Explore East Timor

DESCRIPTION

Join YPT for a week exploring the history and of course the beaches in one of the newest and least visited countries in South East Asia.

East Timor or Timor-Leste was a Portuguese colony that proclaimed it’s independence in the 1970s before being occupied by Indonesia until the late 1990s and then becoming fully independent in 2002. We’ll be exploring the far regions of Baucau and Lospalos as well as of course the capital Dili, checking out the markets, catching the sunsets and getting our fill of local food.

There will be beaches and diving opportunities, and this tour will start and finish in Bali, Indonesia, an island about which not much else needs to be said!

As the only predominantly Christian country in SE Asia along with the Philippines, you can explore East Timor on its own or join us for a combo taking in both of these countries.

ITINERARY

Friday 9th October

Arrival in Bali at own Leisure
Kuta is somewhat infamous as a party place in Bali, and whilst you might not want to stay here too long, for one night it does the trick.
Overnight in Kuta

Saturday 10th October

We transfer to the airport to board the 09.15 flight to Dili, capital of East Timor Arrival at 12.00 arrange our visas on arrival before transferring to our very centrally placed accommodation
Lunch in town
Optional Scuba dive (at own cost) or free time for some rest
We take a walk down to the pristine beachfront in Dili where we will grab dinner at one of the restaurants overlooking the sea. At dinner we will be joined by a leading politician, former prisoner, and veteran of the independence war with Indonesia, to hear about his experiences in fighting for Timorese independence
Overnight at East Timor Hostel

Sunday 11th October

We go for a city tour of Dili including the parliament, presidential palace and old Portuguese architecture
Visit to the Timor genocide museum, not only a very moving place but essential in understanding the recent history of the nation.
Lunch in a traditional Timorese restaurant
TRIP HIGHLIGHT We head to the HQ of FRETELIN, the former ruling party of Timor-Leste to buy t-shirts, and probably have our photos taken for their propaganda! Expect lots of raised fists, and to be called comrade a lot. All very YPT.
Our local guide continues our driving tour of the city with a visit to the former prison building of the Indonesian army and other sites related to the war of independence.
Back to the hostel for shower and change before we transfer to the beachside barbecue restaurants to sample how the locals get together for drinks and food. This is street food at its best!
Walk down the seafront for nighttime beers overlooking the sea
Overnight at East Timor Hostel

Monday 12th October

We get up nice and early to board our private bus to drive to the second largest and most important city in the country – Baucau
The journey takes around 3 hours with us stopping on the way for pictures opportunities and lunch.
On arrival in Baucau, we check into our bungalows on our very own private beach. This is simple, but also extremely serene.
City tour of Baucau including the old colonial building and government house.
Baucau has a very famous outdoor saltwater swimming pool frequented by the locals so we head here for a morning swim and a relax
In the evening, we enjoy a home cooked meal with our hosts before grabbing some beers and heading down to our very own private beach for a kickback. The sea has bio phosphorescence, with the water lighting up on your every move.
Overnight in beachside bungalows

Tuesday 13th October

We then head to what is quite a surprising highlight of the trip by visiting the local market.
Considering this is the second biggest city the market is surprisingly primitive with foreigners rarely venturing here. This offers a lot of opportunities to observe contemporary life as well as interact and speak with the locals
Lunch at a locally famous restaurant to try the regional specialty Kulu, or for the less adventurous Portuguese cuisine.
If you have your very own private beach, then you should use said very own private beach, so we do what any sensible group would do and have a big BBQ!
Overnight in beachside bungalows

Wednesday 14th October

TRIP HIGHLIGHT We head to a weird but very worth it highlight, where we head to Baucau Airport, a place that looks abandoned but is in fact very much in use, where we will be able to drive around the runway via our vehicle, or for the adventurous by motorbike
We avoid the legendary Timorese roads by boarding our own chartered aircraft for the very quick prop-plane flight from Baucau to Dili. Dual heaven for flight geeks.
On arrival in Dili, we transfer directly to our hotel for a freshen up and lunch before our vehicle arrives back from Baucau to meet us.
In the afternoon we head to the iconic statue of Jesus for a hike and to see the sunset. For those inclined, it is possible to either rent a motorbike to do this, with, or without a driver, or to simply take our regular vehicle.
We sit by the sea to witness the stunning sunset next to a beautiful beach, where we will also have dinner, drinks and a general goodbye for our last night in Timor-Leste

Thursday 15th October

Free morning in Dili to either do some last-minute shopping (yes we will get you fridge magnets), or simply relax by the beach before we head to Dili Airport for our flight back to Bali
We take the 2.15 pm flight to Bali arriving at 15.00 in Bali
Transfer to our hotel in Kuta for a relaxing afternoon
With it being our last night together, and in Bali we head out for one last YPT BBQ and goodbye drinks.

Friday 16th October