati (past the museum on the way to the cemetery)
- Coco Keeling Beach
- Jln Kampong Atas (the bay on the southern side of the island)
- Oceania House Beach
You can find the exact locations of all my favourite beaches in my Australia | Ultimate Map (coming soon!) which opens right in your Google Maps.
Jln Pantai
Jln Melati
Coco Keeling Beach
Jln Kampong Atas
Oceania House Beach
Visit the Home Island Cemetery
Where all locals are buried as well as many members of the Clunies-Ross family, the walk to the cemetery is a beautiful, easy stretch up to the very northern tip of Home Island.
We did a loop of the entire island, including a visit to the cemetery, which was a walk of just under 7.5km and took us just two hours.
Walk along the palm trees of Jln Balok Memorial
To complete our loop walk of Home Island, we returned from the cemetery around the eastern side of the island, enjoying the gorgeous palm trees lining Jln Balok Memorial. This side of the island faces the open ocean and the beaches and wind are a little rougher here but the walk is so beautiful and peaceful.
We did a loop of the entire island, which was a walk of just under 7.5km and took us just two hours.
Spot the boat graveyard
Take a day trip to Direction Island
Direction Island is an uninhabited island and home to probably the most beautiful beach I have ever been to in the world. You can take a day trip to Direction Island twice a week on Thursdays and Saturdays from both West and Home Islands.
When we weren't snorkeling, we were sunbathing on the gorgeous beachfront and lounging in the shallow crystal clear waters. The beach on Direction Island is, in my opinion, the most beautiful beach in the world that I have been to so far.
Snorkeling "the rip" is such a special experience. At the far end of Direction Island, you clamber over the shells, stones and washed up coral on the beach (can be painful on the feet, we wore our fins already) and enter the ocean. Directly off the island you'll find a pristine underwater canyon with a strong current home to incredible, colourful corals, fish and reef shark. It was one of the most surreal snorkeling experiences of my life.
I wrote a complete guide to visiting Direction Island including how to get there, how to get around, what to pack and what to do while on the island:
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
