Travel
He said, she said: Were the Cocos Keeling Islands relaxing for both husband and wife?
Ever wondered what it’s like to visit an untouched island paradise? Leonie and Andrew share their dreamy escape to the tropical haven Cocos Keeling Islands.
By Leonie Jarrett and Andrew Jarrett
Leonie and Andrew embarked on an unforgettable journey to Cocos Keeling Islands – Australia’s most remote and breathtaking territory. Much like the couple’s cruise adventures to Malta and Croatia, this trip was equally magical, only closer to home.
Floating like a hidden gem in the Indian Ocean, this tiny atoll of 26 coral islands wraps around a dazzling lagoon. It’s situated about 2,750 kilometres northwest of Perth and is actually closer to Indonesia than mainland Australia.
Covering just 14 square kilometres, Cocos Keeling Island promises tropical weather year-round, with warm waters that stay a blissful 26°C.
The couple stayed on both Home Island and in a self-contained cottage at Cocos Cottages on West Island.
If you’re like Leonie and Andrew and want a charming island escape without the crowds, then the Cocos Keeling Islands could be your perfect getaway. Here’s how the holiday went down according to each of them.
Never having been to Cocos Keeling Islands before, what were your first impressions?
Leonie
All disembarking passengers gathered at the airport, waiting for our luggage. The local police were on hand to give us some information, including that no beach is patrolled and that Australian road rules applied. Being addressed by the local police when arriving at a destination was a first for me!
Also a first: the luggage came off the plane onto a trolley (as usual) and everyone helped themselves directly from the trolley (not so usual).
After picking up our luggage, we went straight to our rental car. It was waiting for us, unlocked and with the key in the ignition. In fact, we were told to keep the car unlocked, with the key in the ignition during our stay.
We were shown to our accommodation, Cocos Cottages, a mere 5 minutes away. Again, we were told that there was no need to lock anything – indeed, there was no key to our cottage.
So, my first impressions were that the Cocos Keeling Islands were going to be very different from anywhere else we had ever been.
And I was right…
Andrew
As the plane was descending from our long flight from mainland Australia, I glanced out of the plane window and gasped at my first sight of the Cocos Keeling Islands.
The numerous shades of blue as the water transcends from the deep blue depths of the Indian Ocean, through the lagoon and into the shores of the island atolls is simply breathtaking.
Every shade of blue that you can imagine! Add to that the depth and vividness of the green of thousands of coconut trees and the Cocos Keeling Islands are a bedazzlement of the senses.
So my first look at the Cocos Keeling Islands was one of wonderment. I felt that we had arrived at the quintessential, picture postcard island paradise!
What did you do during your stay?
Leonie
We had a great week choc-full of unique experiences. But, if you just want to chill out, Cocos is the perfect place, too. The beaches (some surf and some not) are pristine and jaw-droppingly beautiful.
You can spend all day at the beaches and just loll, snorkel, swim, read… whatever you like. There’s no mobile phone reception and we didn’t have wi-fi connectivity either (except at Cocos Cottages) so it’s the perfect place to disconnect and recharge.
The highlights of activities for me were: an e-bike ride, a gorgeous catered beach picnic, a motorised canoe safari and a sea scooter tour. We also took ferries to both Direction Island and Home Island. The ferries only cost AUD$5 per person, but you need cash.
Direction Island was a deserted island paradise, but it rained most of the day we were there, so we didn’t see it at its best.
Our experience of Home Island was also affected as a death in the Cocos Malay population meant everything was closed. We were lucky enough to meet the onsite manager of Oceania House (known locally as The Big House), Greg Carnell, on the ferry on the way over to Home Island and he kindly organised a tour for us.
Oceania House was built by George Clunies-Ross after Queen Victoria gave the Cocos Islands to the Clunies-Ross family. The bricks were all imported from Glasgow, Scotland, and the interiors were finished in teak from Christmas Island. It even had a tower.
There were manicured, botanical gardens which are sadly no longer maintained. It was a grand, grand home – so grand that Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1954.
Now operating as a tired hotel with 6 bedrooms, Greg made Oceania House come to life with his passionate retelling of its history.
