Isolated and Extremely Off-the-beaten path: Diego Garcia, BIOT
Strictly speaking it’s a top secret military base and an alleged black-ops CIA location in the middle of the Indian Ocean and closed to travelers.
I have been to Diego Garcia at least a dozen times while in the Navy, and the last time I was there was 1983. It’s beauty is unmatched by any other island I have ever been to, anywhere.
it’s one of thee furthest places you can be on land and still extremely far from any mainland. It’s also the furthest I have been from home: over 10,200 miles.
So when non-military people tell me they have been to Diego Garcia, I know they are bullshitting me and just trying to prove they are a world traveler. And for military folk who claim to have been there, there are ways of detecting truth from fantasy about having been here.
What to do on Diego Garcia?
Snorkeling, fishing and day drinking were among the top activities we partook in when off-duty in Diego Garcia.
The island abounds in history and controversy, from WWII wreckage to abandoned plantations and forced migrations of the indigenous people. Much of it documented and beyond the scope of my blog – you can google it.
While it is beautiful, I have no desire to go back, and for that matter the Maldives or other Indian Ocean islands after seeing the raw beauty and isolation of Diego Garcia.
I guess my proof of having been to Diego Garcia is having photos of some of you guys there on the beach. 🙂 Do you remember the old Spanish Cemetery at one end of the island, or the Hammerhead Shark that supposedly prowled one of the lagoons? That was an adventure for sure.