Paradise found: Bali's new rival is on our doorstep

East Timor aims to become a quiet rival to Bali for Australian tourists - without the drunken partying and over-development. Lucy Rickard visits.

After a four-day whirlwind tour of East Timor's (or Timor Leste's) capital of Dili, I return eager to regale my friends and colleagues with stories of the picturesque scenery, culinary delights and adventures I'd had on the forgotten island.

But everyone, without exception, asks the same question. Since when is Dili a hotspot for tourists?

A beach near Dili.Credit: flickr.com/yeowatzup

If only they had been with me on the flight into Timor Leste, they wouldn't be asking.

One look out the window as we land on a small airstrip just metres from the ocean is all I need to know the answer to their question.

Stepping into the welcome humidity on the tarmac, I am immediately torn between gazing out at Atauro Island across the deep blues of the Wetar Strait, and looking up at the lush, mountainous terrain dotted with villages on my other side.

Dili, Timor Leste (East Timor)

Think of how Aussies reminisce about Bali circa 1970 - a nation with a rich cultural and political history and unspoiled natural resources, primed for the tourism dollar.

Timor Leste's tourism director Jose Quintas says his country is more than ready for tourists to arrive on its shores, but his people want adventurists and sun seekers, not the party-crazed visitors attracted to neighbouring Asian destinations.

It's not about bringing tens of thousands of visitors to Timor Leste. In fact, Mr Quintas says the government is only looking for a small rise in the number of foreigners arriving.

Two playful young boys in the village of Maubisse, 70km south of Dili, Timor Leste.

"As a new destination, we don't want to overdevelop our tourism. We need to learn from other countries ... take it step by step," he said.

"I talk to Australian tourists and they say 'I like to visit Bali, but it's different from before, now it's really crowded'.

"They want a quiet place, and Timor Leste is a quiet place.

"The vision of the government is one of natural beauty."

Timor Leste has all the holiday pastimes expected of any south-east Asian destination – swimming, snorkelling or diving at scores of beaches, restaurants and bars in most hotels, stacks of walking trails and a host of cultural and historical sites within a couple of kilometres of the city.

The sandy beaches and mountains of Atauro Island, about an hour across the Wetar Strait, beckon even before I set foot on a charter boat.

Arriving at the island and taking just a couple of steps from the beach I find Barry's Place - laid-back, community-style accommodation comprising half a dozen huts with shared dining and bathroom facilities.

Strolling through the grounds of Barry's Place, I immediately become relaxed. Guests are lazing on the front verandas of the huts, hammocks are blowing in the gentle breeze as it rolls in off the mountain, and just a couple of metres down a sandy path is the beach.

One of Barry's volunteers has just served up a feast for lunch, and everyone is invited inside for a taste of the home-cooked delights.

Walking trails and hikes run through the mountains and there's even an Italian restaurant snuggled in the terrain. Ferries run to and from the island regularly, and private boats can be chartered for day trips, incorporating diving, snorkelling and fishing.

My time at Atauro is sadly short-lived, and I am hustled back on to the dive boat, ready for some snorkelling at one of the dozens of protected bays dotted around the island.

My regret at being whisked away from the laidback island is instantly forgotten.

Even for a novice snorkeller such as myself it's worth forgoing some relaxation just to see the hundreds of tropical fish species poking around in the coral. For the divers among our group, shallow reefs several hundred metres off the shore provide a much more exciting underwater experience.

On return to Dili, it's time for an enlightening tour of some of the historical sites the city had to offer.

A number of museums and exhibitions scattered through Dili detail the country's political struggle, including the Chega! Exhibition. Fortunately for tourists, the photographs feature with English captions and it's the same at the nearby Resistance Museum.

The Palacio de Govierno – the Government Palace - dominates the city centre and is hard to miss with high walls and guards surrounding the property.

The predominantly Roman Catholic population comes to the fore in two large scale statues set about five kilometres on either side of Dili.

Pope John Paul II stands tall on a headland west of the city, but it's the Cristo Rei, a 27m high sculpture of Jesus Christ that is the essential destination, if not for the statue itself, then for the thigh-numbing walk up 400-odd steps to the spectacular view.

In line with the climb to the Cristo Rei statue, many of the tourist highlights are not for the faint of heart and come brimming with the country's rich and tumultuous history.

Ask business owners how long they've been there and the answer is unanimous: "Since independence." Nearly everything was rebuilt following the United Nation's intervention in 1999 after 25 years of Indonesian occupation. Everyone I speak to is proud of how far the small nation has come in the past 12 years.

Evidence of the city's progress is everywhere. Some of the best hotels in Dili are surrounded by buildings gutted in the Indonesian invasion and occupation, their shells standing as a constant reminder for locals.

A 70km drive to the 360-degree lookout over the mountainous terrain of Maubisse takes more than three hours for local drivers game enough to brave the dangerous winding road - and I wouldn't recommend tackling this road without one. Perth-based Island Holiday Explorers can provide this service to visitors as part of its package deals to Dili.

It's well worth the ear-popping drive, and there are a number of villages and markets dotted along the roadside, allowing for a spot of shopping when time allows for a quick stretch of the legs.

On the same winding road and less than an hour south of Dili is the breathtaking view at Dare lookout, where an unexpected set of steps leads down to a newly built lookout on the side of a mountain. The views extend over the Wetar Strait to picturesque Atauro Island

As a tourist in a new destination, my only disappointment comes when I learn our schedule is not only too tight to squeeze in a trip to the local shopping mall, there isn't really anything on offer in terms of the typical "tourist shopping".

But in a week crammed with activities, I manage about half an hour on my last afternoon to head to the local tais market – a small outdoor precinct set up entirely to sell the traditional hand-woven fabric. Bartering is mandatory and knocking up to half off the asking price in the first instance is a must if you don't want to get ripped off.

At the moment, there is a long list of hotels ranging from the get-what-you-pay-for budget to the top of the range hotels, but due to the fluctuating number of UN officials in town at any given time, it can be difficult to get a booking.

Get organised, plan ahead and be sure to ask about getting a reduced fee, especially for longer stays. It might not be Bali but bartering definitely comes into play in many establishments.

FAST FACTS

Getting there

Airnorth runs daily flights from Darwin to Dili, flights are about 60 minutes. Island Explorer Holidays has packages for Australians heading to Timor Leste, which can be custom-made for adventure-oriented tourists. Timor Leste uses US dollars as its currency.

Staying there

The Discovery Inn Hotel - run by former Darwin husband and wife team Sakib and Neelo Awan, this hotel is surprisingly quiet in downtown Dili. Diya Restaurant at the Discovery Inn Hotel is as renowned for its cooking as it is for its international guests. Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Timor Leste’s president Jose Ramos-Horta are regular diners at this fine dining establishment. Rates are from $US100 per night.

Hotel California - cute cabin-style accommodation a couple of kilometres east of Dili, it's quiet, relaxed and has a great upstairs bar and restaurant overlooking the beach. From $US50 per night.

Palm Beach Apartments – this newly opened secure complex has dozens of private apartments, many with ocean views. Owner Jackson Lay also runs the nearby Palm Spring Estate with the attached Jack’s Bar and Restaurant. From $US125 per night for a self-contained apartment.

Hotel Timor - Newly renovated, the hotel has a new Portugese head chef, who has reinvented the menu at this recently renovated hotel on Dili's beachfront. Rates are from $US100 per night.

When to visit

During the dry season, from May to November.

More information

http://www.turismotimorleste.com/

Lucy Rickard toured Dili courtesy of Island Explorer Holidays, and flew courtesy of Airnorth.