#49: First postcard from Cocos (Keeling) Islands

West Island Beach

Commemorative and beach stamps

Received from Deborah from Australia.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are southwest of Christmas Island and approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka.

#173: Second postcard from Mauritius

Beach and marine views

Commemorative stamp

Received from Samuel and Vivi from Rivière du Rempart.

Mauritius is the most densely populated country in Africa.

#173: First postcard from Mauritius

Beach view

Tea industry and HIV and AIDS awareness stamps

Received from Tasneem from Phoenix.

Mauritius is situated about 1,200 miles off the southeast coast of Africa.

#49: Second postcard from Christmas Island

Flying Fish Cove

Bird, pineapple and Christmas stamps

Received from Katrina from Christmas Island.

Christmas Island is much closer to Indonesia than Australia.

#160: First postcard from the Maldives

Couple on the beach

Dolphins

Received from Igor from Malé.

The Maldives lie between Minicoy Island and the Chagos Archipelago.

#120: First postcard from British Indian Ocean Territory

A coconut crab, native to Diego Garcia, goes exploring

Scaevola Bush

Received from Greg from Pleasantville, United States.

British Indian Ocean Territory is mostly below 2 metres above sea level.

#17: Second postcard from Réunion

Saint Denis

Cape Houssaye and Dolomieu Crater stamps 

Received from Shamia from Saint Pierre.

Réunion was claimed by the French in 1643 and named as Bourbon.

#148: First postcard from the Seychelles

Anse Kerlan, Praslin

White-lined goatfsh stamp

Received from Harris from Victoria.

The Seychelles are a 155-island country spanning an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, whose capital, Victoria, lies some 932 miles east of mainland Southeast Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar.

#30: Third postcard from Madagascar

Highlands

Pentachlaena latifolia and architecture stamps

Received from Soafara from Antananarivo.

When Coca-Cola stopped using real vanilla from Madagascar in its products, it had a strong negative effect on the economy.

#33: First postcard from British Indian Ocean Territory (United States Military)

Diego Garcia

Apple stamp

Received from Greg from Pleasantville, United States.

The runway on Diego Garcia would have been able to support the Space Shuttle in the event of a mission abort.

#143: First postcard from Sri Lanka

Festive

Aviation, people and architecture stamps

Received from Sarath from Kadugannawa.

Sri Lanka has maritime borders with India to the northwest and the Maldives to the southwest.

#120: First post from British Indian Ocean Territory

Map of the Chagos Archipelago

Will and Kate stamp

Handstamp on the back

Received from Major Richard Lawley XO HQ Bt BIOT (Foreign Office representative, magistrate, coroner, planning officer and nice bloke) from Diego Garcia.

British Indian Ocean Territory is situated in the Indian Ocean halfway between Tanzania and Indonesia.

#113: Third postcard from French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Great albatross

Le mischief, tortoise and Marion Dufresne (?) stamps

Received from Wenceslas from the Alfred Faure Base.

The French Southern and Antarctic Lands consist of Kerguelen, Saint Paul and Amsterdam, Crozet Islands, Adélie Land and the Scattered Islands and are located in the Southern Indian Ocean.

#113: Second postcard from French Southern and Antarctic Lands

Alfred Faure Base and fauna of TAAF multiviews

Fauna/transport and TAAF flag stamps

Received from Serge from the Alfred Faure Base. Please check out his blog here.

The French Southern and Antarctic Lands consist of Kerguelen, Saint Paul and Amsterdam, Crozet Islands, Adélie Land and the Scattered Islands and are located in the Southern Indian Ocean.

#113: First postcard from French Southern and Antarctic Lands

King Penguins

Colin Austral, Tortoise and Marion Dufresne (?) stamps with nice hand-stamps

Received from Wenceslas from the Alfred Faure Base.

The French Southern and Antarctic Lands consist of Kerguelen, Saint Paul and Amsterdam, Crozet Islands, Adélie Land and the Scattered Islands and are located in the Southern Indian Ocean.

#17: First postcard from Réunion

Takamaka waterfall

Europa stamps

Received from Shamia from Saint Pierre.

Réunion is a French island located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 120 miles southwest of Mauritius.

#49: First postcard from Christmas Island

Red Crab Migration

Christmas Island hand-stamp

Received from Katrina from Christmas Island.

Christmas Island is located northwest of Perth,Western Australia, south of Indonesia, East Northeast of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and west of Darwin, Northern Territory.

Its a dream to visit here one day - so much interesting flora and fauna. Check out the tourism website for travel ideas and how to get there. For a nice article about visiting the island, here is an article written by the ASTW Travel Writer of the Year 2013, Louise Southerden.