Your guide to Australia’s most remote and unspoilt paradise – the amazing Cocos Keeling Islands!
Last updated on May 21st, 2026 at 06:30 am
West Island of the Cocos Keeling Islands is remote, beautiful, undeveloped and as laid back as a place could be. Holidaying here is for those that want to unwind and disconnect – unless you’re an avid kite surfer or diver that just cant stop.
For the rest of us, despite there being of wonderful things to do on the islands, expect plenty of down time soaking in the smell of the sea and tropical plants, swimming in the tropical waters, and having a beer with the locals. If you want action-packed constant entertainment, this isn’t your place. But if you dream of of turquoise lagoons, white-sand beaches, and a remote tropical paradise far from the crowds – then bingo – Cocos Keeling is perfect for you!
This Cocos (Keeling) Islands travel guide covers everything you need to know – from the best things to do and when to visit, to travel tips to help you plan your trip.
So where are the Cocos Keeling Islands?
The Cocos Keeling Islands are are a group of coral islands that form two atolls, and are an Australian territory sitting in the Indian Ocean. They are 2750 kms (1708 miles) northwest of Perth, Western Australia, and 900kms (560 miles) from Christmas Island.
West Island is the main administrative center and township and where you are likely to be staying. Only two of the 27 islands are inhabited – the other is Home Island which is the home to primarily Malay Australian descendants.
Before I go on with all the fabulous things to do on West Island, Cocos Keeling Islands……
A Quick Guide to help you plan your trip
Internet and phones – There is no mobile reception here, but most accommodation providers offer WiFi access..
Money – There is an ATM during opening hours at the Community Resource Centre on West Island, (only $100 at a time at a cost of $2.50 per transaction). There’s also an ATM on Home Island, located at Shamroks supermarket. Cards are widely accepted but bring some cash for small purchases and ferries etc.
Getting there – Qantas flies to Christmas Island on Mondays and Fridays from Perth (International Airport) stopping at Christmas Island as well.
Monday: Perth > Christmas Island > Cocos Islands > Perth
Friday: Perth > Cocos Islands > Christmas Island > Perth
Accommodation – all you options are listed here for your stay in West Island, Cocos Keeling Islands. There is one option on Home Island also listed.
Insurance – Click here for travel cover with SafetyWing – almost any nationality, its ok if you are already traveling, up to 64 years old. Or click here for cover with EKTA – any nationality, any age and its ok if you are already traveling! Make sure you include the Indian Ocean Territories.
So what are the must-dos when you on West Island, Cocos Keeling islands?
In no particular order , these are the best things to do int he Cocos Keeling Islands:
1. Take a ferry across the lagoon and spend a day or a few days on one of Australia’s best beaches
It has been voted the best beach in the past – and will probably remain in the top picks for a long time. I’m talking about the blindingly stunning Cossies Beach on Direction Island. Get there (and back) on a ferry from West Island on Thursday or Saturday. It is uninhabited but has eco toilet facilities, wood fueled BBQs, and shaded pondoks (shelters). Other than that it is sea and sand…….heaven!
Note: If you’re landing on a Friday and planning to visit Direction Island on Saturday, shop as soon as you land as the supermarket closes at 3pm, and doesn’t reopen until after the ferry departs.
Take plenty of water, food, sunscreen and mossie repellent. And, take your reef shoes – you’ll see why…
2. Snorkel the rip
The coolest thing to do on Direction Island is to snorkel the rip, and again…. and again! It is a pretty wild rip so if you are not a good snorkeler or swimmer, it is probably best to come on a tour with someone that will pick you up at the end of the rip.
The rip is easiest to snorkel an hour either side of low or high tide as there isa bit less current then. If you swim across the channel to the other side, you will also get less current with better coral and fish. Whatever you do, there is plenty of coral, fish, small reef sharks and turtles.
Once you get in the rip, the currently literally sweeps you along the channel and you don’t have to do a thing except look. It feels like you are being pushed along in an aquarium with fish literally all around you! If you want to stop for a while and take it in, just grab a rock and hold on. The current pushes you a couple of hundred meters off the Island (but inshore – don’t worry) and from there you can swim or walk back to shore and go again. Warning: its addictive!! You can get to Direction Island on the ferry on Thursday and Saturdays.
