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Things to See and Do

In and Around Dili

Dili is the capital of Timor-Leste. It is mainly a commercial and administrative center, with a few Portuguese touches such as villa-lined beach roads and the ruins of an old fort built in 1627. The long stretch of waterfront with the nearby Palácio do Governador, remains a place of commerce and leisure and a focal point for evening walks and weekends.

A massive statue of Jesus Christ dominates the headland hilltop at Cape Fatucama. The best-known beaches in Dili are in a sheltered cove known as Areia Branca.

Another attraction is the State Museum of East Timor, founded in 1995, with one-tenth of its collection still surviving. The collection includes religious woodcarvings, wood figures, traditional crafts, musical instruments and paintings. Most of the city was destroyed in 1999, with any surviving buildings bearing considerable war wounds. UNTAET led restoration works by rebuilding the most important government and official buildings.

On the outskirts of Dili town, there are numerous beautiful beaches, the most popular being Areia Branca ('white sand'). Grab a book and towel and head down for a lazy and relaxing afternoon at the beach.

Visit Arte Moris Cultural Centre

(Free and Non-Profit Art School)

Don't leave Dili without visiting the exciting Arte Moris Cultural Centre, set in a beautiful permaculture sculpture garden. Arte Moris (literally translated Living Art) is the first ever fine-art school and associated community of artists in the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste and is one Timor-Leste's main cultural attractions.

Arte Moris was founded in February 2003 by Swiss artist Luca Gansser, inter-cultural art coordinator Gabriela Gansser and a group of talented East Timorese youths who became the school's first students of art. It's easy to find, simply look for the big red dome on your left after you leave Nicolau Lobato Airport before the main Comoro bridge.

The original students have now become a core group of approximately 15 senior students who live and work at Arte Moris. In conjunction with the founders, the seniors share responsibility for the day-to-day running of the school such as teaching junior students, administration and organization responsibilities.

The Gallery is open from 9 till 18.00 Monday through Saturday, or by special appointment. With plenty of sculptures and paintings of the permanent collection as well as new students work, this is a great place to shop for unique and inexpensive gifts. Any travelling artists are invited to facilitate workshops. Arte Moris offers the talented youth of Timor Leste the chance to fully explore their creativity. www.artemoris.tp

Away from Dili

The best way to appreciate Timor-Leste's natural beauty and culture is to get out of Dili. You can rent a car and take a scenic drive along the spectacular coastline to Manatuto, Baucau and Com in Lospalos or take a boat to the nearby Atauro Island.

Organised sightseeing excursions and expeditions to visit places around the country are available at tour agencies in Dili. For the more adventurous, backpacking and trekking are good alternatives to experience Timor-Leste.

Take a boat ride to Atauro Island

Atauro, which is visible from the waterfront, is becoming increasingly popular as a sightseeing excursion site. Take a boat ride to the island and if you are lucky, you might just catch schools of pilot whales and dolphins swimming alongside your boat.

The 140 km2 island stretches about 25km north to south and is divided into five districts. The population of the island is about 8,000 conservative souls. Snorkelling is great all around the island as the waters are crystal clear. You can also take a trek across the mountainous interior or simply discover the local crafts and art work in the villages.

In Atauro, you can sleep in bamboo cabins at Tua Koin, the eco-village on the edge of a quiet and beautiful bay.Tua Koin is managed and operated by Roman Luan, an Atauro Island community organization, and through Roman Luan, all profits from your visit go into community projects which are developing ecologically appropriate community managed tourism on the island. Tua Koin is a simple and attractive model of eco-tourism which aims to minimize the negative impacts of tourism and maximize the positive benefits for local communities. Its goal is to attract responsible guests who will enjoy sharing an authentic environment, culture, beauty, tranquillity and adventure. Guests are asked to respect the environment and culture of Atauro. Cultural and study tours can be organized on request.

Drive to Baucau

Despite the devastation it has incurred during the struggle for independence, visitors will enjoy the charm of Baucau, the second-largest city in Timor-Leste. The charmingly colonial city boasts of Portuguese colonial architecture and caves used by the Japanese during the occupation in World War II. Like most Portuguese settlements, Baucau was sited with defence in mind, sitting above the sea to repel attack from the water, and backed by steep cliffs as natural barrier to incursions from the interior.

Due to its location, Baucau is always comfortably cool and the beaches 5km from the city are breathtaking. The four-hour journey between Dili and Baucau is well worth taking, offering some of the finest coastal views.

Head for Com

Com is a beautiful fishing village, popular for weekend getaways. The north coast road dead-ends 20km beyond Lautem and 203km from Dili at this place. In fact, the road ends at the end of a large pier, built during the Indonesian era to unload supplies for the military. The main activities are fishing and snorkelling. The 20 sublime rooms of the Com beach resort, are a sign of things to come, with talk of a real five-star resort being developed in the future!

