Thursday, January 3, 2013

EAST TIMOR


Executive summary by darmansjah

With world-class treks and fantastic diving sites, East Timor is  the adventure traveller’s playground. Dive sites are numerous and accessible – the coral reefs start right from the shoreline. Boat dives run by experienced sea hands are another option. An hour off the coast of East Timor is Atauro Island, which offers even more diving opportunities. Some of the best wall diving can be done here and marine life like dolphins and whales are common sights.

On land, trekking replaces underwater exploits as  the number one thing on a traveller’s to do list. The most thrilling destination is Mount Ramelau, which at 2,693 metres above sea level, is the highest peak in East Timor. From the highland village of Hato builiko, the trek to the summit takes three hours. The best time to set off is right after lunch, giving you just enough time to enjoy the sunset from the top.

From Changi International Airport, Air Timor (air-timor.com) flies direct to Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili. Travellers from Kuala Lumpur have to connect to Dili via flights from either Singapore on Air Timor or Jakarta's Soekarno Hatta International Airport on Batavia Air (batavia-air.com).

Hotel California Dili is a small, clean and comfortable bed and breakfast a few kilometres from the Dili city centre and 20 metres from the beach. The inhouse restaurant serves up Australian, Portuguese and Asian Disehes, accompanied by a genorous dose of seaview (from US$50; californiahotel@gmail.com).


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