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The 6 Best things to do in East Timor

January 2, 2021 By Travelsauro 24 Comments

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After countless buses, tuk-tuks, ferries and boats through the beautiful Indonesian islands, I finally got to Timor.

This island is divided into two parts; the Indonesian province of Timor Barat in the west and the young independent country of Timor Leste in the east.

East Timor suffered from colonialism, foreign invasion, genocide, guerrilla combat, revolution and infighting until it gained its independence in 2002.

The Portuguese, as part of their empire, controlled it from 1512-1975, trading sandalwood, spices and other goods. When the Portuguese left, the Indonesians invaded the country with the support of the United States.

After recent political instability and the presence of UN peacekeepers, everything appears to have calmed down and the country is now moving forward.

east timor kid dili people best things to do in east timor

Find the Best Things to do in East Timor, a young country without tourism, where every day is a new adventure.

1. TIMOR’S CAPITAL: DILI

The city of Dili is one of the most bizarre places I have ever been in my travels. It appears to be two cities simultaneously. On one hand are the humble locals who live on 80 dollars a month. On the other hand are the luxury palaces, hundreds of expatriates, and NGO and UN staff who have created an extensive network of bars, restaurants and expensive supermarkets.

It’s interesting to watch these UN cars throughout the city, making one feel like a war journalist.

un united nations dili east timor best things to do in east timor

dili beach timor best things to do in east timor
Beach of Dili, Capital of Timor

Cape Fatacuma

2. ATAURO ISLAND

A great destination to escape the madness of Dili for a few days. The island is an undiscovered gem with stunning mountains, beautiful beaches and good snorkeling. Most villagers rent cabins and rooms.

Atauro island best things to do in east timor
Atauro Island. Photo by Kate Dixon. Flickr Creative Commons

3. MOUNT RAMELAU

I recommend that you get to the region of Ainaro to hike Mount Ramelau, the highest peak in the country. The climb is easy and the views are beautiful. The whole region is made up of small villages on hills and broad valleys.

Mount Ramelau best things to do in East Timor

mount ramelau hike best things to do in east Timor

hatobuilico best things to do in east Timor

4. LOSPALOS

In the eastern part of the island lies the small town of Lospalos. The architecture here is among the island’s most peculiar, as many of the houses are built on wooden sticks.

It’s a town of strong traditions and some of its people speak Portuguese.

lospalos best things to do in east timor

los palos timor best things to do in east timor
With Angelo

5. JACO ISLAND

You have to cross the whole country to get to the island of Jaco, as it’s located on the easternmost tip of Timor. However, when you arrive you’ll see that the trip was worth it. It offers the best beach in Southeast Asia—one of the most perfect I’ve seen in my life, almost on the same level as the Tobago Cays in Sant Vincent and the Grenadines. In addition, it’s one of the few beaches in the country where there are no crocodiles. Or so they say.

island jaco timor best things to do in east timor

timor jaco island best things to do in east timor

jaco island timor best things to do in east timor

6. SOE, TIMOR INDONESIA

If you come by land from Indonesia, I recommend stopping at Soe to visit some of the villages in the area. The culture and architecture are similar to those of Timor Leste and the people are just as friendly, maybe more so.

indonesia soe timor best things to do in east timor

timor people soe indonesia best things to do in east timor
Near Soe

Budget for a trip to Timor Leste: $25/day. Best things to do in East Timor

Despite being more expensive than its neighbor Indonesia, you are able to visit the island for approximately $25 a day by adjusting your budget slightly or even hitchhiking.

PLAN YOUR TRIP


ACCOMMODATION IN HOSTELS

These are some options that I loved:

Dili. Central backpackers. Cool rooms and very friendly staff.

Angelo and Jacinta House, in Lospalos. $10 for a room including breakfast and the company of a pretty cool couple.

Bungalows in the Tetuala cooperative (in front of Jaco), $20 for two people.

ACCOMMODATION IN AIRBNB

A good option for couples and groups, with rooms and apartments at great prices. If you sign up through my link, you will get $35 of Airbnb credit!

