Timor-Leste

Understand

History The eastern half of the island of Timor, Timor-Leste, is a former area of Portuguese trade and influence which Portugal declared a colony in 1702. After the overthrow of Portugal's right-wing dictatorship during the Carnation Revolution in April 1974, the country's significant colonial empire experienced a wave of decolonisation. Portuguese Timor declared itself independent on 28 November 1975. On 6 December, US President Gerald Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger met with Gen. Suharto in Jakarta, where they gave approval for the Indonesian "integration" of East Timor. The next day, Indonesian forces invaded and occupied the country, beginning a disaster of genocidal proportions. By July 1976 it had been annexed as the province of Timor Timur. During this time, there was some support for Timor to become an Australian state, fearful of Indonesian integration, although the idea was rejected by the Australian government. Over the next two decades, Indonesia integrated the colony, with many significant positions of authority being occupied by Indonesians rather than the indigenous people. An estimated 100,000-250,000 individuals are believed to have been killed during a campaign of "pacification" during this time. The United Nations supervised a popular referendum on 30 August 1999, in which the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. After the results were announced, gangs of independence opponents, supported by the Indonesian military, terrorised the population in a civil war that destroyed much of the country's infrastructure. Nevertheless, Indonesia grudgingly accepted the result and withdrew their forces in favour of a United Nations peacekeeping force led by Australia that was sent in to re-establish a civil society and reconstruct the nation. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state under the official name of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. However, the country is more commo

Getting there

Entry requirements

Citizens of all Schengen Area countries do not need a visa to stay for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Citizens of Cape Verde, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand do not need a visa to visit for up to 30 days. Everybody else requires a visa. Visitors from other countries can obtain a 30-day tourist and business visa on arrival to Timor-Leste at Dili Airport or Dili Seaport by filling in a simple form and paying US$30 in cash. "Visa on arrival" is not available at the land border, and you must have obtained a visa in advance. There is a poorly publicized government policy that you need at least 2 blank pages in your passport when arriving (the visa on arrival stamp takes up one whole page). It is usually not a problem at immigration, as long as you have one whole blank page; however, airlines have been known to reject people with fewer than 2 blank pages. Check out the Immigration Department of Timor-Leste, and specifically the link to the Tourist Visa page for details on visa requirements, and for details on how to apply for a "visa application authorisation" (which may be obtained via email before you travel), or how to apply for a visa at an Embassy or Consulate should you want to enter at a land border crossing. Apart from Tourist & Business Visas, other visas that are available include the Transit Visa, Work Visa, Study Visa, Cultural, Scientific, Sport & Media Visa and Residence Visa. Tourist Visa requirements as stated by the Immigration Department of Timor-Leste are as follows: The applicant must:

Demonstrate intention of a genuine visit (as tourist or business trip). Demonstrate sufficient funds for period of proposed stay (access to US$100 on entry and US$50 for each day). Demonstrate accommodation arrangements. Hold a return ticket, or show ability to fund own departure. Applicants must also be assessed as being of good character and health before they will be granted the visa and/or permitted to enter Timor-Leste. All foreigners

Getting around

By bus Buses, mostly of the small variety found on remote Indonesian islands, run to most parts of the country and main cities like Dili, Baucau, Maliana, Los Palos and Suai are quite well linked. Indonesian-style bemos (vans), anggunas (light trucks with benches at the back) and mikrolets (minibuses) - legacies from its 24-year rule - run from these cities to nearby villages. Most departures take place very early in the morning and drivers have a tendency of doing keliling (Indonesian for "going round") where they spend a considerable amount of time combing the streets and scouting for passengers before actually departing. Fares depend on the rough distance and mode of transport. For example, Dili-Aileu {39 km (24 mi)) by Angguna costs US$2, Dili-Maubisse (65 km (40 mi)) by Angguna is US$4, while Dili-Baucau (123 km (76 mi)) by bus costs US$5. Microlets within Dili and Baucau are 25 centavos per ride.

By car Although Timor-Leste was once a country that drove on the right when it was a Portuguese colony, ever since the annexation of the country by Indonesia, the country switched and Timor-Leste now drives on the left in right hand drive vehicles, similar to its neighbouring countries. Taxis are one of the best means of transport in and around Dili. Fares are not very steep (US$1-3) and there are lots of them. You can rent a vehicle (4WD) in Dili for around $85 a day. However, do be prepared for adventure - besides the tricky roads there is the lack of road signs to contend with. It is possible that you will get so caught up with driving that you miss out the great scenery around you. Most reputable car rental companies offer 24/7 roadside assistance anywhere in the country. If you are out in a remote district, your help, dispatched from Dili, will take a while to arrive. While in Dili you will need to confine yourself to a speed limit of 40 km/h. On open roads you may rev up and touch 50-60 km/h. Tourists from most other places might find the going slow but tha

See

Carnival de Timor is the annual festival held in Dili in middle of April (sometimes in May, depending on rain season). Initiated by the Ministry of Tourism in 2010, the carnival is all about fun, music and multiculturalism. Both modern and traditional costumes, Timor-Leste and foreign minorities, even embassies participate in this annual festival. The parade starts at a landmark and ends at Palacio do Governo, greeted by bands and awards for the best dressed group. The crowd continues to dance into the night with live music and other attractions. Tourists in Timor-Leste are a rare breed. Traveling from village to village, you're likely to hear choruses of "malay" (the Tetum word for foreigner) and folks will want to engage you in conversation. One could spend several days just enjoying the feeling of being a very welcome stranger. Timor-Leste is at the end of the Indonesian archipelago, north of Darwin, Australia and at the base of the Coral Triangle, which hosts the highest diversity