Your complete guide to accommodation in Cocos Keeling Islands

Lynn Gail Lynn Gail
hero media
You’ve scoured the internet for an untrampled nature-based destination and happened upon Cocos Keeling Islands – a tropical, coconut palm-covered horseshoe of sparkling gems, 27 of them in fact, peeking out of the Indian Ocean.

With over-tourism a growing problem worldwide, Cocos Keeling, due to its size – a mere 14 square kilometres – is set to keep visitor numbers restricted. Book your beds early, accommodation is limited.

Most places to stay are a passport’s throw from the airport on West Island – one of two inhabited islands on Cocos. A short spin of your suitcase wheels will have you booked in, unpacked, and sitting by the ocean, cocktail in hand, watching waves roll in before the sun goes down.

The other – Home Island, where most Cocos Malay people live – has homestay options. There are no high-rise, five-star hotels boasting swim-up bars, so where do you lay your head after laying around on the beach all day?

If you haven’t added the Cocos Keeling Islands to your bucket list, now’s your time!

The Breakers

Suitable for:  Couples or friends travelling together.

Talking of rolling your suitcase, The Breakers self-contained bungalows are surrounded by lush greenery, a leaf’s launch from the airport.

Take your pick from twin or queen rooms fitted out with timbered trimmings, a spacious bathroom, air-conditioning and any essential item you’ll need to throw a hearty meal together after a full day’s adventuring.

The Breakers room on Cocos Keeling Islands
Nestle into lush island greenery with The Breaker’s bungalows. (Image: Rachel Claire Photography)

There’s a thatched open-air BBQ Pondok set in a private garden if you want to mix it up and socialise at champers-o’clock as the sun slips away.

The town’s one and only supermarket, visitor centre/gift shop, and a handful of restaurants are a two-minute walk from your bungalow’s balcony.

The Breakers on Cocos Keeling Islands
The Breakers is a delightful tropical stay.

Cocos Seaview Apartments

Suitable for: Couples or solo travellers.

Squirrel away in these tastefully appointed self-contained apartments. Located in a peaceful leafy cul-de-sac, think romantic retreat, rest and recharge.

The ocean is a mini-meander away – walk along the surf and beach comb with hermit crabs looking for new homes.

The community bus stop is a two-minute stroll and runs to West Island’s jetty where the ferry leaves for Home Island and Direction Island – where a silky stretch of sand was crowned Best Beach in Australia, 2017.

With over 12 years of experience, resident and owner Levi Fowler is an expert on all things Cocos. Levi will collect you from the airport and by the time you’re reclining and sipping a sundowner on your deck, you’ll have the low-down on the upside of paradise.

Levi’s akin to the local Olympian, into everything from kite surfing, and cray fishing, to health and fitness, to being passionate about the local community. So, when it comes to looking after you, he dots and crosses your holiday needs.

Cocos Seaview apartments, Cocos Keeling Island
Find everything you need in your own self-contained apartment by the sea.

Cocos Castaway

Select from four villa options. Suitable for: Couples and families.

Become a hideaway castaway in a stylish self-contained villa right in the heart of town and watch the waves roll in from your private veranda.

If doing nothing is on your agenda, the villas have uninterrupted ocean views willing you into blissful relaxation.

Feeling energised after reclining? Hire a push bike for $20 and ride along the highway. Drop into one of West Island’s deserted beaches, the year-round bath-tub warm waters are ideal for snorkelling and SUP boarding (stand-up paddle boarding).

When hunger sets in, beachside restaurant, Surfer Girl Brewery, serves up delicious tropical smoothie bowls along with one of the islands’ finest roasted coffees or try Tropika Restaurant.

Castaway on Cocos Keeling Island
Relax on your deck with ocean views.

ninetysixeast Bed & Breakfast

Suitable for: Couples or solo travellers.

This heritage-listed boutique bed and breakfast enjoys a prime beachfront location overlooking a reef rock pool on William Keeling Crescent – named after the merchant seaman who discovered the magical isles back in 1609.

The private beach-themed ensuite room has been stylishly designed with ocean lovers in mind.

Consummate hosts, Colin and Christine, will have you feeling at home within minutes of picking you up in a golf buggy from the airport. The couple includes an island-intro buggy tour, snorkelling equipment, and buggy use during the first two days of your stay.

Don’t miss brekkie. Colin and Christine serve up a scrumptious continental breakfast on the sweeping veranda. The backdrop – mesmerising rolling waves, one crashing wave after another.

It’s hard to pull yourself away, but adventure awaits on the coconut-frisked shores of the surrounding islands.

Ninetysixeast Bed & Breakfast, Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Watch the sunset from your patio at ninetysixeast Bed & Breakfast.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

Cocos Bellevue Apartment

Suitable for: Couples and solo travellers.

