Influencer told to ‘cover up’ micro bikini on holiday to Cocos Island

A Brisbane influencer currently on an exotic island getaway has revealed her skimpy micro bikini caused a stir among locals.

An Australian influencer has revealed she was forced to cover up while holidaying overseas because her signature micro-bikini wasn’t “culturally appropriate”.

Mikaela Testa is currently visiting Cocos Island, a remote territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean, located 2750kms northwest of Perth, Western Australia.

But after arriving on the weekend, Mikaela – who has over 1 million followers – quickly found herself at the centre of controversy over her skimpy outfit.

Mikaela Testa was told to ‘cover up’ her micro bikini on holiday to Cocos Island. Picture: Instagram/MikaleaTesta

“So I landed in Cocos yesterday and the lady who owns the Airbnb that we’re staying in received some calls from some locals saying I should be wearing something more culturally appropriate as this island is predominantly Muslim,” she said in a video shared on TikTok.

“So today I am covering up to show some respect, and I respect their wishes 100 per cent.”

In the clip, a daily vlog shared on the social media platform, Mikaela can be seen covering up with a brown scarf that she wore over her head and shoulders.

However, some fans were quick to point out she was wearing a “skin-tight” dress that was still visible – and that it had cut outs on her hips.

“If your covering up to show respect why are you only covering your hair??” one user commented.

“What are you talking about you didn’t cover nothing she wasn’t talking about your hair,” another raged.

She said she was happy to respect the local culture. Picture: TikTok/MikaleaTesta

But some followers suggested her outfit was still too revealing. Picture: TikTok/MikaleaTesta

Many were quick to defend the influencer, who is best known for crying over the fact Instagram withdrew its ‘likes’ feature back in 2019, saying she was trying to be respectful and that’s what matters.

“At least she’s trying to show respect. She clearly isn’t fully aware of everything in the culture but she’s making an effort to respect locals,” one said.

“I’m so confused she covered as much as she could. She tried to be as respectful as she thought she could, what’s with the comments,” another argued.

One more added: “Thank you for being respectful about other religions and covering up instead of being like ‘it’s 2022’ lots of respect.”

‘Locals said I should be wearing something more culturally appropriate’. Picture: Instagram/MikaleaTesta

But it hasn’t stopped her from posing for bikini-clad photos. Picture: TikTok/MikaleaTesta

Despite the criticism, Mikaela has been able to enjoy her getaway with boyfriend Atis Paul, with the pair sharing racy snaps on Instagram.

In one photo, Mikaela poses for her followers in a tiny white string bikini, while in another she’s posing in the ocean in a rainbow two piece.

Another photo shows her posing underneath a palm tree in a cut-out bikini that shows a cheeky amount of underboob.