Christmas Island is a small territory of Australia nestling in the Indian Ocean, 2600 kilometres northwest of Perth and 500 kilometres south of Jakarta, Indonesia.  Here's the map.

Shallow waters with fringing reef surround the island, before plunging dramatically into the depths of the Java Trench, the Indian Ocean's deepest point. Caves honeycomb the limestone cliffs at sea level.

These marine environments provide a visual feast for snorkellers and divers alike. Over 63% of Christmas Island is national parkland. Walking and driving tracks lead to many lookouts, beaches and freshwater waterfalls. It is a nature lover's delight.

The onset of the wet season triggers is the world famous red crab migration.  Around 120 million crabs leave their burrows in the rainforest and begin the journey down to the sea to mate and spawn.

Travel Guides for Christmas Island are few and far between.  With only about 2,000 visitors each year, the market for such a book isn't vast. 

However, the good news is that we've tracked down a real gem, The essential Christmas Island travel guide. It's by UK based authors, Beth and Shaun Tierney, who also wrote Diving the World and Diving Southeast Asia. The bad news is that it's only available from the Christmas Island Tourism Association. Books are posted once per week from Christmas Island, and will generally take 1 - 2 weeks to arrive at their destination.  If you'd like a copy, email the Christmas Island Tourism Association here.

• Whale Sharks & Mantas - from November to April, the whale sharks visit the island often in large numbers. Underwater their massive bulk is a breathtaking sight.  Being plankton feeders, their arrival coincides with the spawning of the red crab population.
• West White Beach is home to the island's best hard coral reef. There are acres of pristine coral including tabletops up to 3 metres in diameter, masses of Porite heads, Staghorn and many other varieties.
• Pig Rock  - well worth the 45 minute boat ride which takes in the picturesque northern and western coastlines. The rock itself protrudes from the cliff and closely resembles a pig's head.
• Thundercliff Cave is a dive site not be missed. Wave action has eroded the limestone cliffs to carve out huge caves.
  

• No instances of Malaria have been reported. There are rare occurrences of Hepatitis C. However there is no particular vaccination required when visiting the island.