Travel
Cocos Keeling Islands
If you haven't heard of the Cocos Keeling Islands, you're not alone. Located 2,750 km northwest of Perth (a five-hour flight), this untouched piece of paradise is one of Australia’s most isolated destinations, welcoming only 144 visitors at any given time.
The Cocos Keeling Islands are the only coral atoll in Australia, made up of 27 islands that sparkle like emerald jewels in the vast Indian Ocean. Of these, only two are inhabited – West Island and Home Island – with about 600 residents. The primarily Cocos Malay population is descendants of Southeast Asian coconut plantation labourers brought to the formerly uninhabited archipelago in the 1830s.
Despite officially becoming an Australian territory in 1955, the Cocos Keeling Islands remain one of Australia’s best-kept secrets. You can spend days here dipping in crystal-clear waters, stretching out on sugar-white sands, sampling local Cocos Malay cuisine, cycling through palm-fringed jungles, and ferrying to Cossies Beach, which Tripadvisor named Australia’s best beach in 2017.
There’s never a bad time to visit this tropical paradise, with temperatures hovering between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius year-round. All you need to do is kick back, relax and let island time take over.
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