Timor-Leste: A Hidden Gem Awaiting its Time
“You’re going where?” My friend’s questioning face says more than her words.
She clearly doesn’t believe me. I’m this worldly, lux-style traveller. But here I am, heading to Asia’s youngest nation – a blimp on the map and amongst the surrounding islands. It’s certainly not hailed as a ‘must-see’ tourist destination or on the up-and-coming list.
“Timor-Leste,” I reply.
“I’ve heard it’s really basic,” she says. “Backpacker-type accommodation, if you’re lucky. You won’t survive!”
However, I knew my accommodation wasn’t that basic. I had an ensuite. I was hoping it was at least as good as the photos.
Thankfully, during my two-week escapade, I did more than survive in Timor-Leste. I was thrilled to discover many wonderful things to see and do, plus a remarkable array of accommodations beyond backpacker and hostel offerings on this unspoilt tropical island that most people have never heard of.
A fisherman casts a net in Timor-Leste’s pristine waters.
Timor-Leste is a hidden gem, void of tourist throngs (for now). It reminded me of Bali 50 years ago but with much more commercial infrastructure and some absolutely stunning historical buildings from its Portuguese heritage.
Often called East Timor, Timor-Leste occupies 14,950 square kilometres of the eastern half of Indonesia’s Timor Island. It includes the minor islands of Atauro and Jaco in the Lesser Sunda Islands archipelago. The name comes from the Malay and Portuguese words for ‘east’.
East Timorese cultural history dates back some 42,000 years, with Jerimalai remains discovered on the far eastern tip of the island. From 1520 to 1975, Timor-Leste was a Portuguese colony. During World War II, the Allies occupied it until the Japanese invasion in 1942.
The Timorese Resistance Museum in downtown Dili.
Portugal resumed control after the war, withdrawing in 1974. In 1975, Indonesia invaded the tiny nation. During its 24-year occupation, it’s cited that the Indonesian military decimated 102,800 people. Still, others say it was over 200,000 until they withdrew, and UN INTERFET peacekeeping forces took over administration on 25 October 1999.
The East Timorese voted in their first election in August 2001, and it became a sovereign state on 20 May 2002, becoming the first country of the 21st century.
The 2022 census put the nation’s population at around 1.34 million. The majority are Catholic, accounting for 85 Catholic churches compared to eight mosques across the island, and there were two prominent Papal visits in 1989 and 2024.
Motael Church: One of many Catholic churches in Timor-Leste.
While Portuguese and Tetum are the two official languages, English is widely spoken. Even most storyboards at museums, historical sites, and cultural sites were in all three languages, making them a pleasure to absorb.
Despite this poor nation’s turbulent and bloody past, the people radiate a warmth and friendliness that equals the tropical weather.
Nature rules supreme here. The pristine countryside is an artist’s playful palette. Sparkling, crystal-clear turquoise to deep cerulean water gracefully blends with the equally azure sky, dramatically contrasting with the sandy champagne beaches, while the rich rust-red rocky cliff faces make their mark amongst the soaring emerald forested mountains.
The breathtaking scenery of the Timor-Leste coast.
The waters are home to a plethora of sea life and colourful corals, making it a mecca for scuba divers, snorkellers, swimmers, and kayakers. The mountains are a haven for hikers and bikers, exposing vast, picturesque panoramas at each turn. Although not all the roads are perfect black bitumen (I’ve been on equally as bad, even worse in Australia and other countries), simple road-tripping is a pleasure and half the adventure. The breathtaking scenic vistas, bucolic towns, joyous locals and leisurely farmlands are begging to be photographed.
Even without leaving the capital, Dili, being immersed in the nation’s charms is easy. Tranquillity enveloped me from the moment I stepped foot on the island. Nothing is rushed.
Despite nearly 300,000 people living in the city, the roads aren’t chock-a-block, and I hardly heard a horn toot, unlike the chaos encompassing most Asian city driving styles. However, this doesn’t mean I’m saying driving here is easy. The locals weren’t stressed or panicking to get anywhere in a hurry, but the lack of line markings meant lanes were nondescript. As I was being chauffeured around, mainly by the ever-so-knowledgeable Manny of Manny’s Tours, I could easily observe without worrying.
