East Timor-Leste

October 18th – 25th

We took 12 people in 2014 and we’re offering it again: East Timor-Leste.

Join Young Pioneer Tours and Monsoon Diaries to one of the newest and least visited countries in the world the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. East Timor aside from being one of the worlds newest countries is also one of the worlds most interesting and least visited destinations. Still recovering from its brutal colonization by Portugal and Indonesia, as well as a bloody civil war, the country is now finally starting to recover, and as one of the worlds 20 least visited countries offers an unparalleled south-east Asian experience light years away from the mass tourism of nearby Indonesia and Thailand.

The trip starts and ends in the poster child for mass tourism in the region, Bali, a place that must be seen to be believed, before we fly into the capital of the East Timor, Dili. We then spend a week checking out three major areas, whilst getting fully immersed in the culture, and history of the country whilst enjoying this pristine tropical destination. Timor is truly special and should not be missed. From checking out the genocide museum, swimming with bio phosphorescence on a private beach, kicking it in the traditional markets with the locals, and driving across this beautiful country in our private bus this trip truly has it all.

This trip fits nicely after our Palawan Island Hopping Tour,  and can be combined for a further discount. Our usual groups to East Timor are very small and compact which makes it a perfect journey into one of the least visited countries on earth.

As with all trips we are offering discounts to all returning Pioneers, Monsooners, and group bookings.

Tuesday 18th October

  • Manila group meet at 6.40 pm at Manila airport for the 8.40 pm flight to Bali, arriving at 12.40 am

  • Group B guests arrive at own leisure and transfer to our centrally located accommodation. There are a number of cheap flight options here from many destinations, such as Singapore

  • Bali is THE party place for a number of people and a number of reasons, so we hit the town in a big way for our first night.

  • Overnight in Bali

Wednesday 19th October

  • We transfer to the airport to board the 09.55 flight to Dili.

  • Arrival at 12.50 arrange our visas on arrival before transferring to our very centrally placed accommodation

  • Lunch in town

  • Optional Scuba dive (at own cost) or free time for some rest

  • Walking tour followed by dinner and drinks around the seafront.

  • Overnight at East Timor Hostel

Thursday 20th October

  •  We go for a city tour of Dili including the parliament,
    presidential palace and old Portuguese architecture
  • Visit to the Timor genocide museum, not only a very moving place, but essential in understanding the recent history of the nation.
  • Lunch in a traditional Timorese restaurant
  • Our local guide continues our driving tour of the city with a visit to the former prison building of the Indonesian and other sites related to the war of independence .
  • Back to the hostel for shower and change before we transfer to the beachside barbecue restaurants to sample how the locals get together for drinks and food
  • Walk down the riverfront for nighttime beers overlooking the sea
  • Overnight at East Timor Hostel

Friday 21st October

  • We get up nice and early to board our private bus to drive to the second largest and most important city in the country; Baucau

  • The journey takes around 3 hours with us stopping on the way for pictures opportunities and lunch.

  • On arrival in Baucau we check into our bungalows on our very own private beach

  • City tour of Baucau including the old colonial building and government house.

  • We then head to what is quite a surprising highlight of the trip by visiting the local market. Considering this is the second biggest city the market is surprisingly primitive with foreigners rarely venturing here. This offers lot of opportunities to observe contemporary life as well as interact and speak with the locals.

  • In the evening we enjoy a home cooked meal with our hosts before grabbing some beers and heading down to our very own private beach for a kick back. The sea has bio phosphorescence, with the water lighting up on your every move.

  • Overnight in beachside bungalows

Saturday 22nd October

  • Baucau has a very famous outdoor saltwater swimming pool frequented by the locals so we head here for a morning swim and a relax

  • Lunch at locally famous restaurant to try the regional speciality Kulu, or for the less adventurous Portuguese cuisine.

  • We carry on our regional by driving another 4 hours by private bus to the far east of East Timor Lospalos. This is an extremely scenic drive and we will be stopping on the way for drinks, snacks and photos.

  • We check into our beachside accommodation

  • Overnight

Sunday 23rd October

  • We begin the long 6 hour journey back into Dili, again this will be an extremely scenic journey with our private bus affording us the opportunities and ability to stop as and where we need for refreshments and photos.

  • We stop at the one of the villages on the way for lunch

  • Arrival back in Dili and check into our beachside accommodation, for those inclined we can arrange a night dive locally.

  • We head for sunset at the most iconic feature of both Dili and Timor, the huge statue of Jesus, for the amazing view, before enjoying last night dinner and drinks at the numerous beach bars and restaurants here.

Monday 24th October

  • Free morning in Dili to either do some last minute shopping or relax on the beach before we head off over to the airport to continue our journey back to Bali.

  • We take the 1.30 pm flight to Bali arriving at 2.15 pm in Bali

  • Transfer to South Bali and check into our guesthouse

  • Head out to visit the Bali Bomb Memorial before heading off to the world famous Kuta Beach for dinner, drinks and night time festivities.

Tuesday 25th October

  • End of tour

  • YPT can arrange ongoing transport for those that need it

This is a trip that was co-planned and co-led by The Monsoon Diaries and Young Pioneer Tours in 2014. Crediting to that trip’s success, we are happy to sponsor this as a recurring trip led and planned fully by Young Pioneer Tours. Therefore, this is now a trip separate from The Monsoon Diaries (hereafter referred as “MD”) with no MD staff present on tour. We secure exclusive sales agreements with Young Pioneer Tours whereby we can advertise and sell these tours at a significant discount to the customer.

Please note that this discount can only be secured when the booking is made though The Monsoon Diaries. Contact us for information on other tours run by these companies as we may be able to offer further discounts across all tours!

Price inclusive of:

  • Return flight Manila – Bali  (group A)

  • Return flight Bali – Dili – Bali

  • All transport in deluxe air-conditioned bus

  • All accommodation

  • Local bilingual guides

  • Listed tours and excursions

  • Most breakfasts

  • Some meals

Price exclusive of:

  • East Timor visa (visa on arrival)

  • Indonesian departure tax

  • International flight to Manila/Bali

  • Most meals

  • Some breakfasts

  • Tips for local guides

  • Personal expenses

Interested In East Timor-Leste 2016!

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