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.