The imposing Cristo Rei statue at Cape Fatucama.
One of the most prominent landmarks in Dili is the 27-metre-high copper Cristo Rei statue atop a blue globe. The statue of Christ with outstretched arms welcoming the world sits at the tip of Cape Fatucama. The Indonesians built Cristo Rei in 1996 and gifted it to the Timorese. However, it failed to appease the Catholic population because it faced Jakarta.
The gradual walk to the base and a 590-step handrail staircase is worth the effort for the 360-degree sweeping serene beaches, city, mountain and sea vistas. Sunrise or sunsets are spectacular and the most popular.
On your way down from the statue, turn left at an intersection and take the stairs to the secluded, sandy Dolok Oan beach. There, you can enjoy a refreshing swim in the peaceful, calm waters. However, be quick. Once the government finishes the road around the base of the cape, the beach will be easily accessible to all.
The foreshore-hugging highway to the Cristo Rei statue.
The leisurely six-kilometre eastern drive along Avenida Marginal (or Beach Road to the locals), which hugs the coastal foreshore from the city centre to Cristo Rei and the cape, provides a snapshot of Dili’s daily lifestyle.
Children splash in the sparkling water as their parents toss a net or cast a line to catch a fresh dinner. The Government Palace’s distinctive Portuguese colonial architecture, red roof, and sparkling white façade symbolise the nation’s sovereignty and struggle for independence.
The only lighthouse on the island, Farol, is a sentinel guarding the point where boats and the Atauro barge and fast Dragon ferry can safely enter. The massive Santa Cruz Massacre monument opposite Motael Church is a stark reminder of the difficulties these passive people once faced.
The Santa Cruz Massacre monument in Dili.
The coastal stretch has lines of little clothing market stalls, ice cream vans, food and drink carts, and loads of fresh coconut vendors. The tree-covered Largo De Lecidere section near the port is the busiest each night.
The colourful beachside fresh fruit and vegetable market (open from 7am to 10pm daily) is a feast for the senses, brimming with locally grown tropical fruits, vegetables and herbs. I’m told everything is organic. Simply because farmers can’t afford fertilisers and chemicals.
The horseshoe-shaped Areia Branca (White Sand) beach, just before Cristo Rei, is a haven for swimmers and the perfect spot to rest under large shady poinciana trees. Here, you can enjoy drinks, breakfast, lunch, and a spectacular sunset dinner. Or get into the swing of Dili life at Top Golf driving range and mini golf directly across the road.
Informative displays inside the Timorese Resistance Museum.
Other places to visit around Dili include the Timorese Resistance Museum. The vast storyboards, photographs, artifacts, and multimedia displays tell of the confrontations and sacrifices the Timorese faced in an informative, educative, reflective, and respectful way.
An hour or two later, your mind may be heavier after absorbing Timor-Leste’s 230 turbulent years under various Portuguese, Japanese, and Indonesian administrations and the resilience of its people. But your heart will have expanded, while your purse will only be US$1 lighter. It’s closed on Sunday and Monday.
The city’s Santa Cruz Cemetery is another sober reminder of the country’s traumatic past. On 12 November 1991, it was where the Santa Cruz Massacre occurred, after a funeral procession had evolved into a pro-independence demonstration. A journalist, Max Wenner, was filming the funeral when Indonesian forces opened fire on the civilians, all of whom were unarmed. The event and his footage became the turning point in the Timorese people’s long struggle for independence. His grave is on the cemetery walkway entrance where he buried his camera.
The classic façade of the large Dili Cathedral.
You don’t need to visit all 85 Catholic churches on the island; just see the main Immaculate Conception Cathedral or Dili Cathedral. Built in 1984, it’s the largest Catholic church in the country and the second largest in Southeast Asia. With its tall towers, prominent white façade, and classic, serene interior, it displays the simple elegance of Portuguese architecture and represents the nation’s peace and reconciliation. Join a guided tour to delve deeper into the history and significance of the site.
