Must See

Baucau

East Timor's second largest city has plenty of delights, despite the devastation it received during the war. The four-hour journey from Dili here takes in magnificent coastal views, and the beaches around the city are some of the most beautiful. The city also boasts some fine Portuguese colonial architecture and is home to the caves used by the Japanese during the occupation in WWII.

Dili

The capital during Portuguese colonialism remains the capital of the new country. Most of the city was destroyed in 1999, with any surviving buildings bearing considerable war wounds. However, some of the architecture of the colonial period remains, as does the Portuguese castle built in 1627. Although only 10% of the collection remains in the State Museum, visitors can still see religious wood carvings, figures, paintings, musical instruments and traditional crafts. Among the Catholic churches in the city is a giant statue of Christ on a hilltop near Cape Fatucama.

Outside Dili, there are a number of beautiful beaches, the most popular being Areia Branca (white sand).

Maubara

In Maubara, just west of the city of Liquiçá, you can visit the 17th-century Dutch fort. This well-preserved fort, which was once a prison, has a substantial coastal wall with its original cannons still pointing out.

Oecussi Province

Politically East Timorese, the Oecussi-Ambeno region is geographically surrounded by Indonesian West Timor. Cut off from the rest of the country, 95% was destroyed in the recent fighting, leaving only small hamlets and villages.

The capital of the region, Pantemakassar, holds a special significance as the first Portuguese colony. Now a sleepy town nestled between the sea and mountains, it offers good diving amongst the coral reefs nearby, mountain biking opportunities and hiking either in the interior or in the mountains.

Fatsuba, located in the south of the province, is another notable reminder of the Portuguese period, with an old garrison that overlooks Pantemakassar from a hill. In front of the mountain, in a courtyard, is a small coral grotto which is home to a statue of the Virgin Mary.