TRAVEL INSURANCE

I highly recommend that you get a good insurance policy before you visit East Timor. Trusted by thousand of adventurers, World Nomads is one of the best and more reliable options (without breaking your bank).

 

TRANSPORT – How to get to East Timor

From Indonesia
Bus, Kupang-Atambua: $6, 8 hours.
Bemo, Atambua-Indonesian border, $2, 1.5 hours.

Within the country
Bus, Timor border-Dili, $6, 5 hours
Bus, Dili-Lospalos, $9, 8 hours.
Van, Lospalos-Tetuala, $3, 1.5 hours.
Boat, Tetuala-Jaco, $6 per person return trip, 5-minute boat ride


FOOD AND DRINK

The food is similar to that in Indonesia, though maybe not as good. Still, you’ll find some great fried rice, chicken and curry dishes. A dish at a street stall costs about $2.50.

If you’re a coffee drinker, you’ll be pleased to know that Timor’s coffee is quite delicious and is one of the products that the country is best known for. It is even sourced by international companies like Starbucks.

WHEN TO GO

Any season is good to visit, however bear in mind that from November to May is rainy season, potentially causing some complications on the roads.

TRAVEL TIPS. Best things to do in East Timor

VISAS

You will need a visa to enter the country. Although some sites say you can do it at the border, it is not possible. You will need to do this prior to your travels at a Timor Embassy that is closest to you. In my case, Kupang in Indonesia.


TRAVEL WITH TIME

The poor condition of the roads and the infrequency of buses may incur delays in all your plans. Remember it’s an undeveloped country and each step is an adventure.


FIND A JOB

If you are traveling throughout Southeast Asia and plan to settle down somewhere, Dili offers many opportunities for both qualified and skilled workers.


Did you like The Best things to do in East Timor? Leave a comment!

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you book or buy a service, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only link to stuff I love.

Travelsauro
Travelsauro

Hi, I’m Miguel; Adventure traveler, scuba diver and hiking lover. I have been traveling the world for the last 10 years and I hope my experiences, photos and hiking routes inspire you to travel the world too.

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Comments

  1. AvatarChristian L says

    December 11, 2015 at 11:40 pm

    Good to see a fellow backpacker going off and explore Eas Timor, my favourite country in asia

    Reply
    • TravelsauroTravelsauro says

      December 11, 2015 at 11:52 pm

      Thanks mate, I really like East Timor too!
      take care!

      Reply
  2. AvatarHolly says

    May 10, 2016 at 3:46 am

    Your post makes me feel nostalgic. I was in East Timor for two months in 2012, volunteering at Bairo Pite Clinic in Dili. I was able to hike Mt. Ramelau twice during my stay and each time I had an amazing experience. I’m glad that Timor is getting some good press- the economy could use the boost from tourism. I am from the U.S., and I’ve met few people in my country that have even heard of East Timor.

    Reply
    • TravelsauroTravelsauro says

      May 10, 2016 at 4:08 am

      Hey Holly, Yes, it’s a wonderful country.. sadly as you said most of the people don’t even know it exists.. I hope it will become more touristy step by step and that will also help the economy of the country.
      Cheers

      Reply
  3. AvatarYun says

    May 13, 2016 at 5:18 am

    Hi, would you mind sharing how you got from Indonesian islands to East Timor, without flying? I am interested to set off to East Timor via ferries, specifically from the Gili Islands 🙂

    Reply
    • TravelsauroTravelsauro says

      May 13, 2016 at 4:50 pm

      Hi Yun, I took the Pelni bot from Ende, Flores.. they leave twice a week.. Ende – Kupang. From Lombok you can take a combination of ferries, boat and get to Flores easily!

      Safe travels!

      Reply
      • AvatarYun says

        May 16, 2016 at 8:55 am

        Thanks a lot Travelsauro!! Enjoying your entries a lot, they are all very helpful!! Safe travels to you too! 🙂

        Reply
  4. AvatarJulie says

    August 17, 2016 at 9:59 am

    Awesome! Just found your blog through this post. I’m heading to Dili in a few days and am super excited!