While only one per cent of the nation is Muslim, the massive green An-Nur Mosque, built in 1955 and renovated in 1981, makes quite a statement.
A short walk from Motael Church, discover Tais Market. Timorese women hand-weave traditional textiles known as ‘Tais’. The intricate patterns and vivid colours represent different regions and tribal groups nationwide.
Traditional textiles on sale at the Tais Market.
A hub of Timorese life, the market also offers many local crafts, jewellery, ceramics, basketry, spices, and foods. It’s the ideal place to haggle for all the take-home presents and souvenirs.
Discover another Timorese market immersion experience at the sprawling Taibesi market, locally known as Marcado Taibesi. It’s chaotic. A jumble of stalls and produce from spices, fruit, vegetables, meat, clothes, drinks, household items, and even live animals (giving a whole new perspective to free-range chickens!)
Dili’s first fine art school, Arte Moris, is now located in a hangar on the old Australian/New Zealand airstrip after being evicted from the National Museum in Comoro by the government in 2021 so they could house army veterans. The school provides on-site art classes and sponsors advanced students. Take home a beloved piece of Timor-Leste from the gallery.
Some of the local art in the Arte Moris gallery.
Timorese dining is a casual and saucy affair. Even the upmarket restaurants aren’t sticks in the mud about your attire. A gamut of eateries reflects the world’s influence on the nation. You’ll likely find whatever you fancy, from Western burgers and pizza to Thai, Indonesian, Portuguese, Chinese, Turkish, Japanese, and Brazilian, to lick your lips over while you sit back and soak up the tranquil overwater and sunset views.
Don’t be afraid to join the locals along the beachfront; they’re very welcoming. Grab a cold drink and take your pick amongst the multitude of grilled fish, seafood, pork and chicken stalls of an evening.
Timor Plaza Hotel’s Panorama Restaurant has a good mix of Eastern and Western foods, cocktails, beers, wines and spirits, with a half-price happy hour from 5 to 7pm nightly and sunsets to soothe the soul. Their Sky Bar, also on the 5th floor, shakes rattles and rolls every Friday night with live music and visitors and locals letting loose after a busy week.
The Sky Bar at the Timor Plaza Hotel.
Join the locals (and other visitors) at the Saturday night markets in the Timor Plaza car park for a super-duper immersive Timorese foodie experience. The taste-tempting aromas from the range of authentic home-cooked foods, happy faces, and hip-swinging live music will have you jigging in your seat and wanting more!
For some of the best Chinese food I’ve eaten in a long time, sit your tail down at Joyful in Dili Central. Big bowls of soup, noodles, freshly plucked veggies, rice, duck, chicken and pork – it’s all on the menu. I guarantee you won’t leave hungry or with a hole in your wallet. If you can’t handle chopsticks, they have cutlery and even burgers if that’s your fancy.
After all this eating, drinking, sightseeing, history and culture around Dili, I sure slept well. And it wasn’t amongst backpackers or sharing any bathroom facilities. I discovered some surprisingly ‘upmarket’ accommodations in Dili (all is revealed in my next story). I know they’ll keep even a 5-star camper cosy at night and make you want to return to chill out, even if only for a weekend. Just keep Timor-Leste’s actual value to yourself.
Sunset drinks on Areia Branca Beach, Dili.
Getting There
For a small country, Timor-Leste is well-connected. There are direct international flights to Dili daily from Denpasar, Bali (Aero Dili, Citilink, Garuda), Darwin, Australia (Air North and Qantas), and from Atambua and Kupang, West Timor (Citilink).
Upon arrival at Dili airport, a visa is available for US$30 for most nationalities.
The airport is old and basic. Its tropical gardens are inviting upon arrival, but the visa and immigration processes are unnecessarily laborious. Just remember to chill. You are now on island time, and everyone needs a job.
The departure process is even slower, but everything eventually happens on time. After clearing immigration, there are a few duty-free shops. The only new section of the airport is the large departure lounge; there are no airline lounges.
Header image of East Timorese dancers: Bryan Ross.
All other images: Nannette Holliday
