Believe it or not Christmas Island, actually has nothing to do with the Holiday Season of Christmas. A small, non self-governing Territory of Australia, the Territory of Christmas Island is  located in the Indian Ocean, approximately 2360 km northwest of Perth Australia.  Only about 1500 residents live on Christmas Island.

Christmas Island is of immense interest to scientists and naturalists due to it’s unique natural topography and is it’s large number of species that have evolved in isolation. Not only isolation but also undisturbed by human activity. While some mining activity has gone on the island for the past many years. Over 60 percent of the island’s 135 square kilometres is now National Park. There is also several large areas of pristine and ancient rainforest.

No one is really sure who discovered Christmas Island. All we know is that it is first published on a map produced by Pieter Goos, in 1666. On the map the island was named Moni. The earliest recorded visit to the island is by William Dampier, in March of 1688. William Dampier found the island uninhabited.

William Dampier’s was traveling from New Holland trying to reach Cocos. Apparently his ship was pulled way off course to the east and after travelling for 28 days, he arrived at Christmas Island.

Author: Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of  Pixibot which is a great web directory and information center for information on all types of topics.  See more about Christmas Island here.

Christmas Island is a great place to visit when taking a holiday vacation. It is known as the Island of the Crab or Kiribati because there a lot of crabs patiently crawling on the seashore. Christmas Island is barely known as a holiday destination, but this is likely to change after the TV series Survivor shot a whole season here. With its sandy white beaches and its turquoise waters, Christmas Island is a jewel in the Pacific.

Video about the yearly mass migration of the red crabs to the sea where they will breed and spawn.

You should visit Christmas Island National Park first before touring around the island. From here you will get to know the island’s rich culture and natural resources. You will also get to enjoy and admire a variety of the island’s flora and fauna. You will also see a variety of endangered species that are treated well in the national park. The park is simply nature at its best. It is a miniature representation of the whole of Christmas Island.

Christmas Island is also a popular place for water activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing. Beneath these activities, however, lies the beauty of sea creature found in Christmas Island. There are evil-looking moray eels gaping from corral crevices, parrot fish and somewhere beyond the reef lurk an alarmingly healthy population of hammerheads and tiger sharks. There are many reefs here that are homes to a myriad of sea creatures. You will get to see dolphins and a variety of tropical fishes which are really colourful.

There are whale sharks to see in the depths of the island shore in their natural habitat. When you are done with the marine life, then you may experience bird watching. The island is home to a wide species of birds, any bird lover will surely appreciate Christmas Island. There are lots of colourful birds here, ranging from very small to larger birds like the eagle.

Another thing that makes Christmas Island a popular place to stay is the Red Crab festival, which is an event a lot of visitors await for. Christmas Island would not be the same without the yearly mass migration of the red crabs to the sea where they will breed and spawn. The best month to experience this is after the beginning of the wet season. This is truly a sight to behold as this island is invaded by these tiny red creatures. People will witness how the white sandy beach on the island becomes swarming with red crawling sea creatures.

The Flying Fish Cove is another attraction on the Island. You can reach this cove via yacht. Once there, there are a lot of things to keep you busy and a number of places to explore. Here, you might be lucky enough to see a giant manta ray. For starters, there are recreational activities such as swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, canoing, and other water sports. If you are not into these activities, you can just romanticize the place by strolling along the cove by foot.

Author: Andrew Gibson is MD of Direct Holiday Bookings. It is one of the fastest growing online travel websites for booking holiday homes. To see an example of why Direct Holiday Bookings is growing so rapidly have a look at Holiday Villas.

Direct Holiday Bookings also has a great selection of Holiday Cottages and self catering holiday apartments that can be rented as holiday homes all over the world.

See more articles about Christmas Island CLICK HERE.