Dili travel guide

Dili, Timor Leste

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Dili

Introduction

Dili is the capital and largest city of Timor-Leste, set on the northern coast of the island of Timor. The city occupies a small pocket of flat land hemmed in by mountains, so the sea sits on one side and steep terrain rises on the other.

The climate is tropical, with distinct wet and dry seasons shaping the rhythm of a visit. Plan around those seasons rather than expecting constant conditions.

Before you go

Dili has a distinctly Portuguese flavour, and along with Macau it is probably the furthest east where you can savour genuine Portuguese food and architecture. The city has recovered remarkably from years of war, though you can still see gutted buildings around town. Before you arrive, it helps to know the city's layout: a colonial core with a waterfront and a square bordered on the south side by the impressive Government Buildings, with the commercial areas of Lecidere to the east, Colmera to the west, and the former Mercado Municipal (Central Market) to the south. Once you're in town, the Tourist Information Center (Centro De Informação Turística) on Rua Avenida de Portugal in Farol is the place to start for orientation, maps of other cities and advice on how to get there.

Pack for heat that lasts all year, but bring something warm as well, since it can get very cold overnight in the central districts. The rainy season runs from November to April and the dry season from May to October, with rainfall highest in December and lowest in August. On safety, be aware that phone and bag snatching is a problem: scooter riders may grab your phone or bag right out of your hands, so be careful when walking along the street and keep your phone out of sight if you're on a motorbike, particularly when moving slowly in traffic. It's generally considered unsafe for a foreigner to walk around alone after dark, and there have been a few reported incidents of people riding in taxis after dark being robbed. Avoid gang activity, which normally occurs at night, particularly in the Bairo Pite district; the main gangs are Setesete, PSHT and Korak, and their graffiti can be seen throughout Dili, so keep your distance from martial arts venues and leave an area immediately if gang-related violence seems possible. The biggest risk is probably a traffic accident, so bring a quality helmet in case you get a bike or ride on the back of someone else's. Same-sex or overt public displays of affection may attract disapproval or vocal objection, especially from the older population.

Getting there

Most travellers reach Dili by air, landing at Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, about six kilometres west of the centre. There are daily flights from Denpasar in Bali on Citilink and the Timorese flag carrier Aero Dili; these are the cheapest option, and transiting through Bali is made easier by the airport improvements there and the removal of Indonesian visa-on-arrival fees for many nationalities. Aero Dili also flies from Singapore, Batik Air connects Kuala Lumpur three times a week, and Qantaslink and Air North serve Darwin, though those flights are very expensive. Missionary Aviation Fellowship operates domestic flights linking Dili with Atauro Island, Suai and Maliana.

From the airport, agree on a fare with a taxi driver before setting off, or walk out to the main road towards Batugade and flag down a mikrolet. You can also pre-book an airport shuttle or transfer, which usually costs more if you are travelling alone, or use the metered Blue Taxi service that operates across Dili and serves the airport. Overland, Dili is connected by a reasonably good road to the Indonesian border at Mota'ain near Batugade to the west, and east to Baucau and on towards Los Palos and Tutuala; a road also climbs south through the hill town of Maubisse to the southern coast, while other roads in the country are of terrible quality. Long-distance buses fan out from Dili, mostly leaving very early and doing a lap of town to gather passengers first, with services west to Batugade, Maliana and Ermera and east to Baucau from Rua Quinze de Outubro near the Mercado Municipal roundabout, also pickable up in Becora. There is no longer a Pelni connection to Indonesia and no regular boats to Australia; the cargo lines that do sail to Darwin will not take paying passengers.

Getting around

Dili has no rail, metro or tram network, so every way of getting around runs on the road. Yellow taxis are plentiful during the day and shuttle passengers around the city for a few US dollars, though locals typically pay less; longer runs, such as out to Areia Branca beach or Cape Fatucama, cost more and you may need to arrange for the driver to wait. The metered Blue Taxi service is noticeably cleaner and more reliable and can be booked by phone, but metered fares run roughly double what a yellow taxi charges for the same trip. Prices rise as evening approaches, and after dark most taxis disappear; the ones that remain tend to wait outside expat bars and ask much more even for short trips, so Blue Taxis are often the most useful option at night. Ask your hotel to arrange a taxi for a night out, or ask drivers you meet during the day whether they work nights and get their number. Agree on a price before you set off, know roughly what a fair fare is for your destination, and carry exact change. There are occasional reports of drivers attempting extortionate fares from passengers who clearly don't know the going rate; this risk has reduced at the airport but has been reported among cruise ship visitors.

Where to stay

Dili has plenty of hotels, from cheap and basic rooms — sometimes little more than a container with a window and a fan if you're lucky — to less cheap and less basic places with air-con and cable TV. For a budget stay, a quiet and friendly hostel in a residential house in Bebonuk, about a twenty-minute walk from Timor Plaza towards the coast, offers dorm and double rooms with breakfast and a front porch with tables and hammocks. Mid-range options cluster downtown and along the coast: a reliable hotel on Rua Jose Maria Marques in Lecidere, a small, sterile but clean Chinese-owned place near the downtown Burger King corner, the Central Hotel east of the Palacio do Governo, and a newer hotel and cafe at Cristo Rei Beach in Metiaut with a beach view across the street and a short walk to the Cristo Rei monument. At the top end you'll find established hotels along Avenida Presidente Nicolau Lobato and Avenida de Portugal, a large hotel in the centre of Dili, a Korean-run place just off Comoro Road that's best if you have a car, and chain and resort properties out in Comoro and Fatuhada.

