Introduction
The ambiguous taste of freedom is fresh in East Timor's mouth. Welcome to East Timor, southeast Asia's newest nation. Independence has brought mixed fortunes to this recovering conflict zone, and it remains a country in transition. But it has fine beaches, colonial towns, rugged mountains and a lush interior, with Dili a taste of Portugal in the tropics.
Destiantion facts
Capital: Dili
President: Jos é Ramos Horta
Prime Minister: Xanana Gusmao
Government: democratic republic
Time zone: GMT +9
Area: 15007
Population: 998000
Languages: known as Bahasa Indonesian, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Animist
Currency: US Dollar (US$)
Country Dialing Code: 670
Getting There
Go when the weather is best. East Timor doesn't yet have a tourist season, so there's no time of year when you're going to be overrun by crowds. So go during the May to November dry season when there's little rainfall and you're assured of good weather. By the end of the dry season, it can be rather dry and dusty. The December to April wet season can be very wet indeed, making travel difficult, particularly if you get off the main routes where unsealed roads can become impassable and unbridged rivers uncrossable. The end of the wet season, however, is the time for festivals.
Getting there and away
Air services into Dili's Comoro airport are still very limited. Air North flies to/from Darwin, Australia, daily (flight time two hours), but from the rest of the world it's a case of flying into Bali and then taking one of Merpati's Denpasar-Dili flights (four flights per week). An international departure tax of 10.00 is payable when leaving East Timor. The Batugade border crossing to Indonesian West Timor is open, but there are no regular bus services. The crossing at Oesilo in Oecussi is also currently open. A weekly barge links Dili and Oecussi, loaded with freight and passengers.
Getting around
East Timor has lots of public transport options, including buses, mikrolets and taxis. Taxis are reasonably priced and the best way to get around greater Dili. Set out early if catching a mikrolet or bus to other towns. You can rent ex-Australian post office motorcycles from East Timor Backpackers. Mountain bike hire is available (though not prevalent), and central Dili is easily explored on foot. The less energetic can hire a car in Dili.
Weather
East Timor has extreme wet and dry seasons. From May to November, the north coast receives virtually no rain, causing agricultural activity to all but cease. The cooler central mountains and south coast get an occasional shower during this time, and are greener as a result. Everything turns green when the wet comes, but the rains often turn to floods and the dry-season rivers of dust become torrents. Dili is dry, with an average rainfall of around 1000mm (39in), most of it falling from December to March. Temperatures on the north coast reach 35 ° C (95 ° F) or more around October/November. In the lowland areas they're a slightly more comfortable 30 ° C (85 ° F), dropping to the low 20s (low 70s) overnight. In the mountains, day temperatures are still warm to hot but night temperatures are appreciably cooler, and downright chilly at high altitudes.
Places of interest
Welcome to East Timor, southeast Asia's newest nation. Independence has brought mixed fortunes to this recovering conflict zone, and it remains a country in transition. But it has fine beaches, colonial towns, rugged mountains and a lush interior, with Dili a taste of Portugal in the tropics.
Warning
Gang-related violence, robbery, assault and attacks on vehicles are regularly reported in East Timor - travellers are advised not to use taxis after dark. Visitors should also avoid any demonstrations or protests and heed local advice regarding safety. Travellers should check news services before attempting to enter East Timor via the West Timor border control. Check out Safe Travel for current government warnings.
The ambiguous taste of freedom is fresh in East Timor's mouth. Welcome to East Timor, southeast Asia's newest nation. Independence has brought mixed fortunes to this recovering conflict zone, and it remains a country in transition. But it has fine beaches, colonial towns, rugged mountains and a lush interior, with Dili a taste of Portugal in the tropics.
Destiantion facts
Capital: Dili
President: Jos é Ramos Horta
Prime Minister: Xanana Gusmao
Government: democratic republic
Time zone: GMT +9
Area: 15007
Population: 998000
Languages: known as Bahasa Indonesian, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Animist
Currency: US Dollar (US$)
Country Dialing Code: 670
Getting There
Go when the weather is best. East Timor doesn't yet have a tourist season, so there's no time of year when you're going to be overrun by crowds. So go during the May to November dry season when there's little rainfall and you're assured of good weather. By the end of the dry season, it can be rather dry and dusty. The December to April wet season can be very wet indeed, making travel difficult, particularly if you get off the main routes where unsealed roads can become impassable and unbridged rivers uncrossable. The end of the wet season, however, is the time for festivals.
Getting there and away
Air services into Dili's Comoro airport are still very limited. Air North flies to/from Darwin, Australia, daily (flight time two hours), but from the rest of the world it's a case of flying into Bali and then taking one of Merpati's Denpasar-Dili flights (four flights per week). An international departure tax of 10.00 is payable when leaving East Timor. The Batugade border crossing to Indonesian West Timor is open, but there are no regular bus services. The crossing at Oesilo in Oecussi is also currently open. A weekly barge links Dili and Oecussi, loaded with freight and passengers.
Getting around
East Timor has lots of public transport options, including buses, mikrolets and taxis. Taxis are reasonably priced and the best way to get around greater Dili. Set out early if catching a mikrolet or bus to other towns. You can rent ex-Australian post office motorcycles from East Timor Backpackers. Mountain bike hire is available (though not prevalent), and central Dili is easily explored on foot. The less energetic can hire a car in Dili.
Weather
East Timor has extreme wet and dry seasons. From May to November, the north coast receives virtually no rain, causing agricultural activity to all but cease. The cooler central mountains and south coast get an occasional shower during this time, and are greener as a result. Everything turns green when the wet comes, but the rains often turn to floods and the dry-season rivers of dust become torrents. Dili is dry, with an average rainfall of around 1000mm (39in), most of it falling from December to March. Temperatures on the north coast reach 35 ° C (95 ° F) or more around October/November. In the lowland areas they're a slightly more comfortable 30 ° C (85 ° F), dropping to the low 20s (low 70s) overnight. In the mountains, day temperatures are still warm to hot but night temperatures are appreciably cooler, and downright chilly at high altitudes.
Places of interest
Welcome to East Timor, southeast Asia's newest nation. Independence has brought mixed fortunes to this recovering conflict zone, and it remains a country in transition. But it has fine beaches, colonial towns, rugged mountains and a lush interior, with Dili a taste of Portugal in the tropics.
Warning
Gang-related violence, robbery, assault and attacks on vehicles are regularly reported in East Timor - travellers are advised not to use taxis after dark. Visitors should also avoid any demonstrations or protests and heed local advice regarding safety. Travellers should check news services before attempting to enter East Timor via the West Timor border control. Check out Safe Travel for current government warnings.
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