Australian Indian Ocean Territories
Australia · Oceania
About Australian Indian Ocean Territories
The Australian Indian Ocean Territories (AIOT or IOT) is an official term used to refer to the two Australian external territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The two territories have a common history, both once a part of Singapore, and share a common administrator.
Though the two territories are widely regarded to be in Southeast Asia, both geographically and culturally and even while it's widely regarded that the South Island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is the southernmost point of Asia, you'll need an Australian visa to get to the islands, so they have been categorised under Australia for practical purposes.
Australian Indian Ocean Territories travel guide
Getting there
By plane As of 2023, the only way to get into the territories by plane is by taking a Virgin Australia flight from Perth. While there used to be flights from destinations like Jakarta, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, these have been indefinitely suspended but there is still that one-off flight that flies ever so often. The route is somewhat like a triangular loop. Flights usually depart from Perth on Tuesdays and Fridays first northwest to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, then heads east-southeast to Christmas Island before finally returning back to Perth.
By boat It might seem like a great adventurous journey from the coast of Indonesia (especially Java) or Western Australia to either one of these islands but it comes with two catches. Firstly, the waters are very rough, which has caused many deaths at sea, particularly closer to the coasts of Christmas Island. Secondly, as these islands are popular among refugees trying to seek asylum in Australia, the navy heavily patrols the surrounding waters, so if you attempt to sail to the islands without following the procedures here, you may be stopped and searched by a navy vessel. Visas must be organised ahead of time and even Australian citizens need their passports. However, it's still possible and if this doesn't discourage you, follow the procedures listed on the Cocos Islands tourism website if you're sailing to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands or the Christmas Island website if you're sailing to Christmas Island. The council websites for Christmas and the Cocos Keeling Islands may also be of some use.
Go next
Most likely, your only option is to fly back to Perth.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.