Home Island

Home Island The cultural heart of the islands

Just a short ferry ride across the lagoon, Home Island feels a world away from West Island.

The Cocos Malay community has called this island home for nearly 200 years, maintaining a strong culture, deep sense of community and enduring connection to the islands.

Visitors are drawn to Home Island for its relaxed pace, welcoming locals and rich history. Experience the unique Cocos Malay culture, shaped by the Sunni branch of Islam, whether you stay overnight in locally run accommodation or visit on a day trip from West Island.

A young Home Island woman cooks over a traditional drum

Home Island What is it like?

Home Island is distinct from West Island in both feel and pace. Life in the kampong is shaped by culture, community and the Muslim faith, giving the island a character all its own.

Visiting Home Island offers a slower, more immersive experience of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Expect friendly greetings as you wander the streets, local flavours at the island’s small cafes, and a fascinating history that continues to shape the community today.

When visiting, please dress respectfully by covering your shoulders and knees.

Home Island Things to do

Home Island offers visitors the chance to connect more deeply with the culture and history of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Join a local experience to learn about the island’s past and present, from Ossie’s Culture Tour to traditional crafts such as basket weaving and woodwork. Step inside Oceania House, the ancestral home of the Clunies-Ross family, for a glimpse into one chapter of the islands’ layered history.

Visit the Pulu Cocos Museum and Visitor Centre to learn about the remarkable story of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, including the wartime events that unfolded here.

Home Island is also a wonderful place to enjoy local flavours. Tuck into a Wednesday night Cocos Malay buffet, or learn to cook the cuisine yourself in a local cooking workshop.

For a slower pace, wander the Home Island foreshore and soak up the scenery, sea breeze and everyday rhythm of island life.

Things to do

Home Islander elder doing traditional basket weaving with palm fronds

Home Island Where to stay

A stay on Home Island suits visitors wanting to experience the quieter, more cultural side of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Accommodation is available in the historic Oceania House, once home to the Clunies-Ross family, or among a local family at Cocos Kampong Homestay for a more personal and immersive stay.

Accommodation

Home Island Where to eat

A handful of local eateries on Home Island serve a mix of Cocos Malay cuisine and Aussie favourites. The Wednesday night buffets at Kampong Cafe and Sweet As Makan are a highlight for many visitors and not to be missed.

The local supermarket stocks pantry basics, frozen goods and a limited range of fresh produce for self-catering. Free gas BBQs dotted around the island also make it easy to enjoy lunch or dinner on the foreshore.

Eat & Drink

Someone eating spring rolls on Home Island

Home Island Getting Here

From West Island, Home Island is just a short 25-minute ferry ride across the lagoon. The ferry runs daily except Sunday, with late services on Wednesday evenings. A bus meets the ferry on West Island to transfer passengers between the jetty and the settlement.

You can also travel to Direction Island from Home Island by ferry on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Ferry Timetable

A drone shot of Home Island from the northern end

Plan your stay on Home Island

Whether you visit for the day or stay a little longer, Home Island offers the chance to slow down and connect with the culture, history and community at the heart of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Start planning your visit and discover how to make the most of your time on Home Island.

Accommodation

Getting here

View of the Cocos Keelng Islands from the airplane window

History, Culture & Language

Two Cocos Malay women cook traditional food in a wok, showcasing food on the Cocos Islands

It is rare, in this day and age, to come upon a place so delightful in both looks and temperament that, on the very first sighting, one’s jaw does genuinely drop.

Georgia Rickard Australian Traveller

If going with the flow is how you roll, you will love the Cocos Keeling Islands. They have a small – very small – country town vibe. Your activities revolve around the exquisite lagoon whether they be snorkelling, diving, fishing, parasailing, or just relaxing under a coconut palm reading a book while inhaling the frangipani infused air

Steve Klein Curious Campers

Scuba diving at Cocos Keeling islands is nothing short of spectacular. Fabulous visibility, pristine coral reefs, abundant marine life and all the trappings of a tropical paradise without the flashy resorts. Yes, it is isolated and it takes some effort to get there, but this is more than offset by the quality of the diving, the friendly locals and the very laid back and relaxing ambience of the entire place. It is quirky, fun and a great place for a holiday. We will return and soon

Phillip Tubb Melbourne

Don’t miss this place. My wife and I recently spent a fantastic week on Cocos Keeling Islands. We took the opportunity to take the twice weekly ferry service from West Island to Direction Island... we loved it so much we came back for a second time.

Mike G Joondalup

Home Island is definitely quieter than West Island with religion a big part of daily life but the locals were so friendly and welcoming. It was so nice to be able to swim straight off the shore in amazing turquoise water while we cooked BBQs at sunset. Highly recommended!

Pete