3. Learn about the local WWII drama as you walk around Direction Island
Walk the flat and easy 3.5km trail around Direction Island and take the time to read the 25 information panels. Its an absolutely fascinating story. A the end of the jetty when you arrive is the Sydney – Emden 100 Gazebo (Memorial) with one of the panels. Basically, through deception and decoy trickery, the Australians managed to ‘defeat’ the unstoppable and famous German ship the SMS Emden. It ended up beached on North Keeling Island.
The island itself, as you know, is beautiful, but sadly you will find at one end piles of plastic rubbish that has drifted down the ocean largely from Indonesia. It makes you want to cry. Researchers use the bar codes to find out exactly where the rubbish originates from. Clever right?
Apart from that it is lovely to walk under the palms, taking in the stories, and watching hermit crabs scuttle away from your footsteps. You can get to Direction Island on the ferry on Thursday and Saturdays.
4. Go exploring, diving or snorkeling in the incredibly beautiful lagoon
There are a couple of tour operators that will take you on a range of great trips around the lagoon. Both get great reviews so I think its best to check them all out and decide what suits you. I loved snorkeling the wreck (very cool to do given my ears stop me from diving), Prisoner Island, and landing on the uninhabited Horsburgh Island. Cocos Day and Cocos Blue Charters both offer this sort of tour. Don’t miss out on a day on one of the most beautiful lagoons in the world (judged by me).
Divers rave about the diving. Definitely from what I saw, and from reports of diving from friends (who don’t have ear problems- like me – sigh…), it is a must-do if you are able to dive. Cocos Dive Day Trips will give you expert care and make sure you have a great diving trip.
It is also really interesting to go on a tour of the lagoon and its islands – particularly Horsburgh Island and Prisoner Island!!
5. Take a motorised kayak tour
This seems to be everyone’s favorite and we definitely loved it too!. Tour with with Ash and Kylie of Cocos Islands Adventure Tours around the uninhabited islands of the Southern Atoll and learn a bit of history through some great story-telling as you go.
Birds, crabs, lizards and turtles are your other companions on the trip and you will have some fun snorkeling. The tour includes everything you need, the canoes are easy to use, and they will also introduce you to the very cool drift snorkel around Pulu Maraya Island. Just bring your sunscreen and do not forget your reef shoes!!
6. Snorkel West Island’s Trannie Beach and Pulu Maraya Island
The best snorkeling on West Island Cocos Keeling Islands is either off the beach at Trannies beach (short for transmission – before you start wondering), and the little drift around Pulu Maraya Island from Scouts Park.
Trannies Beach – Low tide is best, walk in from the beach in your reef shoes. Visibility is good even if not as good as in the lagoon, and gets better as you go further out toward the reef itself.. Turtles and reef sharks are common.
Pulu Maraya Island – Wade to the island from Scout Park an hour before up to at low tide. There is a strong current which is why you want to be there at low tide only – or you’re going to be swept away. (Make sure you return within an hour after low tide – the current will take you back.)
Between the channel and the island is a shallow pool. Jump into it and you will find that the current runs in the opposite direction to the main channel. Drift…… when its too shallow, get out and walk across the island back to the start. Repeat…. and repeat. There are sooo many fish, even an octopus if you’re lucky and little harmless reef sharks are everywhere.
7. Hire a bike or scooter for a day or two to explore West Island
….. and get yourself to the best snorkeling spots at either end of the island. Watch the kiters at the eastern end of the island on Zephyr Kite Beach, and explore the little side roads as you head to the West End Old Jetty. You’ll also see plenty of birds and crabs and meet the resident goats while having plain old fun.
8. Play golf on the world’s only airport on a runway
Join the locals for a fun round of scroungers on the only golf course in the world that is played on an international runway! Yes its on West Island in the Cocos Keeling islands!
Meet at the Donga on West Island every Thursday at 3.30pm. It’s cheap good fun with the locals – cash only $10pp and $10 for club hire at the time of writing. There is also a Sunday competition for those with an official handicap.
