Timor Leste Travel Blog
- brucewynia
- Mar 23
- 6 min read
Ok, now I’m traveling. Life at the edge.
I arrive from Darwin, Australia; Timor Leste isn’t an easy place to explore. Several times, on past adventures in SEA .... I fail to visit Timor Leste.
No flights, or Rona Lock downs, or Political Instability. Finally, the time is right - I have a plan.
Timor Leste,, formerly East Timor. Population: 1.4 million. Uses US dollars exclusively, is 98% Catholic, with a GDP that is 90% based on Oil exports … But they do export great coffee !! … 😊
Officially becoming a country in 2002, but; a more honest date is 2011. The early years were chaos; UN occupation, civil unrest.
By any measure – Timor Leste is a very young country; the 5th youngest of the world if you use the 2002 date… or tied for the youngest (with South Sudan) if you use the 2011 date. Interesting stuff.
I will be staying ocean side on the Banda Sea, in Dili – the capital; their only large true city. Hosted by Timor Dive Center.
As expected… its hot. Tropical, with thick tree’ed, low-lying mountains above me. Its rainy season… and green .. I’m told it’s brown in the dry season.
Their oil is on the opposite side of the island from Dili, offshore - in the Timor Sea… I don’t get to that side of Timor Leste,, it’s quite difficult to accomplish. Few good roads, no infrastructure, and you need a reason …. mostly poor struggling locals… and offshore oil rigs, no big cities.
I build my Timor Leste adventure around scuba diving. Normal Bruce plan. But hopefully; I also learn their culture, meet their people, imagine their history. And WOW,, if you don’t know their history – take some time out of life. Do a web search on East Timor Genocide.. if you dare. You will be shocked, I promise.
Exploring poor, struggling countries always leaves me with admiration of its peoples. Just half of a small island; with resilient people – Timor Leste is why I travel. I’m humbled. Impossible v. Resilience. Resilience wins.
Immigration on arrival is old-school. Manual cash transaction for a paper Visa.. No eVisa for Timor Leste.. No-problem with my entry.. just a reality check. Patience and courtesy go a long way.
This feels like a tiny Melanesian island. Maybe like New Georgia of the Soliman Islands, or PNG’s New Great Britain. But-yet,, not quite Melanesian, it feels more Malay in culture here ……. yet again - with colorful mini-buses everywhere in downtown… it has a touch of Cebu, Philippines mixed in. Timor Leste is its own unique vibe.
All this culture mixed with Portugal and Dutch influences …. Portuguese is widely spoken,, and found on most road signs. Telum is the official language; a mix of local languages and European languages – reminding me of Pigeon or Papiamento. I’m greeted with BonDia 😊 - But many people here are accustomed to English,, and speak it quite well…. Australia is just across the Timor Sea, and is a huge influence here.
A Pre-arranged airport hotel transfer is definitely the smart plan. Dive Timor will be my home here for a week – a quality scuba dive operation with comfortable accommodations. Located on the city ocean front. Perfect for me. Very local, very real. I loved it!
I’m diving most days of my visit. Two dives per/day. Shore dives. That’s a surprise.. Each morning we load our kits into a mini-van, drive an hour east from Dili, outside the city… to dive sites on the Banda Sea.
The daily drive to the dive sites and rest stops introduce me to the island. Dili streets each morning, packed with motorbikes and traffic and construction. Then the country side..street vendors, shacks and goats. I don’t see any buildings over 10 stories tall in Dili,, this is a young modest city. Life as a traveler!! Off the grid.
One memory I will always have from TL .. is the air quality… Not so good ☹ Everyone uses wood to cook, and the smell of wood-fire fills the air – that smell is mixed with dust… everywhere. A haze lingers over the city. Not sure of the solution for such a problem … for now, there is none. Economics rule.
My visit is end of February; the finish of their rainy,,rough weather season. So the ocean conditions make for adventure dives!!! Cool. The real deal. 😊
Several of my shore dives require challenging entries and exits.. thru 2-3ft waves.. crashing.. Navy Seal crap …. No time to fall.
