Christmas Island has a range of hotels and lodges catering to all budgets. Rooms are equipped with all modern amenities and most have internet access.
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There are numerous holiday homes available for short-term stays on Christmas Island. They are a great option for families and larger groups, and having your own kitchen means you can make your holiday budget go further by not eating out.
Christmas Island is serviced by small shopping areas located at the Barracks and Temple Court in Settlement, Poon Saan, the Kampong, Drumsite and the airport.
The resort was badly affected by the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-98, and it suspended operations on 23 April 1998. On 28 July 1998 the Australian Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government cancelled CIR's casino licence and, the following day, the company went into receivership.
Changing sovereigntyAs part of the transfer, Australia paid Singapore £2,800,000 as compensation for lost phosphate revenue. Christmas Island became an Australian territory on 1 October 1958 – a day still celebrated on the island as Territory Day.
Christmas Island may not be high on the tourist radar, its expensive to get to, accommodation is also expensive but its unique in its own right. Randomly placed in the Indian ocean, not too far from Indonesia, its a great spot over for yachties.
Since the detention centre was built on the island in 2006, the island population of about 1,500 locals has jumped dramatically. Mr McDonald says the cost of living is now estimated at about 180 per cent above that on the mainland. An iceberg lettuce at the local store can cost as much as $12.
That means you can score a great deal on popular duty-free items such as fragrances, leather goods, electronics, jewellery, watches and sunglasses. It also means Christmas Island has some of the cheapest alcohol in Australia – perfect for treating yourself to a beer or a gin and tonic as the sun goes down.
Hiring a car is the best way to get around the island, letting you explore the many walks and sights at your leisure. We recommend pre-booking as vehicles are limited.
The cuisine of Christmas Island can best be described as an eclectic combination of traditional Australian cuisine and Asian cuisine, particularly meals from Malaysia and Indonesia.
Use common sense when swimming or wading at any beach – they can be subject to large waves and swell, strong rips and undertows. None of the beaches on the island are patrolled by lifesavers. Swimming at beaches is only recommended at Flying Fish Cove under calm sea conditions.
Walking is the best way to explore Christmas Island's extraordinary forests, wetlands and beaches. There are walking trails for all preferences and abilities, ranging from relaxing rainforest boardwalks to rugged hikes into deserted beaches. Many walks have lookouts offering spectacular views of the coastline.
Christmas Island International AirportCheck-in counters are open two and a half hours before departure. Baggage carousels are located in the Arrivals Hall.
The island has a tropical climate in which heat and humidity are moderated by trade winds. Temperatures vary little throughout the year. The highest temperature is usually around 29 °C (84 °F) in March and April, while the lowest temperature is 23 °C (73 °F) and occurs in August.
Christmas Island is a melting pot of culturesThe island became an Australian territory in 1958 and today its 2000-strong population, focused largely on the settlement at Flying Fish Cove, is a mixture of Chinese and Malay Australians as well as people from mainland Australia.
Language. English is the official language on Christmas Island. However, more than half of our residents speak a language other than English at home. While on the island, you might hear people conversing in Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese, Min Nan, Tagalog and a variety of other languages.
Christmas Island is around a four-hour direct flight from Perth on Australia's west coast. Some scheduled flights from Perth first fly to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, a 95-minute flight from Christmas Island. Hire cars, shuttle services and taxis are available at the airport.
Australia wanted controlBy March 1957, the UK agreed to transfer Christmas Island to Australia in return for a lump sum of $20 million Malayan dollars -- paid to Singapore as compensation for loss of phosphate revenue. This transfer was finalised on June 6, 1957.
The Christmas Island detention centre holds around 30 men seeking asylum mixed in with about 200 men exiting prisons from across Australia after serving sentences of varying length for crimes of varying severity.