Tripadvisor
Young Pioneer Tours
Timor Independence Day Overland Tour
Join us in celebrating Independence Day in one of the newest and least visited countries in the world! Even better, we are doing it in true YPT adventure overland style!
For a few years now YPT has been guiding tours to East Timor, a small and young country that truly captivates us. However, we are not ones to cut corners and it bugs us that those who flying in and out of the country miss out on so much. We offer you an in-depth exploration of the country as you enter it from Indonesian West Timor. This will allow you to see how culture is involved in the independent part of the island by comparing it with West Timor.
Not only that, we will be in the country to celebrate Independence Day with the locals! East Timor declared independence in 1975, but less than one year later was invaded and incorporated into Indonesia. Bloody fighting ensued and the United Nations Administration finally declared full independence on the 20th May 2002. East Timor was recently overtaken by South Sudan as the world’s newest country, but it remains one of the newest and least visited countries in the world!
In this tour, you will find everything that made our previous tours to Timor Leste so successful but also bring some exciting new additions such as Pante Makasar, the capital of Oecusse, not only the least visited part of the least visited country in Asia but also the only exclave of East Timor and some beach time on Atauro Island.
If you haven’t gotten enough of exploring the region with us, be sure to check out our West Papua tour taking place right after! This tour is $1495 and it starts in Bali and finishes in Dili, or you may opt to start and finish in Bali for $1795.
Tuesday 16th May – Kuta, Bali
- Arrive at your convenience into Kuta – Denpasar Airport is well connected from many countries within Asia and Australia.
- Bali is THE party place for a number of people and a number of reasons, so we hit the town in a big way for our one night in Kuta, Bali
- Overnight in Bali
Wednesday 17th May – Kupang
Morning
- We head to Denpasar Airport for the 11:05am flight to Kupang the capital city of Indonesian (West) Timor
Afternoon
- Arrival at 12:50pm to be met by our guides and transfer to our centrally located hotel
- Lunch in the city
- City tour of Kupang including the local parliament and lots of old colonial Dutch buildings
- Get ready for some serious street food! Kupang has a legendary night market where we will head for food, drinks, and a great first night out in Timor
- Overnight at Neo Eltari Hotel
Thursday 18th May – Kupang
Morning
- Breakfast at the hotel
- We head out to explore the beautiful countryside and to swim in the Crystal Cave (some serious hiking involved)
Afternoon
- Lunch in the countryside
- After lunch, we head further out to the Rosalin Orphanage to hear their story, and see the great work they are doing. If possible we recommend bringing some small gifts for the orphans
- Dinner at the orphanage
- Travel back to Kupang for a few drinks
- Overnight at Neo Eltari Hotel
Friday 19th May – Pante Makasar
Morning
- Breakfast in the hotel
- We head off for the 4-hour drive to Pante Makasar the capital of Oecusse — not only the least visited part of the least visited country in Asia, but also the only exclave of East Timor. Many countries can now get visa-free access to East Timor, or visa on arrival at the border. Please get in touch if you have questions about your visa situation
Afternoon
- Arrival in East Timor early afternoon, and transfer to our beachside accommodation
- Seafood lunch next to legendary beach of Pante Makassar
- We head out for a city tour. Pante Makassar was particularly affected by the fighting with Indonesia in 1999, with almost 90% of the buildings being destroyed. This gives it a very rich yet troubling recent history, with our local guide able to field any questions we might have.
- Dinner and drinks on the beach
- Overnight in Pante Makassar
Saturday 20th May – Dili – Independence Day!
Morning
- Breakfast in the hotel
- We head out for our private charter prop plane to Dili, the capital city of East Timor proper. This flight can best be described as interesting!
- We check into our accommodation on the beachfront of Dili, where we also have lunch.
Afternoon
- We go for a whistle-stop tour of Dili including the genocide museum, the parliament, the revolutionary headquarters of the independence movement
- Join in the celebrations with the locals, independence was restored to East Timor on this day in 2002 so we’ll be celebrating their 19th year of independence since the Indonesian invasion!
- Hang out for sunset on the seaside wall before another treat for the street food lovers as we head to the famous Dili night market for an unforgettable helping of beers and fish whilst eating on the beach
- Overnight in Dili
Sunday 21st May – Atauro Island
Morning
- Breakfast in the hotel
- In the morning, we head out to our private boat to head to Atauro Island, the most famous tourist destination in East Timor, and home to some of the best diving and snorkelling in the country
Afternoon
- Lunch at the resort
- Despite being on a tropical island we wouldn’t be YPT if we didn’t check out the old Indonesian military airport for some photos and an exploration.
- In the afternoon, we make the most of our time on a deserted tropical island by taking advantage of the great snorkelling and diving available
- Seeing as we’re on an island with private beaches we grab a load of supplies and make the most of it by having a BBQ beach party!
- Overnight in Atauro Island
Monday 22nd May – Dili
Morning
- Breakfast at the resort before a late check-out
- Free morning to relax on the island
Afternoon
- Lunch on Atauro Island
- We board our private boat back to Dili and the mainland of East Timor
- On arrival in Dili we check back into hotel for a freshen up before heading out to for a hike up to the famous statue of Jesus that overlooks Dili
- Drinks and sunset under the statue of Jesus
- We finish our last night in Dili with dinner, drinks and live music overlooking the sea
- Overnight in Dili
Tuesday 23rd May – Kuta
Morning
- Breakfast in the hotel
- In the morning we will head for some last minute souvenir shopping, including revolutionary shirts, and of course fridge magnets!
Afternoon
- Lunch near the airport before we board the 2:25pm flight to Bali, arriving at 3:10pm
- Transfer by private car to our hotel located in Kuta, the party capital of Bali
- Those joining us for our West Papua tour meet in the lobby at 6:00pm to greet our new travel partners!
- We say farewell with dinner and drinks
- Overnight in Kuta
Wednesday 24th May – Kuta
- Breakfast at hotel
- Tour concludes – YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for flights out.
Tour Extensions
Want to extend your YPT adventure? Join one of our great tour extensions