10. Take a coconut tour at the Wild Coconut Discovery Centre
I was actually so surprised that this coconut tour was so interesting. I’m not sure why I should be surprised, but anyway I really enjoyed it! You learn about the whole process from growing the trees to the making of the beautiful coconut oils and cream. Have a go at husking and get your hands dirty. Great fun and the shop has some wonderful products to take home with you – yet no pressure which is perfect.
If you do the tour on a Thursday you can carry on the coconut theme at Surfer Girl Brewery with their Thursday Coconut night – they use desiccated coconut, hand-pressed coconut cream, coconut oil, coconut chips and coconut bowls throughout the menu and cocktails!
Note: There is another coconut tour on Home Island, but I didn’t do this. Check at the Visitor Center.
9. Take a morning out for art!
Art and coffee goes together beautifully in the very quirky and cool Big Barge Art Centre on West Island. The gallery sits inside the hull of a beautifully restored rustic timber barge and showcases work by local artists.
Ordering one of the delicious smoothies and yummy goodies from The Servery is the perfect way to make a morning of it. Afternoon: (Open every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9:00 -12:00.)
11. Stay off-island
To mix it up, consider staying off West Island. For a real treat, camp on Direction Island (with a permit) and get the rip and the perfect Cossies Beach all to yourself – although there may be the odd yachtie there en-route to Africa in the summer sailing season. You will need to be totally self-sufficient for food and water for the few days between ferries, but who could think of a more magical place??? Not me!
Note: you can also camp at Scouts Park on West Island – also with a permit.
For something a little more luxurious, and equally interesting, stay off island at Oceania House on Home Island. Oceania House is the ancestral home of the Clunies-Ross family that ‘ran’ the islands for many years.
You can get to both Direction Island and Home Island on the ferry.
12. Learn to kitesurf
This is what The Lure has to say about kiting here:
“One of the most remote atolls in the world and sitting in the Indian Ocean trade wind route, this magical and unique group of islands offers unreal flat water freeriding, fantastic learning conditions and some very adventurous kitesurfing.”
The season runs from May/June to September/October. The water is warm all year and the trades blow all day. Perfect!
So either get your kite out, and head to Direction Island, or to the east end of West Island. Or if you want a learning or progression tour, take a look at Zephyr Tours or Ape X Kiteboarding. Its going to be better than good!
13. Hire a kayak, bike or golfcart and see what Home Island has to offer
Home Island has plenty to offer for a day trip.
Start with the Cocos Keeling’s museum telling the story of the islands – definitely its an interesting story too (attended on Wednesdays but you can visit any weekday by picking up the key from the nearby Shire office).
Then visit Oceania House and Gardens and learn some of the crazy history of this island. I wont tell you more but its very interesting!
Eat Malay-style food at the local cafes at lunch time, and top it all off with a cultural tour with fun-loving local Ossie. No cars – just golfcarts and bikes, and of course the beach and coral reef right there if you want to kayak or just swim and snorkel.
Take the ferry from West Island (Monday to Saturday) to spend a day on this interesting little island. There is a shuttle bus from the village to the ferry terminal os its all very easy to do.
14. Go birdwatching
Because of its remoteness and being the only landmass for hundreds of miles, Cocos Keeling is a great bird watching destination especially from November to March. Common sightings include the White-breasted Waterhen, Intermediate Egret, Western Reef Heron, Saunders’s Tern, Green Junglefowl and the ever-present frigatebirds, noddies, boobies and tropicbirds.
Birding Tours Australia offer special packaged tours on Cocos Keeling Islands and Christmas Island designed for birders, twitchers and photographers.
A 7-day Itinerary for Christmas Island?
Note that this itinerary assumes arrival on a Monday – just adjust if you arrive Friday.
Day 1: Monday
Arrive: Mondays around 6pm (Fridays around 2pm). Get settled into your accommodation.
Explore the West Island village and make any bookings you might want. Eat at one of the local options.
Day 2: Tuesday
Morning: Hire a bike or scooter to explore West Island – stop off at the Big Barge Art Gallery for yummies in the morning (9-12)
Afternoon: Organise a tour at Wild Coconut.