For those seeking a serene and self-contained stay, Cocos Bellevue on West Island offers a perfect beachfront escape. With stunning views of the Indian Ocean and just steps away from the beach, these modern studios are ideal for couples or solo travellers looking to unwind in paradise. Each studio comes fully equipped with all the amenities needed for a comfortable stay, including a kitchenette and private balcony. Whether you’re here to explore the island or simply relax by the water, Cocos Bellevue provides the perfect base for your Cocos Keeling Islands adventure.

Cocos Bellevue Apartment
Cocos Bellevue on West Island offers a perfect beachfront escape.

Cocos Cottages

Suitable for: Couples and families.

Furnished from floor to ceiling with warm timber furnishings – these cosy cottages on the airport’s Air Force Road provide a home away from home. Don’t worry about noise pollution though, you’ll see more birdlife than planes with only two flights per week.

Completely self-contained, you’ll want for nothing in these spacious two-bedroom cottages. Loaded bookshelves, daybeds and cushion-covered couches top the undercover deck.

Laze back, read, journal, or see if you can identify the island’s exotic birds.

The cottages are a golf ball’s throw from West Island’s golf course. Sit and watch the serious hole-in-one shooters, or join in Scroungers Golf, a friendly nine-hole round played every Thursday afternoon where all levels are welcome.

Cocos Cottages, Cocos Keeling Islands
Wander to the beach, or over to hit a casual round of golf.

The Bird’s Nest

Suitable for: Couples or solo travellers.

With salt in your hair and sand between your toes, nestle away in the quirky Bird’s Nest after a day of island exploring or kayaking.

This self-contained pad has all the frilly furnishings for a peachy beach escape. Choose a flick from the unit’s DVD/video library and settle in for a movie night after a sunset cocktail.

As most amenities are close to West Island’s accommodation, a leisurely stroll will bring you to the central pocket-sized hub.

Check out the Visitor Centre and chat with friendly staff about what’s on. They’ll help with bookings and answer any questions about the islands.

The Bird's Nest, Cocos Keeling Island
nestle away in the quirky Bird’s Nest after a day of island exploring or kayaking.

The Tropical Nook

Suitable for: Couples or solo travellers.

This self-contained studio is hidden in a quiet cul de sac that is an easy 150-metre stroll to the beach. The owners are a small family who lives in the main house and love to share their passion and knowledge of the Cocos with travellers.

With its own private entrance, whip yourself up a seafood feast in the kitchen then lay out on your own secluded deck, surrounded by nothing but lush tropical trees and the sounds of waves rolling in.

If you can tear yourself away from the pristine surroundings, a 500-metre walk will put you in the town centre.

Tropical Nook, Cocos Keeling Island
Chill out on your private balcony, or stroll down to the beach.

Beachcombers Cottage

Suitable for: Families or groups of up to eight people.

If this beautifully furnished cottage were any closer to the waves lapping the shoreline, your bed would be a water-based one.

Skip, hop or dance across the 30-metre palm-edged garden to the palm-edged beach, where you can laze under palm trees; FYI Cocos is full of coconut palms!

Pack up the fishing gear and throw your hook out. The five-star alfresco area boasts an outdoor kitchen kitted to cook up the day’s catch. Want to entertain? The indoor kitchen would suit any aspiring MasterChef.

The owners of this stylish four-bedroom, two-bathroom home have thought of everything and more. Along with features you’d expect to see in any first-rate property, you’ll find bicycles, paddle boards, kayaks, and snorkelling equipment.

Get in quick, book this premier home and listen to waves whisper against the shore as you sleep the night away.

Beachcombers Cottage, Cocos Keeling Islands
Stay right on the water at Beachcombers Cottage.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

The Castle

Suitable for: Families or groups of up to eight people.

Not to be mistaken with the iconic 1970s-styled home from the classic Australian movie, The Castle is a three-bedroom holiday house all about the modern touches, open-flow plan, and gourmet kitchen.

Saunter into town, nip in and out of Cocos’ shops, and grab a coffee and a freshly baked sweet treat at Salty’s Bakery & Grill.

The Castle’s huge outdoor patio area has cushioned day beds ready for an afternoon’s siesta.

Later, head into town and share duty-free drinks with friendly locals at the Cocos Club’s bar as the sun sets on another perfect day.

You’ll feel like a local as you catch up on the three w’s – what to do, where to go, and who to do it with, in paradise.

The Castle, Cocos Keeling Islands
Spread out on the generous-sized deck.

Cocos Escape

Suitable for: Couples, or solo travellers.

Escape life’s stresses and slide into seclusion at this end of West Island property.

White and bright and not a dot in sight, Cocos Escape is a clean, modern open-plan home boasting lagoon views across a beckoning ocean.

