Checkpoints in Dili

The police are running checkpoints around Dili in a bid to clamp down on the carrying of illegal weapons. Police are also checking for correct motorcycle and vehicle documents.
I was riding pillion on the back of a friend’s motorcycle on the airport road yesterday, near Dili Backpackers. We came to a checkpoint and the police [...]

The rains are coming.

The art of dance

Put on your dancing shoes and meet us on the dance floor.

Guide to hotels in Dili

Need a hotel in Dili? We’ve rounded up information about a bunch of Dili’s hotels — and there’s more to come. This section of the website will be updated regularly with details about more hotels.

So you wanna learn Tetun?

If you’re going to spend a long period of time in Timor-Leste then it makes sense to try and learn some of the language, which is Tetun. The level of English in Timor-Leste is very low and so if you want to interact with the locals, you can meet them halfway by at least picking [...]

Yes, Dili has beaches

There was a NY Times article a few years ago that said that Dili has beaches like Bali. While it would be great to be so positive about Dili’s beaches, they aren’t quite on a par with Bali’s, but they’re pretty close. Dili isn’t your typical beach destination. Unlike in Bali, you won’t be hassled [...]

Malae!

After a few days in Timor-Leste, most foreigners will have heard the word “malae” (pronounced ma-lie) several dozen times. Similar to the use of the word “farang” in Thailand or “gringo” in Mexico, malae is how the locals refer to foreigners. Even if you become sick of being called malae, don’t take it to heart; [...]

The statue of Pope John Paul II

Dili has a number of statues of historic importance. One of the most recent to be erected is the statue of Pope John Paul II.

Ever tried to buy an economy ticket to Oecussi? Absolute chaos.

Brothers Burger

Curiosity got the better of me and I went to check out Dili’s newest fast food restaurant, Brothers Burger. A lot of people have been down on Brothers Burger, but the place isn’t all that bad. It’s located before Dili Backpackers and Tiger Fuel on the same road. You can’t miss it; there are huge [...]