Travel and Visa Requirements for Cocos Islander

• A valid international travel passport
• A completed visa application form
• The applicable visa fee
• Evidence of permission to enter the destination country
• A photocopy of your passport data page
• Financial proof — an original bank statement
• A letter of invitation, where one is required

Exact requirements vary by destination and visa type — always confirm what your destination needs before you apply.

The capital of Cocos Islands is the West Island. Cocos (Keeling) Islands is an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean comprising a small archipelago midway between Sri Lanka and Australia. It is part of Southeast Asia. Cocos refers to the abundance of coconut trees, while Keeling is the name of the man who discovered the island in 1609, William Keeling. It has beautiful beaches and a picturesque scenery.

The climate is tropical with a cool season from June to October and a hot period from December to March. The warmest months are February and March. Since the country has a stable temperature, it never gets too hot or cold.

It has a predominantly Muslim population, the rest practice Christianity or are nonreligious. The culture of the Cocos island is basically a Western culture with influences from Indonesia and Malaysia. The main influence comes from mainland Australia.

The ethnic groups in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are the Europeans and Cocos Malays. The languages spoken in the Cocos islands are English and Malay. The Europeans wear Western attires while the Malay attires include Beju Melaya for men and Beju Kebaya which consists of loose tunic worn over skirt for women.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands cuisine consists of cousins from Europe and Malaysia. Mee goreng mamak, apam balik (Malaysian pancake), kuih and roti John are eaten by the Malays. Pizza, hamburger, pasta, pie, cheese and many more are eaten by the Europeans. Fish and pumpkins are a staple.

The Cocos Islands is calm and peaceful and boasts some tourist attractions. Some of them are:

• The Cocos (Keeling) lagoon: Seek the bonefish grail in the Cocos (Keeling) lagoon.
• Home island: Experience the unique Cocos Malay culture in Home island.
• The Southern islands: Go kite surfing and snorkelling in the Southern islands.
• Direction island: Go scuba diving in Direction island.

Interesting facts about Cocos Islands are that the capital is an island rather than a town or city and there are no native mammals there. There are, however, many species of bird, two species of rodent and four species of reptile.

There is a sufficient number of beautiful resorts and hotels in the Cocos Islands so getting an accommodation is quite easy.