Unspoiled nature awaits visitors to East Timor

Unspoiled nature awaits visitors to East Timor

David Kennedy, Contributor/Dili

The first thing a newcomer to East Timor notices is the peace and
quiet.

Even Dili -- where daily Merpati flights arrive from Bali --
has more the character of a sleepy seaside town than a capital
city. Its wide roads are deliciously free of traffic, the silence
only broken by the occasional blast of techno music from
aimlessly roving taxi drivers.

What they lack in geographical knowledge they make up for in
friendliness and enthusiasm in welcoming visitors, either in
broken English or strongly accented Indonesian.

Accustomed to seeing only foreign aid workers and officials
visiting their shores, the East Timorese are happily surprised to
encounter tourists. With the choice of quality hotels and
excellent cafes and restaurants in Dili, the potential for an
industry is certainly there.

Full five star comforts are available here, although they
don't come cheaply. Rooms start at US$25 at City Cafe (dollars
are the national currency), rising to over $100 at Hotel Timor.
If you shop around, however, you can find something to fit any
pocketbook. One group of German backpackers -- who accidentally
strayed into the country from Indonesian West Timor and found
themselves waiting five days for the Indonesian embassy to issue
them a visa to return -- claimed they found a place for $5 a
night.

Availability of accommodation has played a role in designing a
tourist trail, followed mainly by aid workers on weekend trips
south into the mountains to Maubisse and east to the coastal
areas of Baucau, Com and Tutuala, all of which boast clean but
sometimes pricey pousadas (guesthouses).

Although the infrastructure is there, tourism has yet to take
off in East Timor, making it ideal for adventurous trail blazers
who still like a nice pillow under the heads at night.

Not surprisingly, the new country still suffers from an image
problem having been under UN administration until 2002, following
violent unrest during a 1999 vote for independence from
Indonesia.

Today there is little to worry travelers to the former
Portuguese colony and locals are quick to stress that this
includes those from East Timor's biggest neighbor.

"Indonesians are welcome here," said Jose, a taxi driver with
an accent rich in inflections of Portuguese and Tetum, the local
language, when I told him that a Javanese friend in Jakarta was
frightened to visit in case people were hostile to her.

"It is very peaceful you know, there's nothing to fear, tidak
ada masalah (no problem)," he added, laughing and raising his
voice over the traditional music playing in his car and reminding
me, somewhat ironically I thought, of my response to queries from
my friends in the West about how safe it is to visit Indonesia.

With its kaki lima street food hawkers, traditional Indonesian
Padang restaurants and stalls selling posters of Indonesian stars
such as Muslim preacher A'a Gymnastiar and gyrating singer Inul
Daratista, this certainly feels like a city that has moved on
from its painful past.

The best way to see the country is to rent a car and drive it
yourself. Prices start at around $50 at Jiffy Car Rental next to
Hotel Timor. As you leave Dili and drive along its sun drenched
seafront, small children play in the water, laughing and joking
in Tetum. Only the older ones speak Indonesian.

Fishermen ply their trade in the clear waters of the bay and
along the beach simple restaurants like Carlito's sell freshly
grilled fish and Bintang beer to locals, aid workers and the
occasional tourist.

The road into the mountains rises steeply past the giant Jesus
Statue, arms raised toward Dili five miles away; a "gift" from
former president Soeharto, the statue is now a Mecca for evening
walkers and joggers, who climb its steps to take in the view over
the bay and enjoy the fresh sea breeze.

Traveling is one the greatest, and at times, challenging
pursuits in East Timor as the roads are pitted and potholed,
making them the perfect terrain for enthusiasts of SUVs and four
wheel drives.

As the road climbs out of Dili your head spins, not only with
the constantly twisting road leaving the capital but also from
craning it to see the constantly changing scenery -- at first
lush and tropical with breathtaking seascapes, and then dry scrub
and vast mountain ranges.

Maubisse, less than three hours away, is a mountain retreat
with an old, somewhat disheveled, Portuguese style pousada
perched on a raised ridge with a panoramic view of mountains and
coffee plantations. The good food and relatively comfortable
rooms coupled with breathtaking views and rich mountain air is a
real tonic for city weary travelers. In the evening it gets very
cold and you need warm jumpers and even coats.

Visitors are treated to a spectacular show at sunrise.
Sunbeams split the early morning haze, dissecting curling smoke
from myriad fires lit by bleary eyed farmers huddled in blankets.