    Reply
    • TravelsauroTravelsauro says

      August 17, 2016 at 3:38 pm

      Cool, you are gonna like it! Have a great time!

      Reply
  5. AvatarAnna says

    November 28, 2016 at 6:31 am

    Bookmarked it.thanks for this useful guide!

    Reply
    • TravelsauroTravelsauro says

      November 28, 2016 at 7:26 am

      Thank you Anna! 🙂

      Reply
  6. AvatarFlavia says

    April 7, 2017 at 10:14 am

    Hi,
    I’d like to visit Timor Leste rspecially traditional villages. Have you done this abd wouod recommend a local guide to arrange the trip before? or a local driver ..maybe
    thank you

    Flavia

    Reply
    • TravelsauroTravelsauro says

      April 7, 2017 at 1:23 pm

      Hi Flavia! I was traveling by my own, so I don’t really know about guides in Timor. Sorry about that!

      Safe travels!

      Reply
  7. AvatarTiffany says

    October 31, 2017 at 8:35 pm

    How long did it take to have the visa issued once you were in Kupang? And how long did the boat trip from Ende take?
    Thanks!!

    Reply
    • TravelsauroTravelsauro says

      November 1, 2017 at 1:40 pm

      Hi Tiffany! it was a few years ago, the visa took just a few hours. I don’t remember exactly how many hours from Ende to Kupang. Sorry about that.

      Reply
  8. AvatarDani Gross says

    April 23, 2018 at 1:32 am

    My wife and I are heading to East Timor in about 3 weeks and we will be there for 13 days. Could you advise us on what you think are the “must dos” in that time?

    Reply
    • TravelsauroTravelsauro says

      April 30, 2018 at 4:34 pm

      Hi Dani, cool. I wouldn’t miss Dili, Los palos, maybe Ramelau if you like hiking, and of course Jaco Island. that’s a great place! Safe travels,

      Reply
  9. AvatarDani says

    April 30, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    Thanks! Is all of the doable in just 13 days? As we understand it is pretty hard to get around in East Timor, especially just after rainy season!

    Reply
    • TravelsauroTravelsauro says

      April 30, 2018 at 5:08 pm

      Hi Dani, transport is not great in East Timor, but I think it’s doable. you can try to go straight to Jaco Island from Dili, and then visit some places on the way back via Viqueque, Hato builico, Ramelau.. or skip some places if you don’t have time. Hitchhiking works pretty well. I spent longer than 13 days in East Timor but I also visited Betano and Viqueque, and spent almost two weeks in Dili. I’m not 100% sure, but I think you can visit Dili, Jaco, Los palos, Hatabuilo and Ramelau in two weeks. Good luck and please let me know how it goes!

      Reply
      • AvatarDani says

        April 30, 2018 at 5:26 pm

        If you had to pick just one place to go on the mainland other than Dili where which would it be?

        Reply
  10. AvatarTonkin Voyage Travel says

    August 9, 2018 at 9:07 am

    Timor Leste is the country that I wanna explore most. Although this is the smallest country in the region, I see so many strange and interesting things here are awaiting us. Thanks so much for your sharing!

    Reply
  11. AvatarJojo says

    October 7, 2018 at 12:31 am

    Hallo Travelsauro !
    My name is Jojo and I am from East Timor , I just found your profile and something you post about my country from “ Pinterest “ . It is so nice to hear from you how you been there and explore some places of my country .
    Just want to say thank you for your porting .

    Reply
    • TravelsauroTravelsauro says

      October 15, 2018 at 12:50 am

      Hello Jojo! Ohhh thanks! I’m glad yo liked my post! Timor Leste is great! Abraço!

      Reply
  12. AvatarDani Gross says

    October 15, 2018 at 1:08 am

    https://www.facebook.com/124018708273264/posts/245387356136398/

    Reply

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