Maubara Fort

In Maubara, visit the old fort that was built in the 17th century. The fort has a substantial coastal wall that faces resolutely towards the sea and is one of the better preserved military reminders of Timor-Leste's long centuries of Portuguese rule. Two cannons point out over Ombar Strait from the corners of the building, which, although it isn't used, may still be open to visitors.

The town of Maubara also has a busy market, in addition to which there are some diving sites offshore, which are worth checking out. Maubara was the centreof one of the most important old kingdoms in Portuguese Timor.

Rambling

Maubisse, Ainaro District. About 70km south of Dili, the small town of Maubisse sits at more than 1400m in rugged mountains and is surrounded by spectacular scenery. This old hill town makes a delightful break from the heat of the coast and is a peaceful, cool spot to relax. From here you can launch long walks and treks to mountains and deep valleys, experiencing stunning alpine scenery with traditional Mambae houses and farms and even a lovely pousada which used to be the governor's residence.

About 10km south of Maubisse, an unmarked road turns off west to the village Hato Builico. This village is the base for climbing the 2963m Mount Ramelau.

Trekking and mountaineering

Climb Mount Ramelau in Ainaro District. Reach the summit of Timor-Leste's highest mountain from Hato Builico over rugged terrain and forest, with a 2-hour round trip. Freshwater springs run all year, with rain rituals in October.

A 6-hour trek will take you to Loelaco Mountain near Maliana, through Bobonaro town and Marobo, with a chance to see the region's characteristic traditional cone-shaped houses.

Another trek and climb with a spectacular scenery is Mount Matebian in Baucau District. You can even see some of the old caves used as hideouts by the Falintil during the struggle for independence. It has two summits - Matebian Mane and Matebian Feto. Matebian Feto is best climbed from Kelikai but is the lower of the two and less frequently done. Matebian Mane is climbed from the village of Ossuna, 6km south of Baguia which is itself about 50 km south east of Baucau town. The last 20km to Baguia are challenging and include about 50 metres of steep 4wd-only mud.

Whale and dolphin watching

Dolphins are common in the waters all around Timor-Leste, particularly in Manatuto district, Carimbala, Liquica district and Tutuala in Lospalos. Large groups of migrating whales are often seen in the deep waters between Atauro Island and Dili.

Scuba diving and snorkeling

Unknown to most, Timor-Leste has kilometer after kilometer of untouched & pristine coral reefs, offering some of the best diving in the world. Timor-Leste's reefs are home to a vast diversity of marine creatures, from turtles to whales sharks and dazzling shoals of colourful tropical fish. Read more about diving in Timor-Leste here!

There are several dive operators located in Dili running scuba safaris to sites in Dili, Atauro Island, Manatuto District, Tutuala and Jaco Island in Lospalos. Contact them to check out what they offer. Contacts are listed below (in alphabetical order):

(1) Dive Timor Lorosae

Timor-Leste’s premier PADI dive centre. It has it's own bar upstairs call Castaway Bar where you can chill out. Well staffed with good range of equipment.
Addr: Avenida De Portugal, Kampung Alor, Dili (Look for PADI signboard)
Web: www.divetimor.com
Email: mark.m@octa4.net.au or info@divetimor.com
Tel: +670 7237092

(2) Explore Timor

Explore Timor is a small professional diving business based in Dili. Explore offers Padi Dive Courses, hire equipment, boat charters, guided shore dives, and overnight adventures to other islands.
Addr: Explore Bar, Comoro Road, Dili
Web: www.exploretimor.com
Email: info@exploretimor.com or yeoey@exploretimor.com
Tel : +670 7246293

(3) Freeflow

Timor-Leste's longest established dive operator, Freeflow first opened its doors to divers in early 2001. Owned and operated by a British couple, Wayne Lovell and Ann Turner.
Addr: Pantai Kelapa Avenida de Portugal, Dili
Web: www.freeflowdiving.com
Email: dive@freeflowdiving.com
Tel: +670 7234614 | +670 7234615

Visit Oecussi

The isolated 2700km2 coastal enclave of Oecussi province belongs to Timor-Leste politically, yet is a part of Indonesian West Timor culturally and geographically; it was 95 per cent destroyed during the fighting and the remaining inhabitants mostly live in small hamlets and villages. Its capital, Pantemakassar, was the first Portuguese settlement and, as such, has special meaning for the East Timorese. A sleepy little town, it lies between the coast and the mountains.

Seeing the sights in Pantemakassar, visiting the site of the first Portuguese arrival in Timor at Lifau, climbing up above the town for the fine views from the old Portuguese fort and last but not least exploring the remote Oecussi hinterlands, where the hills are dotted with traditional Dawan houses are some of the things you can do. Anyway, getting to Oecussi is half the fun!