Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) with Western Australia

From the Outback to the Indian Ocean

Cocos The Red Crab migration on Christmas Island was described by David Attenborough as one of the top wildlife experiences in the world. And, you never know - we might be lucky enough to be there when it happens, timed as our visit is at the end of November/beginning of December. But it's not just the crabs, although they are the stars of the show. Christmas Island has nine endemic species of birds and a fantastic marine environment as well as incredibly beautiful rainforest. In total contrast, although equally beautiful, Cocos (Keeling) is a coral atoll surrounding a lagoon. Here relaxation is the name of the game, although there's plenty in the way of bird and local life to keep us more than a little interested!

Our holiday starts with a week's birding in Western Australia during which we'll visit such areas as the Darling and Stirling Ranges and Albany in the company of a local birder. Having returned to Perth, we then take the flight up to Christmas Island, stopping in Cocos (Keeling) en route, an island to which we will return later in the week (and if that sounds daft, it's because of incomprehensible airline schedules!). On Christmas Island there is much to delight us. We'll explore the island itself, learning of its history of phosphate mining and the encouraging way in which industrialists and conservationists now work together. If we're lucky the Red Crab migration will be in full flow but this is impossible to predict. Whatever stage it is at, there will be plenty of these incredibly attractive creatures to be seen both in the settlement and out in the forests and on the shore.

Canoe SafariCocos (Keeling), to which we return the following Monday, is a complete contrast to Christmas Island. Here we'll only have a couple of nights (it's those wretched airline schedules again!) but we'll make the most of our time. One of the highlights will be a motorised canoe safari in the lagoon. If we're lucky and the tides are high in the morning, we'll be able to enjoy a champagne breakfast on an uninhabited island! The relaxed atmosphere on Cocos is terrific and you will be encouraged to spend time at the Cocos Club where there's a chance to enjoy the company of some local characters.

Finally, we return to Christmas Island to spend more time looking for some of the endemic birds which we might have missed on our first stop-over, and also enjoying the fantastic marine environment as we are taken snorkling and have some of the fascinating corals and fish pointed out to us.

This is yet another amazing and relatively unknown destination to which Island Holidays is delighted to be able to introduce you.