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Travel Guide
Visiting British Indian Ocean Territory
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Guide in progress
We're still building our British Indian Ocean Territory travel guide. Check back soon for attractions, cities, and local tips.
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Top Attractions in British Indian Ocean Territory
The most iconic and unmissable experiences this country has to offer.
Chagos Marine Protected Area
One of the largest no take marine reserves on earth, covering roughly 640,000 square kilometres of the central Indian Ocean. Its reefs are among the least damaged anywhere, with fish densities researchers use as a baseline for what a healthy reef should look like. Access is closed to general visitors, and the reserve is studied mainly through permitted scientific expeditions.
Diego Garcia
The largest island of the archipelago, a narrow horseshoe of land wrapped around a deep natural lagoon. It holds the joint United Kingdom and United States naval support facility, which is the only settlement in the territory. Entry is restricted to people connected to the facility or the administration, and there is no tourist access.
Great Chagos Bank
The largest coral atoll structure in the world, a submerged bank of more than 12,000 square kilometres ringed by scattered islets. Most of it lies just below the surface, which is why it appears on charts as open sea rather than land. It is a cornerstone of the territory's reef ecosystem and a focus of long running coral research.
Wise
Your bank marks up every USD you spend in British Indian Ocean Territory. Wise doesn't.
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free ATM withdrawals up to your limit
- Pay in local currency at the real rate
4.8 ★ App Store·4.8 ★ Google Play
Airalo eSIM
Your phone plan was built for home. This one was built for British Indian Ocean Territory.
- No SIM swapping
- No data roaming charges
- Active in minutes
4.7 ★ App Store·4.6 ★ Google Play
Health & Safety
Health & Emergency Info
Before You Travel
Before you travel check that: your destination can provide the healthcare you may need you have appropriate travel insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation This is particularly important if you have a health condition or are pregnant. Healthcare in the British Indian Ocean Territory There are limited medical facilities in the British Indian Ocean Territory. There are no hospitals or air ambulances. Medical evacuations take between 24 and 72 hours to organise. Search and rescue facilities are limited. The British Indian Ocean Territory administration will only grant entry
Full health advice (FCDO) →Health information sourced from UK FCDO. Always consult a travel health professional before departure.
Practical Info
Travel Essentials
Drive on
right
Language
English
Travel Guide
Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting British Indian Ocean Territory
There is no tourism in the territory and no scheduled passenger service of any kind. Access to Diego Garcia is limited to people connected to the naval support facility or to the territory's administration, and the outer islands can be reached only under a permit issued for safe passage by yacht. Entry requirements for any journey vary by passport, so check your specific requirements on the destination page at Yoogo.
The archipelago has been administered by the United Kingdom as the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1965. In May 2025 the United Kingdom and Mauritius signed a treaty providing for Mauritius to exercise sovereignty over the archipelago, with the United Kingdom retaining rights over Diego Garcia under a 99 year lease. Implementation was still working through the United Kingdom Parliament into 2026, so confirm the current position before making any plans.
The United States dollar is the currency in use, reflecting the American presence at the naval support facility on Diego Garcia. Pounds sterling are also accepted in some settings on the base. There are no public banks, cash machines, or exchange facilities anywhere in the territory.
The territory has no civilian population and no crime problem in the ordinary sense, but it is one of the most remote places on earth. The nearest substantial land is more than 1,500 kilometres away, and any medical emergency on the outer islands means waiting for a vessel or an air evacuation. Yachts on permitted passage are expected to be entirely self sufficient.
Diego Garcia is served by military and charter flights and has an internal road network on the base, where traffic drives on the right. The outer islands have no airstrips, no roads, and no settlements, so movement between atolls is by boat only. There is no public transport of any kind.
The calmest conditions fall between April and October, outside the north west monsoon, which is when most permitted passages are timed. Cyclones are rare this close to the equator, but squalls and sudden wind shifts are common year round. Permits set their own date windows, and those take precedence over the weather.
English is the language of administration and of daily life on Diego Garcia. Filipino and Mauritian contract staff make up much of the civilian workforce, so Tagalog and Mauritian Creole are also widely heard. Chagossian Creole survives among the displaced Chagossian community, mostly in Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the United Kingdom.