One particular day,, its two Dive Masters, a Master Instructor… and “Bruce” … ok, Focus. You’re the weak link Bruce .. No errors allowed.
I survive the adventures just fine,, no falls. But wow.. the dives demand my full attention.. I absolutely live for these moments. I’m alive. I’m in my element.
Most divers visit here in September for Whale season.. when the water is like a lake. I miss out on that ☹. I also miss out on a trip to the near-by island of Atauro - said to have the best diving in Timor Leste. Next time !!!
Even with the rain and low viz conditions.. I capture tons of fantastic underwater photos.. Healthy gorgeous reefs. Countless Sea Anemone with Nemo’s.. and nudibranch… Photography heaven. I enjoy every dive here.
Unfortunately net fishing is allowed; add in no water treatment plants in the entire country … I fear for the reefs future.. but for now, no Cruise ships – that’s a plus.
As much as the diving vibe is cool,, and the reefs healthy - my memories of Timor Leste will always be of the people.
When not diving – I explore. One day I spend walking all of downtown Dili. The streets are an obstacle course. Stepping over broken sidewalks, drainage run-offs, construction. I have to call it a mess.. But a loveable, safe mess. I stop at Peace Coffee shop.. filled with cigarette smoke.. people watch.
And for-sure, in Dili; always a visit to the Resistance Museum. Outstanding, powerful. An estimated 250-300 thousand people were killed by Indonesia between 1975-1999.. over 25% of the population. How many of you knew ? Astonishing. Even now, the population is just 1.4 million. Phewww.
Machine guns, concentration camps, Agent Orange, starvation, suppression. All with the blessing and guns of the UN, and the USA, and the world!!! More than a little depressing. Muslims killing Cristians.. strange how the world likes to forget stuff like this. Can these people ever recover? 2-3 generations? Maybe. Put your prayers in for Timor Leste.
While walking Dili, a stop at one of their beautiful Oceanfront parks is a must. Buy a fresh coconut for $1 from a street vendor, watch the children play. I embrace their curiosity and enjoy their friendly smiles. Many people want to ask questions of me, starting up conversations. Always friendly. Definitely surprised when I say I’m an American.
I explore the local street vendors near the dive shop; try the Laksa,,, and a grilled fish. But,, beware of what you eat.. this isn’t Kansas Toto… Don’t drink the water.. you will be sorry.
On another free day; I hire a driver. To explore outside Dili to the West.. towards the Indonesian border.. As I approach the border.. my phone picks up the Indonesian Cell towers.. Welcome to Indo 😊
Crazy,, I never get a Timor Leste Cell signal my entire visit. Cellular and Wifi are horrible here. Not a surprise in such a poor country. Actually, I can’t recall ever seeing a cell tower during my visit. They must have them…. But very poor coverage.
Continuing our drive west, we stop at an old 1600’s Portuguese fort, and a 1800’s Portuguese prison. Small, no tourists. I sign a guest log.. No one has stopped here for a week. Looking back at the log book for the last month .… Only Aussies and Chinese.. No Americans.
Actually, I don’t meet any Americans on-island. Only a few Portuguese and English,,, and the near-by Australians.. other than those foreign visitors ... several Chinese in small groups – on business. This is not a tourist destination.
Last stop today is the Cristo Rio statue. High on a mountain top.. overlooking Dili harbor. A giant 27m Jesus statue, reminding everyone of Brazil’s famous version. It is impressive… inspiring Timor Leste peoples onward. They are a very religious people. I believe it has saved them; certainly mentally saved them. They are very proud that Pope Francis visited here once.
If I should return one-day… I will visit during a different season.. maybe August or September.. see their Whales.. get to Atauro
island, maybe explore inland if possible.
My visit to Timor Leste is an inspiration. It reminds me of how valuable life is.. how precious every second is. A reminder to live every moment like it’s the last. If these people can move forward into tomorrow, surely I can.
I’m fortunate to have visited. Thank you TL.
Timor Leste Travel Blog.
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