The e-bike tour from Phat Tours, guided by 6th generation Cocos Islander, Johnny Clunies-Ross, was super fun. I’d never been on an e-bike before and, after I got the hang of it, I was flying down beach tracks, through the water and manoeuvring around fallen coconut fronds.
The sea scooter tour was a bit of water play for claustrophobic me but serious fun for Andrew. As long as you don’t mind having your head under water for an extended period, do it! It was super cool and fun to zoom along holding on to what looks like a cut-off rocket.
Andrew
Cocos Picnics laid out a dreamy picnic for us as the sun was setting one evening at Gun Club Beach – yummy, romantic and divine. Our backdrop for the experience was turtles popping their heads out of the rolling waves! It was the food highlight of my trip and a must-do experience for anyone visiting the Islands.
The motorised sunrise canoe safari was another first. Basically, a kayak with an outboard motor on the back. We motored to a few isolated beaches and had a champagne breakfast and snorkel at the end. The water was shallow and crystal clear so we could see turtles and colourful reef fish as we motored along. It was a memorable morning.
The weather was challenging during our week on the island. We were caught between two tropical lows (cyclones), so it was unusually windy. I managed to twist the arm of Cocos Day fishing charters to brave the winds so that they could take me out fishing.
Suffice to say it was very windy and rough but the skipper held in and I managed to catch my target species. At the top of my fishing bucket list for the Cocos Keeling Islands was a Passionfruit Coral Trout (yes such a fish exists and it’s as beautiful in the flesh as its name suggests). That night we ate like kings with the fish tasting as magnificent as its name suggests.
Where did you eat?
Leonie
We visited in the low season so our options were limited due to restaurant holiday closures, so we mainly self-catered. There is a supermarket on West Island where we stayed but it was waiting on supplies when we visited so pickings were slim. My advice is to take some food with you.
Salty's Grill & Bakery does excellent barista-made coffee every morning except Sundays. Their pizza (a couple of nights a week) was also top notch. They also have fish and chips on a Friday which is renowned but we missed it.
Tropika has a buffet dinner, breakfast and lunch 7 days a week. We had lunch a couple of times and dinner once. To be honest, the buffet dinner was not a culinary highlight but I didn’t have to cook nor clean up, so that’s still a win!
Andrew
Food options on the island are extremely limited. Salty’s pizza is superb with a delicious crispy base… but it was only open 2 nights a week!
So, if you can’t catch your own Coral Trout, my suggestion is to pack some food options in your luggage and bring it with you.
What did you think overall?
Leonie
I thought that Cocos Keeling Islands was naturally the most beautiful place I have ever been – totally unspoilt.
It was very quiet though and it would not suit everyone. If you want fine dining, shops and nightlife, you will likely not enjoy a holiday to Cocos.
If you want peace and quiet, a digital detox, a reset and recharge, go. You can do some very fun activities or you can do nothing at all.
I felt privileged to experience a holiday on the Islands. Tropical and exotic, yet still part of Australia!
Andrew
I loved, loved, loved it! For me, this is now the benchmark for an unspoilt, tropical island paradise.
I felt that I was 20 years younger “on Island” swimming and snorkelling with reef sharks, thousands of coral reef fish, husking and opening my own coconuts and walking the palm-fringed lagoon where barely a soul is seen.
I can’t wait to go back… but next time I’ll definitely take a couple of juicy steaks with me!
The Jarretts were guests of the Cocos Keeling Islands Tourism Association.
About Andrew and Leonie
Andrew is 56 and before retiring he trained in marketing and owned several businesses. His mission for the rest of his life is to have fun and catch as many fish as he can!
Leonie is 56 and semi-retired. She trained in law and has also owned several businesses during her working life. Her mission for the rest of her life is to write another chapter – she’s just not sure what that is yet.
Andrew and Leonie played tennis together as teenagers and have been married for 32 years. They have four grown children and two fur baby Golden Retrievers. They have travelled to all 7 continents and to over 50 countries. Their mission for the rest of their life is to make the most of every day and to travel until they get tired of it!
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