Timor Leste: A surprisingly intriguing island hidden away

View of the beach from Cristo Rei, Dili, Timor Leste

I traveled to the capital of Dili in December 2018. I was traveling from India, and it took almost two days to reach the location. I travelled from Delhi to Singapore to Bali to Dili. A long journey where I had no expectations. Getting the visa takes a while so plan well.

For those who have never heard of the place, its a relatively new country. The island was once a part of the Indonesian islands, the indigenous people spoke a different language called Tetum and heavily influenced by the Portuguese colonizers in terms of their culture, religion, and beliefs. Given its location, poor infrastructure, relatively one of the poorest country, and lack of agriculture Timor Leste or East Timor is not popularly referred. Much of the food is imported into the country and little internal resource developed. The country is known to be abundant in oil resource and aquatic resources (which are heavily contaminated).

Things you can do:

1. Once you are in the country, you will realize it's an easy to be place. Getting a bike and driving around is a good option since there is not much public transport except taxis which may charge enormously. The place is not considered very safe during evening due to thefts.

Local food served on streets

2. Dili is a small town with lot of restaurants which are pretty diverse. There is a limited choice of stay in the city.

3. A landmark in the city is the huge statue of Cristo Rei. An early morning walk to this place will provide you some beautiful glimpses of the sea.

4. The beaches are extremely pristine and there are some beautiful restaurants along the way.

5. The local craft which includes woodwork and weaving are beautiful and there are local markets where you can buy them. 'Tai' is a form of weaving tradition followed here, I found reminiscent of the weaves from the North East in India. The indigenous communities in Asia are intertwined with a history of colonialism spreading stories through art.

Cristo Rei: The statue of Jesus Christ atop a globe

If you are around here during Christmas it is extremely festive. Timorese are very welcoming people and cheerful people. If you are ever near this part of the country, just take this adventure and learn about this new country.

I did not travel much yet leaving with some more pictures to encourage your trip to Dili and more.

Have an enjoyable trip to East-Timor or Timor-Leste. Hope you are able to see much more.