Day 3: Wednesday
Morning : Visit Home Island for the day – the museum, Oceania House and take Ossies tour
Day 4: Thursday
Morning: Take a motorised kayak tour.
Afternoon: Golf at 3.30!
Day 5: Friday
Morning: Get out into the lagoon to explore, snorkel or dive for a day or half day.
Afternoon: If you took the half day option, relax by the sea and enjoy some snorkeling and swimming in the warm waters.
Day 6: Saturday
Morning : Get the ferry to Direction Island. Walk around the island and learn about the fascinating war story that took place there. Enjoy time on the stunning Cossies Beach.
Afternoon: snorkel the rip – again and again. Note – depending on the tide you might need to do this in the morning – make sure the tide is coming INTO the lagoon.
Day 7: Sunday
Spend the day re-doing what you have enjoyed most so far, or not managed to get to yet. If you have a handicap, you might like another round of golf. Enjoy your last day!
Frequently asked questions for travel to the Cocos Keeling Islands?
Q: How do I get to the Cocos Keeling Islands?
A: You can fly from from Perth in Western Australia to both Cocos Keeling and Christmas Island. Qantas has regular 2x weekly flights from Perth on Mondays and Fridays.
Consider stopping at Christmas Island for a few days too – it is equally amazing.
Check on skyscanner for flight prices as well as direct with Qantas – you might get the same flight cheaper if you are lucky. Of course you can sail there too!
Q: When is the best time to go to the Cocos Keeling Islands?
A: For kitesurfing and windsurfing – from May to October when the steady trade winds are ideal. For diving and birdwatching and general chilling out in the water, from November to April. At this time the winds are generally lighter, making it easier to access more remote parts of the atoll.
Really any time is good though, as whenever you visit, you can expect temperatures usually sitting between 25 and 30 degrees.
Q: How many days do you need in the Cocos Keeling Islands?
A: You will be limited in choice by the flights, so can stay for a long weekend – Friday to Monday, four nights from Monday to Friday, or a week or more. I recommend spending at least four nights and combining this with a visit to Christmas Island as well. Ideally a week in each place would be perfect!
Q: Are the Cocos Keeling Islands expensive to visit?
A: Flights are expensive and costs are higher than mainland Australia due to transport costs to get things there!
Q: Is there internet and mobile service on the Cocos Keeling Islands?
A: There is full phone access via a Telstra 4G GSM Mobile Telephone Service. Telstra SIM cards are available at various shops including the Christmas Island Post Office. Global roaming for phone and text messages is available for carriers that have roaming agreements in place with Telstra – check with your provider for details.
Internet access is via satellite and the Telstra mobile phone network. There is an internet cafe at the Visitor Information Centre, or you can pick up a prepaid voucher for the wifi hotspots located in township areas. Most hotels will provide access. Download the Christmas Island National Park App before you leave mainland Australia.
Q: Can you swim on the Cocos Keeling Island beaches?
A: Yes absolutely! It is generally very safe – but get local advice on the day.
Q: Are there shops and restaurants in the Cocos Keeling Islands?
A: Yes there is a supermarket, and there are a few places to eat – which are generally quite good! For souvenirs and crafts there is the Big Barge Art Centre, Wild Coconut shop, and the Visitor Center.
Q: Do you need a car on the Cocos Keeling Islands?
A: No. Hire a scooter, bike or e-bike to get around on West Island. Everywhere else you can walk.
Travel Tips for the Cocos Keeling Islands?
- Book flights well ahead for better prices – you can save a few hundred dollars.
- Everyone has to have a valid passport with them to fly to Cocos Keeling from Perth – even though you are not leaving Australia. Australians can use their Drivers Licence.
- Before you leave Perth, download google maps for Cocos Keeling and anything else you might want e.g. movies.
- Don’t forget – your reef shoes, your sunnies, a hat, and your sunblock. Also any medication you might need or special dietary requirement foods.
Related Posts
The ultimate guide to Australia’s amazing Christmas Island
Wild Side City Guide: Perth, Western Australia
And for more remote travel inspo
10 remote and off the beaten path islands for the explorer!
Heavenly Maupiti – tropical dreams are made of this…