For longer stays, many foreigners live in hotels or guest houses permanently, and alternatives include 'kos' style accommodation — your own room, usually with a bathroom, living with a Timorese family and sharing meals — which is best found by asking Timorese friends or colleagues. Sharing a house with other foreigners is common too; these are sometimes advertised at places like the Dili Dive Centre, but word of mouth is the best way to find out. Few houses have washing machines or air-conditioning, so you may want to invest in a fan, and furnished places save a lot of hassle — furniture stores are around, and getting friendly with someone who works for the government may help you find furniture. There is also a real estate office at the Central Hotel near the post office with a number of accommodation options. Hiring a cleaner a couple of times a week is usual and keeps the place a little more secure; whether you live with a family or not, getting to know your neighbours goes a long way.

Food & drink

Dili has plenty of restaurants, ranging from local Timorese and Indonesian places to Italian, Portuguese and Australian options. For cheap eats, warungs are everywhere: pick your food from the window for a typical Timorese or Indonesian meal. New Lili's and Starco Cafe on Rua Belarmino Lobo are good Indonesian warungs, and Miaow, opposite Kmanek Lecidere, bakes French baguettes with generous fillings and serves good coffee. For Chinese food, New 88 on Rua Audian is reliable for duck, and Golden Star near the corner of Belarmino Lobo has a few interesting Timorese dishes such as the saboco fish. Linivon in Bidau does rendang self-service so you can pick the best pieces, while Dilicious Timor, next to the Portuguese Embassy, serves tasty Timorese food from local ingredients with several vegetarian options.

For drinks, Friday after work is the happy hour atop Timor Plaza at Sky Bar, where many expats gather. Castaway is an expat bar on the beach road with beer, cocktails and a shelf of books to leave and take, and Nova bar is next door. Kaliber 12 on the corner of Rua Belarmino Lobo and Rua Audian is a corner store that blasts music around the clock; buy a beer at shop prices and sit outside with locals. Tower on Comoro Road, marked by a wire tower with an illuminated T, fills with locals and expats, especially Portuguese, later in the evening. Letefoho Specialty Coffee Roasters on Avenida de Portugal, underneath Hotel Royal Beach, promotes local coffee growers and serves some of the best coffee in town.

What to see and do

Start with the landmarks east of town. The Cristo Rei statue stands on a headland overlooking the water, a figure of Jesus atop a globe, reached by a route that follows the beach and climbs a long flight of steps past niches representing the stations of the cross; local fishermen and exercising expatriates use the same path. The view back across the bay toward Dili is often obscured by trees. Directly behind the statue is Cape Fatucama, also called Backside Beach, an inverted c-shaped cove with near-transparent water that is clearer than Areia Branca. You can reach it on foot by turning off halfway up the Cristo Rei stairs, or by car along the ridge road toward Baucau and a left-hand turnoff.

For the country's recent history, the Resistance Museum sits next to the university, and the Chega! Exhibition occupies a former prison used in both Portuguese and Indonesian times, where you can see the dark cells and displays on the independence struggle. The Motael Church, the oldest in Timor-Leste, was a refuge for activists in 1991 and the starting point for the procession that ended in the Santa Cruz massacre; the Santa Cruz cemetery holds the graves of Sebastião Gomes and of cameraman Max Stahl. Inland, the Dare War Memorial commemorates Sparrow Force and the Timorese wartime experience, with views over Dili. For active days, beaches near the centre are popular with children but polluted, while Areia Branca has bars and restaurants. You can climb Mount Ramelau for dawn, staying near the top beforehand, and it is bitterly cold at night. Diving around Dili and out to Atauro Island can be arranged with local operators, with sites such as K41 and Bob's Rock further east.

When to go

Dili has a hot tropical savanna climate, with consistently high heat year-round and a clear split between a wet season and a dry season. The wet half of the year brings frequent rain, peaking in December, along with persistent heat, so pack for damp conditions. Even in the rainy season, nights in the central districts can turn surprisingly cold, so bring something warm as well.

Three days in Dili

Day one: Start with the lay of the land around Lecidere and Colmera, where the city's Portuguese and Macau heritage is most visible in the streetscape. Browse the Mercado Municipal and the Central Market for local produce and crafts, then stop by the Centro De Informação Turística (Tourist Information Center) on Rua Avenida Portugal to pick up maps and plan the rest of your stay. In the afternoon, walk the waterfront towards the Farol for views back over the harbour.

Day two: Give the morning to the Government Buildings and the older Portuguese-era quarter, then head east to the beaches at Areia Branca and One Dollar for a swim and lunch. If you have energy left, continue to Cristo Rei for the viewpoint and the walk back along the coast.

Day three: Take a day trip east to Baucau to see the old Portuguese town and its market, or west to Liquiçá for the hot springs and coastal drive. Back in Dili in the evening, eat at one of the waterfront restaurants around Lecidere. Note that the dry season runs roughly May to November, while December to April brings rain and humidity.

About this place