East Timor is a land yet unspoiled by tourists. The country offers incredible scenery with attractions mostly oriented towards those spending their holiday actively. There are countless beaches and views for all to enjoy. Be quick to visit the country before tourism grows to experience how it truly is.

Traveling info

All visitors traveling to East Timor are required to have a valid passport. Entry requirements vary depending on visitors nationality. Citizens of EU and Schengen area may visit East Timor without the requirement of a visa. Citizens of all other nations are required to obtain a visa however all have the luxury to obtain such a document on arrival. Citizens of Indonesia may obtain such document at any border crossing, airport or maritime port. All other visitors must obtain visas either at the Dili airport or any seaport. Travelers visiting Timor-Leste for no longer than three months may drive with their valid driver licenses and International driving permits. Visitors must beware that an IDP cannot be used alone and must always be complemented by the original driving permit.

Traveling hazards

Roads are often poorly maintained, and four-wheel drive may be required in some areas. Nonexistent lighting and poor road conditions make driving at night hazardous. Driving in Dili is especially hazardous, with large trucks and military vehicles sharing the streets with vendors, pedestrians, and livestock. Many cars and, especially, motorcycles operate at night without lights. During the rainy season from November to May, rain showers can severely damage cross-island roadways, making roads particularly risky. You should use caution when traveling on the cross-island roadways in the mountain areas of Aileu, Ermera, Manatuto, Ainaro, and Manufahi provinces. Taxis, small buses, and minivans provide public transportation in Dili and elsewhere. However, public transportation is generally overcrowded, uncomfortable, and below international safety standards. Public transportation operators have been known to unexpectedly drop passengers at locations other than their destination due to the operators’ fears about certain areas or hours. Disagreement about fares has occasionally led to hostilities. Public transport is generally inadvisable and is generally unavailable after dark, although there is a growing presence of night taxis at select locations. Accidents occur frequently. When there is an accident, you should contact the police. Bystanders sometimes attack the driver perceived to be responsible for a traffic accident. This is more common in rural areas and in accidents involving Timorese drivers, but crowds have occasionally attacked expatriate drivers at the scene of an accident.

Environmental hazards

Timor-Leste still feels untamed with wild natural beauty. Although there are numerous animals in East Timor, few of them are dangerous to people. There are no dangerous large mammals. There are however numerous dangerous reptiles on the island. Some of the world most dangerous snakes inhabit the island of Timor. The likes of coastal taipan, tiger snake or eastern brown snake are lethally venomous. Surviving a bite from any of these animals often depends on the proximity of the nearest hospital or response of the emergency services. The coastal waters of East-Timor are much more dangerous than land. There are vicious creatures inhabiting the salt waters. Saltwater crocodiles, as the name suggests can traverse very far distances and swim far out into the ocean. These vile creatures inhabit territories ranging from the east coast of India all the way to Australia. Saltwater crocodiles reach sizes of up to 7 meters and may weigh up to over a ton. They will attack people if such an opportunity arises. These crocs come out onto land during the night and attack anything they come across. They are responsible for numerous deaths in the region. Although there are no reports of shark attacks in Timor, there are numerous attacks in the neighboring countries of Australia and Indonesia. Such attacks cannot be ruled out and are likely to happen when swimming out into the ocean. Divers are also prone to such attacks.
Storms and floods occur most often in East Timor however it is the floods that are responsible for most economic damage and are the sole natural hazards to claim lives.

Health hazards

There is no risk of yellow fever in Timor Leste. The government of Timor Leste requires proof of yellow fever vaccination only if you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever. Despite that, all visitors who are traveling to regions with a risk of yellow fever should be vaccinated against it. There are other vaccinations which are recommended. These are the routine vaccines aka MMR vaccines, hepatitis A and B, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, and rabies vaccines. Malaria and Zika are carried by mosquitoes in Timor. There are no approved vaccinations against either of the two. There are alternative ways to protect against these. There is medicine on prescription against malaria which should be available to anyone after consulting their general practitioner. Visitors should also use mosquito repellents and mosquito nets to protect against mosquito bites. Healthcare facilities in East Timor include health posts, community health centers, and hospitals. There is a lack of trained medical professionals in these facilities. Healthcare services in East Timor are extremely limited and there are very little dental and optical services available. The infrastructure of the healthcare system in East Timor is far from meeting the standard of western countries. Poor and unequal access to health services is one of the problems affecting the performance of the healthcare system in the country. Although you can find hospitals and health centers in the urban areas, however, they are not equipped to deal with complex medical surgeries or emergencies. Medical evacuation is often the only choice in the case of serious illness or complex surgery and these services are costly.
In case of an emergency dial either of these three numbers 7723 6662 / 3311044 / 7233212.

Crime

As the second youngest country in the world, Timor Leste’s security and law enforcement capabilities continue to evolve. International assistance has been helping develop law enforcement entities and professionalize the military. Due to extreme poverty and high unemployment, crimes of opportunity pickpocketing, purse snatching, car invasion and theft, assault are a frequent occurrence in Dili. Most crimes occur at night. Reported data shows the most violent crime to be Timorese on Timorese. Despite the significant socioeconomic disparity within the country, violence directed against expatriates is very low. Sexual harassment and groping of females is reported regularly. Street gangs affiliated with Martial Arts Groups are present, but the government has banned most of their activities. Gang violence, which flares up occasionally, primarily occurs between rival groups. There is no risk of terrorism in East Timor.

Summary

East Timor is an incredible destination unspoiled yet by masses of tourists. East Timor boasts some of the finest diving spots, undiscovered yet by many. As the second youngest country, East Timor is only new to discover by potential tourists. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(Visa)
https://migracao.gov.tl/html/sub0301.php
(Vaccinations)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/east-timor