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Dili
About Dili
Dili is the capital of East Timor and lies on the northern coast of Timor island. It is beautifully situated along the beach at the base of steep hills. Although most of its buildings were destroyed in the violence of 1999, some of buildings from the Portuguese era survived the violence, like the former Portuguese Governor's office that now is the office of the Prime Minister. Dili is best known as the gateway to the fantastic diving opportunities in nearby Timor Leste and Atauro.
Local highlights
Explore the city
- Sit at the waterfront with banyan trees and enjoy the games and fresh seafood
- Visit the Tais Market
Explore its museums and historical sights, such as
- Balinese Hindu shrine
- Church of the Immaculate Conception-the largest cathedral in Southeast Asia
- The Roman Catholic Church at Motael that became a focus for resistance to Indonesian occupation
- The Santa Cruz cemetery
- Chinese cemetery
- The Xanana Reading Room and Library with excellent information about East Timor
Highlights in the vicinity
- The nearby unspoiled island of Atauro can be reached by charted sailing boat, fishing boat or ferry service offering a good chance to see schools of dolphins and whales
- Good beaches can be found a few kilometers outside of Dili with snorkeling and diving possible. The most popular beach area is the sheltered cove of Areia Branca (‘White Sands’)
- Baucau with fantastic camping under the palm trees
- Timor-Leste with its remote and unspoiled nature, can be reached via a spectacular three hour drive along the coast via Manatuto
- Maubisse the old hill town with good walking possibilities up Mount Ramelau offering fantastic views
Good to know
- No. of inhabitants: 150 Thousand
- Timezone: UTC +9
- Weather: tropical the whole year with two seasons, dry and wet. The dry season runs from May to November. Rains during the wet season can be torrential and flooding is frequent. The nicest time to visit is May through July.
Local transport
- Taxi
- Rental car
Inbound transport
- Nearest airport: services to Dili from Darwin, Australia
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