Best Travel Time and Climate for Christmas Island

Every year there is an incredible migration of red crabs on Christmas Island – an outlying area in the Indian Ocean belonging to Australia. If you’ve ever put together a list of exotic islands you’d like to visit, Christmas Island is probably near the bottom of that list. And only if you’ve heard of her at all.

According to SHOPPINGPICKS, Christmas Island is located about 2,500 km north of the Australian city of Perth and 480 km south of the Indonesian island of Java. Nevertheless, it is worth the trip – also because of the migration of the red crabs. Every year in winter, around 50 million of the bright red creatures swarm to the beaches to mate and spawn. Then you are everywhere. Aside from crabs, there is also a lot to see and do on the island. Only a little over 2,000 people live on the island, but 63% of Christmas Island is a national park and large parts of it are covered with tropical rainforest. On the other hand, you can go snorkeling, diving, fishing or hiking.

Best travel time

The red crab migration is one of the tourist highlights of the year and an incredible event. It can be done at the beginning of the rainy season in November and December, depending on the whims of nature.

Red crab migration

When someone speaks of “Christmas Island”, the first thoughts are often the red crabs of Christmas Island, whose spectacular migration is one of the most impressive in the world, but the island is much more than just a habitat for red crabs. There are actually over 20 different species of crab that have been found on the island. From the endemic blue crabs that populate the wetlands to the extraordinary predator crabs (also known as coconut crabs), which are the largest land crustaceans in the world and wander the island’s streets as if they own the place. When driving across the island, be sure to drive slowly and carefully. The crabs also have a habit of stealing shiny and strange items that they find on their way. Because of this, locals hang their bags on the trees instead of putting them on the ground when camping or hiking. There are also different types of hermit crabs, ghost crabs, sipping crabs, land crabs, and cave crabs.

Climate at Flying Fish Cove

Since Christmas Island is only 10 degrees south of the equator, there is a tropical climate with wet and dry seasons all year round. The temperature is warm all year round, with average lows of 22 ° C and average highs of 28 ° C. Don’t forget your sunscreen! The humidity is constant between 70 and 90%. In the rainy season (from December to April) it is advisable to pack a light rain jacket, even if showers rarely last long at this time of the year.

Getting there

Christmas Island (and the nearby Cocos Islands) are among the most remote areas in Australia and are far from the usual tourist trail. Flights to and from Christmas Island are served by only three airlines: Virgin Australia from Perth (Australia), Garuda from Jakarta (Indonesia) and Malindo Air from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

The difficulty of getting there makes up some of the island’s charm. Due to the very low flight activity, you should take possible delays into account when planning your trip and take out insurance. In order to get to the most special places in the world, however, you have to accept risks and efforts.

Mosquitoes

There are plenty of mosquitoes – in the jungle, on the beaches, and in the bars and restaurants – they are everywhere. But mosquitoes do not transmit diseases on Christmas Island. So there is no risk of malaria, dengue fever or yellow fever . Even so, we strongly recommend taking mosquito repellant with you and reapplying it throughout the day to maintain protection. Because even if they do not transmit diseases, the mosquito bites still itch.

Currency

As the Australian outskirts, the Australian dollar is legal tender. All supermarkets, shops and restaurants etc. accept credit and debit cards, but most shops value cash in small banknotes. There is only one bank on the island. However, you can withdraw cash if you spend more than $ 20 at the grocery store or post office above Flying Fish Cove.