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.
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Christmas Island Dry Season (May – Sep)The dry season brings with it lower humidity, beautiful picturesque sunsets, blue skies and of course less rain!
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.
From spotting endangered seabirds to snorkelling with turtles and dolphins, there's a lot to delight wildlife lovers in this natural paradise. Throw in beach and jungle walks, world-class diving and year-round festivals, and you'll never be short of things to do.
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.
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.
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.
Therefore maintaining good nutrition is essential but almost impossible to do for many residents because of the inflated cost of food. Conversely because of the GST free status on Christmas Island the price of alcohol and cigarettes is extremely affordable.
A passport is necessary and a visa may be required. Refer to your travel agent or the Department of Immigration and Border Protection for further details. Duty free purchases may be made for travel to and from Christmas Island.
Getting here by airThe flight takes about three hours and can be booked directly with the airline or through a travel agent. After dropping passengers on Christmas Island, the plane continues to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
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.
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.
Bugs (like mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas) can spread a number of diseases in Christmas Island. Many of these diseases cannot be prevented with a vaccine or medicine. You can reduce your risk by taking steps to prevent bug bites.
Christmas Island has a network of well maintained roads ranging from Sealed Roads within the residential area, Formed Unsealed Roads which form the primary mining haul road and 4 wheel Drive Roads that access areas within the National Park.
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 receives the standard digital television channels from Western Australia. Radio 6RCI is the local radio station, transmitting on 105.3FM from Rocky Point and 102.1FM from Drumsite. Transmissions are in English, Malay and Chinese.
Christmas Island began appearing on the charts of English and Dutch navigators from the early 1600s. But it wasn't until 1643 that Captain William Mynors of the British East India Company named the island after sighting it on Christmas Day.