Brief information
Timor-Leste, Portuguese Timor, Timor Lorosae, East Timor – all these are the names of one small country that hides in a quiet corner of Southeast Asia. Few people know about this country, although it can be considered a real unknown paradise with excellent beaches and great diving opportunities.
Geography of East Timor
The island nation of East Timor is located in the Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia, northwest of Australia. It occupies half of the island of Timor (its eastern part), an exclave in the northwestern part of this island, as well as the islands of Atauro and Jacou. Not far from East Timor is Indonesia, and further – Australia. The total area of the country is 15,007 sq. km.
Most of the territory of East Timor is occupied by mountains. The largest local peak is Mount Tatamaylau, whose height reaches 2,963 meters. Only in the east is a plateau.
Earthquakes often occur in East Timor, but they are too weak. From time to time, this island nation is subject to tsunamis.
Capital
According to itypemba.com, Dili is the capital of East Timor. More than 200 thousand people now live in this city. Dili was founded by the Portuguese in the first half of the 16th century.
Official language
East Timor has two official languages - Tetum, which belongs to the Austronesian language family, and Portuguese.
Religion
More than 96% of the population of East Timor are Christians (almost all of them are Catholics).
Government of East Timor
According to equzhou.net, East Timor is a presidential republic. Its head is the President, he is elected by popular vote for 5 years.
The unicameral parliament in East Timor is called the Parlamento Nacional, and its deputies are also elected by popular vote for 5 years.
Administratively, East Timor is divided into 13 districts.
Climate and weather
The climate is subequatorial with two seasons. The rains are mainly from December to April, and the dry season is from May to November. The average air temperature in the monsoon season is + 29-35C, and in the dry season – + 20-33C.
The best time to visit East Timor is from May to June. At this time, the dry season is just beginning, and the air temperature is not very hot.
Seas
East Timor is located on islands in the Indian Ocean, and its shores are washed by several seas (for example, the Timor Sea). The total length of the coast is 6,789 km.
The best time for diving in East Timor is from February to June and from September to December.
Rivers and lakes
The rivers in East Timor are not very long. Among them, the following should be highlighted – Seical, Noel Besi, Northern Laclo, Comoro, Tono, Sahen and Ciere River. During the monsoon season, rivers overflow their banks, which often leads to flooding.
Culture of East Timor
The Spanish colonial customs had a great influence on the culture of East Timor. Many different festivals are celebrated in this country, including Christian and Islamic ones.
Every March, the Culture and Food of Timor-Leste festival is celebrated, during which you can see traditional music, dance and theatrical performances, as well as try dishes that are unusual even by local standards.
Every October, Ainaru hosts the Ramelau Cultural Festival, which lasts for three days.
Kitchen
East Timorese cuisine has been influenced by Portuguese, Chinese, Indonesian and Arabic culinary traditions. The main food products are rice, cassava, potatoes, corn, fish, seafood, meat (pork, chicken), fruits and spices.
Tourists are advised to try “Caldeirada” (stewed beef or lamb with tomatoes and spices), “Tapai” (rice dish), “Akar” (made from palm bark), “Cuts” (fish dish with spices).
The traditional soft drink is coffee. As for alcoholic beverages, the inhabitants of this country make good beer.
Attractions East Timor
Of course, East Timor cannot be called a very interesting place in terms of excursions, historical and cultural monuments. However, this country also has some unique and interesting sights.
Top 5 attractions in Dili:
- Cristo Rei de Dili is a 27-meter statue of Jesus Christ. It is modeled after the famous statue of Jesus in Brazil. It was built in 1996 in honor of the country’s 20-year union with Indonesia.
- Dare Memorial Cafe – This memorial, built in memory of the East Timorese who fought against the Japanese occupation, is located near Dili. The memorial offers a great view of Dili.
- Santa Cruz Cemetery – over 200 people who were killed by Indonesian soldiers in the 1991 armed conflict are buried there.
- Chega Museum! – located in the old prison in Dili. The exposition is devoted to human rights violations that took place in East Timor in 1974-1999.
- Dinosaurs in the Presidential Palace – The Presidential Palace in East Timor was built by the Chinese. They also brought dinosaur skeletons found in Mongolia there.
Cities and resorts
The largest cities in East Timor are Dili, Same, Manatuto, Lospalos, Viqueque, Baucau, Ainaro and Aileu.
In East Timor, there are excellent opportunities for diving – around the country there are many kilometers of coral reefs in which exotic fish live.
In addition, in East Timor there are excellent opportunities for trekking through the dense forests of Mount Tatamailau.
Souvenirs/Shopping
From East Timor, tourists usually bring handicrafts, fabrics, carpets, wicker baskets, mats, hats, fans, caskets, silver jewelry, pearl jewelry.
Office Hours
Banks:
Mon-Fri: 09:30-15:30
The shops:
Mon-Sat: 08:00-19:00
Visa
Ukrainians need to apply for a visa to visit East Timor.
Currency of East Timor
The American dollar is the official currency in East Timor. Only a few prestigious hotels and restaurants accept credit cards.
Customs restrictions
You can import and export foreign currency to East Timor without any restrictions, but large amounts of money (from $5,000) still need to be declared.
It is forbidden to export antiquities and art objects from the country without special permission. But rare animals and birds cannot be exported at all.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
The interests of East Timor in Ukraine are represented by the Embassy of Indonesia in Ukraine:
Zip code: 04107, Kiev, st. Nagornaya, 27-b T:
(044) 206-54-46
mail: [email protected]
The interests of Ukraine in East Timor are represented by the Embassy of Ukraine in Indonesia:
12084, Jakarta, Jl.Jenderal Sudirman kav. 29-31, WTC Building
T: (10-6221)
521-1700 mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Emergency numbers
110 – call the ambulance team
112 – rescue service
115 – call the fire brigade
Time
The difference with time in Kyiv is +7 hours. Those. if in Kyiv, for example, 09:00, then in Dili – 16:00.
Tips
Tipping is not common in East Timor. However, if the tourists are satisfied with the service, then they leave 10% of the bill for “tea”.
The medicine
Doctors tourists before traveling to East Timor make several preventive vaccinations (for example, against typhoid fever, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus, as well as rabies and malaria).
Security
The crime rate in East Timor is quite high, so tourists there should be careful not to demonstrate their wealth, not to walk alone late at night. Most of the crime is committed in Dili. Several cases of attacks on tourist yachts have been reported in the country.
