When it comes to travelling off the beaten track, options don’t get much more fascinating than East Timor.
When it comes to travelling off the beaten track, options don’t get much more fascinating or obscure as East Timor, a tiny half-island nation at the south-eastern extremities of Asia that became the first new country of the millennium when it gained independence from centuries of Portuguese colonial rule, and Indonesian occupation, in 2002.
East Timor – officially and locally known as Timor Leste, is rich in natural beauty, and filled with some of the most inviting and hospitable people in the world. 12 years on since going solo, its economy may be small but it’s growing fast, and infrastructure is steadily being put in place. With a sprinkling of mostly foreign-run hotels, inns and restaurants, as well as stunning diving and hiking opportunities just a few kilometers from the capital of Dili, East Timor offers a pure Asian experience without the crowds.
Standing tall on a peninsula just east of Dili, the statue of Cristo Rei offers a panoramic view of East Timor’s coastline. A model of Jesus Christ with arms aloft gifted to the territory by Indonesia, it signifies East Timor as one of only two Catholic countries in Asia – the other being The Philippines. Beaches stretch out on both sides, empty and peaceful to the east, and dotted with inns and cafes to the west, all backed by the mini-mountain topography of the rugged and rural nation.
Stay options in Dili are largely spread along the waterfront, with Hotel California one of the best placed. Offering 8 serviced villas (USD$120-180) as well as 32 Asian-inspired hotel rooms (USD$80-100), it is managed by local Timorese and was opened in 2007 by Brenda Lei and Paul Remedios. Its two Beach Villas are just 10 meters from the beach, and with its own terraced California Bar and facilities including free bikes and kayaks, it’s also well equipped.
The hotel plans a Jazz and Blues bar as it continues to expand, but is also keen to ensure it protects the environment around it with green touches such as solar-powered street lights and solar-powered hot water in its cozy rooms.
Perhaps East Timor’s most distinctive local product unique to the country is the multi-colored textile known as tais. A hand-woven cloth that forms part of the cultural heritage of the nation, it previously served as a currency, exchanged for other goods due its value. Worn at royal ceremonies and special occasions, the manufacture of it remains a source of income for many women in the country, especially via many NGOs and organizations such as Alola Esperansa.
In a side street between the main thoroughfare of Avenida Almirante Americo Tomas and Rua Abilio Monteiro, Dili Tais Market is filled with stalls operated by locals that make for both a great photo opportunity due to the ethnic patterns and glorious colors, but also a chance to pick up authentic local tais.
Only a ten-minute drive from Dili in any direction and the landscape turns to one of rural, simple life, where many survive on subsistence living. The mountainous territory is topped by Mount Ramelau (2,963m), the summit of which offers views of clouds literally rolling across hillsides as they gather shortly after sunrise – the highlight of an East Timor trip for many.
Coral reefs and fish-filled oceans barely require scuba-diving gear in the oceans around, such are the abundance of coral and their proximity to the surface. Snorkeling alone reveals bright coral reefs and their resident fish, while divers need only walk in to the water from the beaches to find diving of high quality at locations such as at Dili Rock East, or better still, north of Dili on the perimeter of Atauro Island. Dive shops such Dive Timor Lorosae offer full services.
The Archives and Museum of East-Timorese Resistancedocuments in a thorough and illuminating fashion the history of the territory, through its struggle for independence first from the Portuguese who had long-neglected their distant colony, and then through the brutal Indonesian occupation that followed.
A feature of the highly informative and multilingual museum is its detailed documentation of how and why the occupation occurred, and the unfortunate circumstances that allowed world powers such as the US to tacitly agree to it in the first place. Condemnation followed, and the video of the 1991 Dili Massacre that shocked the world and sparked international support forms part of an unmissable presentation for any visitor.
Part of the pleasure of a visit to Dili is the opportunity to mingle with Timorese themselves, and the starting place for many is the center of retail in the city, Timor Plaza. A center for social, cultural and commercial activity, it is here that many locals can be found discovering the conveniences of modern global hubs such as coffee shops and food outlets, along with an expat community who gather at some of the areas finest restaurants like Makanan and Panorama.
Timorese people are largely of Malayo-Polynesian and Melanesian or Papuan descent, connecting them historically to Pacific island nations. Tribal peoples, the Timorese are actually made up of many groups that each number in the tens of thousands. That makes Dili something of a melting pot, and simple strolls around back streets to say hello to townfolk are guaranteed a smile and a welcome to the country by locals who will be glad to help you explore the culture and cuisine.
Many parts of Asia have been able to retain some of their colonial architecture, retaining them for posterity as a reminder of past times, and Dili is no exception. The Portuguese settled in Dili in 1520, and made it the capital of Portuguese Timor in 1769, dividing the island from the western, Dutch-controlled half.
Never really developed and often entirely neglected by the European nation, only a handful of buildings on the shorefront were constructed by the Portuguese, but fortunately many remain and have been restored as Embassies and offices for the likes of the EU. One such example is the Palacio do Governo, a white multi-arched two-story stone building that was once the Portuguese Governor’s office, and is now the office of East Timor’s Prime Minister.
For some off-the-beaten track adventures within the country, perhaps one of the most rewarding is a trip to the coffee “plantations” in regions like Ermera. Any trip requires a 4x4 and a guide to navigate the landscape (eSilva Car Rentals being local experts), and can be done in a day that will take adventurers to the origin of their Starbucks lattes.
East Timor coffee beans are highly sought-after, with almost all going to coffee giants Nescafe and Starbucks. The mountains tops right by the roadsides are awash with fields where coffee beans are collected by young and old in straw bags, before being peeled manually, washed and left to dry in the sun. Collected and packed in bags, they are brought down by trucks for export. Locals here are often surprised to see travellers in their midst, and are delighted to greet them – providing magical moments that make the adventure of exploring East Timor all the more unforgettable.