The holiday home has been designed for natural cooling with louvres and ceiling fans dotted throughout.

Amble twenty metres from your patio and plunge into the lagoon to spot the islands’ majestic turtles gliding through calm clear waters.

Take your pick from the deluxe two-bedroom option – suitable for up to four guests, or the self-contained one-bedroom studio apartment furnished for the solo traveller or couple.

Cocos Escape, Cocos Keeling Island
Escape life’s stresses at this secluded West Island property.

My Island Home

Suitable for: Two couples, or small families.

Relive your childhood in this hexagonal-designed pad; it has all the feels of grandma’s home. Games, books, videos, and nesting nooks feature in the bohemian two-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage that is My Island Home.

Retreat to the deck’s comfy couches and listen to the birds sing-song in the adjacent park.

Like everything on the islands, nothing is far away, whichever way you turn you’ll be taking holiday snaps before five minutes tick past on your smartwatch.

After a day of island hopping, the breeze through the property’s palm trees swishes you into slumber.

My Island Home, Cocos Keeling Islands
Listen to the birds sing-song in the adjacent park.

Oceania House

Suitable for: History buffs.

For a stay that blends history with island charm, Oceania House on Home Island is an option. Once the stately home of the Clunies-Ross family, the dynasty that ruled the Cocos Keeling Islands for more than a century, this heritage mansion offers guests a unique glimpse into the island’s colonial past. Today, it serves as a guesthouse, with rooms that overlook lush gardens and the azure waters of the lagoon. Staying here feels like stepping back in time, surrounded by antique furnishings and stories of a bygone era.

Oceania House on Home Island on Cocos Keeling Islands
Oceania House is a stay that blends history with island charm. (Image: Maui Pandocopy)

Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?

  1. Click here to set Australian Traveller as a preferred source.
  2. Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
Lynn Gail
Lynn Gail is a travel writer and photographer who supplies both Australian and international travel magazines with features she hopes take readers on immersive journeys. An intrepid traveller, she’s most at home sitting alongside indigenous cultures, learning age-old belief systems. With her photography, Lynn aims to capture an essence of her subjects through making a connection.
View profile and articles
hero media

Goat yoga to gastronomy: The ultimate guide to Wimmera Mallee, Vic

    Gemma Kaczerepa Gemma Kaczerepa
    Continue
    A world away from the hustle, bustle and chaos of the big smoke – yet with a distinct sense of familiarity – Victoria’s Wimmera Mallee region is an incomparable place.

    Victoria’s Grampians are a visual feast, a seemingly endless vista of craggy cliffs, rolling valleys and untamed bushland. But they’re also much more than a scenic mountain landscape. Diverse and storied, each region within the range has its own rhythm. The Wimmera Mallee – a pocket in the state’s north-west, stretching from Horsham to near Mildura – is one of the most captivating. 

    Once known as Victoria’s agricultural heartland, the Wimmera Mallee has evolved in recent years into a dynamic, slightly offbeat hub. It buzzes with a creative hum and welcoming energy, and harbours an eclectic mix of long-time locals and tree-changers. Once you encounter its unmistakable charm, feel its warm country hospitality and taste its nationally celebrated vanilla slice, you may find yourself lingering longer than planned. 

    Eager to explore? These must-visit spots let you experience the inimitable spirit of this special part of the world. 

    Wimmera Mallee’s quirky attractions

    The Dimboola Imaginarium, Wimmera Mallee victoria
    Step into the whacky Dimboola Imaginarium. (Image: Denis Bin)

    If you’re after something a little more unconventional, the Wimmera Mallee delivers in droves. 

    The Dimboola Imaginarium – located in a historic bank building in its namesake town – is a gift shop and boutique accommodation in one. Shop for unique and whimsical keepsakes, stay overnight in an elegant themed room, and lose yourself in one of the Imaginarium’s interactive experiences.  

    Also in Dimboola, just a short drive from the Imaginarium, is a menagerie of utter delight. Tiny Goats and Co. is home to a herd of miniature goats, with the farm offering group visits and special events like goat yoga and cuddle sessions. 

    Arcade aficionados should visit the Australian Pinball Museum in nearby Nhill. Here, you’ll find the biggest selection of playable pinball machines in the country, featuring modern models and classics dating all the way back to 1931.  

    Arts and culture in Wimmera Mallee

    Step into the Wimmera Mallee’s storied history at the Stick Shed
    Step into history at the Stick Shed. (Image: Visit Vic)

    As a thoroughly creative community, it’s no wonder the Wimmera Mallee has a host of venues focused on its rich arts and culture scene. 

    Wander Trickbots Metal Art & Sculpture Garden in Nullawil, a winding trail filled with unique and quirky creations fashioned from metal odds, ends and scrap. A walk through the garden is inspiring enough, but consider buying a piece to take home and treasure. 

    The town of Nhill also has a significant Karen-Burmese refugee community, who make up 10 per cent of the local population. Discover the artistry of this vibrant culture at Paw Po, where you can purchase traditional hand-woven and textile products. Choose from a selection of beautifully crafted homewares, fashion and dolls. 

    Step into the Wimmera Mallee’s storied history at the Stick Shed, the only WWII emergency grain store still standing today. This National Heritage-listed structure takes you on a journey through the region’s agricultural past and is a dramatic sight with its towering and eerily striking timber poles. 

    Nature escapes around Wimmera Mallee

    pink Lake Tyrrel, Wimmera Mallee, Victoria Australia
    Take in the pink hues of Lake Tyrrell. (Image: Visit Vic)

    Much like the majestic beauty of the wider Grampians, the Wimmera Mallee is a mélange of serene and spellbinding nature escapes. 

    Victoria’s pink lakes are famed nationwide, and two of them are found right here. See the flamingo-pink hues of Loch Iel, particularly vivid after a heavy downpour, or the vast and ancient Lake Tyrrell, which turns pink during wet and warm conditions. 

    The Snowdrift dunes in Wyperfeld National Park are ideal for adventurers. Set amid the area’s semi-arid landscape, the dunes are expansive mounds of sand deposited around 40,000 years ago. Hike or sandboard them and make sure to visit at sunset, when the sand glows golden. 

    And while some travellers chase the highest peaks, you can see the most modest in the Wimmera Mallee. Standing a mere 43 metres above the surrounding terrain, Mount Wycheproof is considered the smallest registered mountain in the world. Courtesy of its relatively gentle inclines, it’s a lovely spot for a walk and a picnic. 

    Culinary adventures in Wimmera Mallee

    border inn in the Wimmera Mallee
    Meet the locals at Border Inn.

    As a region rich in agricultural bounty, it’s little surprise the Wimmera Mallee has such a robust and vibrant food scene. The community is fiercely proud of its local produce, showcasing the flavours and heritage of the area. 

    The Border Inn in the village of Apsley is a quaint country pub and meeting spot for the local community, featuring a classic country menu and warm hospitality. 

    The Horsham Golf Club is a popular spot for golf buffs with an adjoining bistro and bar. Try a modern twist on hearty favourites while taking in views of the green.  For a taste of the area’s vintages, head to Norton Estate Wines – a boutique wine producer and cellar door open weekends.  

    A Wimmera Mallee jaunt wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the famed Sharp’s Bakery in Birchip. Here, you’ll find a velvety vanilla slice that’s been crowned as Australia’s best seven times. 

    Wimmera Mallee accommodation

    Fulham Homestead in wimmera mallee
    Escape to Fulham Homestead.

    If you’re enjoying an extended trip, you’ll need somewhere to rest. After a day tackling Wyperfeld’s epic dunes, visit Pine Plains Lodge, also in the national park. Built from reclaimed timber planks and logs, and anchored by rugged stone fireplaces, the lodge is a rustic and cosy hideaway. 

    For a refined yet relaxing escape, head to Fulham Homestead – a gorgeously restored guesthouse on an idyllic working farm, complete with farm animals and scenic vistas. Built in the 1840s, it has all the elegance and charm of its heritage, plus contemporary comforts like a modern kitchen, wi-fi and air-conditioning. 

    The Hermitage Hotel is Victoria’s oldest inland pub and an equally delightful blend of old and new. The restored rooms are perfectly appointed and adorned with period furnishings and high-quality linens. The pub itself is a favoured food and wine spot among locals and travellers alike. 

    If camping is more your style, the Lake Lascelles Cabins and Camping (formerly Mallee Bush Retreat) is a sprawling oasis with powered and unpowered sites and snug cabins. The setting is stunning too, the pristine Lake Lascelles sitting right in its centre. 

    Annual events

    Wimmera Mallee Nhill Aviation Museum
    Time your visit to Nhill Aviation Museum for the annual air show.

    You may not need an excuse to revisit the Wimmera Mallee, but these annual and bi-annual events will almost certainly have you returning again and again. 

    Each year, the Lake Chalegrark Country Music Marathon takes over the town for a spectacular line-up of musicians from around Australia. The event is easygoing, family-friendly, and set in scenic surrounds on the shores of Lake Charlegrark. 

    Every two years, the region holds colourful events like the Wimmera Steampunk Festival, a raucous celebration of 19th-century steampunk culture with a different theme each time; the Nhill Air Show, which features jaw-dropping aerial stunts, aircraft displays, music, activities and more; and the Nati Frinj, a festival of art, culture and performance showcasing the many talents of the Natimuk community. 

    From the quirky to the tasty, start planning at visitwimmeramallee.com.au