Dili Sunset Spots You’ll Love

Sunsets and beaches make a perfect pair. Some travelers even pick holiday destinations based on quality of western-facing coastline.

As an expat in Dili, you’re probably not on vacation. But still, why not enjoy a few tropical advantages? Next time you’re getting restless in the house or at work as you see the clock tick toward 6 pm, get yourself outside to one of these sunset spots.

Dili Rock
Framing the western edge of Dili and the Tasi Tolu bay, Dili Rock is more than just a great snorkeling spot. It’s also a lovely vantage point for sunsets. Park on the side of the road, or get there by bike or the #10 microlet, then make your way to the top – be careful, it’s usually a scramble. Look for trails behind the pedestaled chunk of stone that is the “Dili” sign, or climb the rocky edge from the Tasi Tolu beach. Also a good place to look for whales during whale season.

Cristo Rei beach
This white sand beach framing the eastern edge of Dili harbor looks pretty much directly west, making it a popular spot to watch the sun go down. Kick off your shoes, kick back in the comfy sand, and enjoy the lullaby of the sea as the light turns dusky and the sky golden. If it’s the right time of year, you can even see the sun sink directly into the water from here. (Anyone else care about that? Nobody? Ok, I guess it’s just us…) Support one of the local vendors by buying a snack or an ear of roasted corn – make sure to take your trash with you, so it doesn’t end up in the ocean.

Beto Tasi beach
This pebbly bit of coast behind the airport changes dramatically in shape throughout the year, but it’s always a good place for a sunset walk. Other than a few fishermen mending their nets or some kids enjoying the water, you’re likely to have the place mostly to yourself. Getting there is a bit of a trick. During the dry season, you can walk over from Ocean View Restaurant, since there is no river to cross. But during the wet season, it’s best to go in from the main road. Here’s how: cross the main Comoro River bridge from Timor Plaza, then go right to take the road along the western bank of the river, toward the sea. Continue across the end of the runway, then follow the main street (a dirt lane, by now) by turning left. Soon you’ll need to pick the correct right turn that takes you toward the beach again. If you are driving, park at the church, then walk around the cemetery to the sand. Parking on the beach is not recommended.

Antenna Ridge
This is a lofty (rather than sandy) perch for those who want to see sky and sea color as night falls. It will take some effort to get there, but the sweeping views of Dili at sundown should be worth it. Just before the crest of Becora Hill on the road over to Hera, take the dirt track up the hill to the left. The lane will follow the back side of the ridge for a bit. When it pops out to the front side again and you can see the city, stop at any good-looking spot and sit or stroll to enjoy the views.

Kafe Atsabe (Comoro location) rooftop !Late-breaking addition!
Early 2024 renovations to local-coffee stalwart Kafe Atsabe added a 3rd floor covered rooftop to their Comoro River location, with a 360-degree view. Dili Guide hasn’t yet experienced a sunset there, but given the unobstructed view and Dili’s very low skyline, you should have a great vantage point for the sun setting over the western hills as you sip a coffee (if you want to stay up late) or a juice (if you plan to go to bed on time).

Have a spot you think is better than these? Share to diliexpatguide@gmail.com, and maybe we’ll add it to the list!

Also, look for a “Top 5 Dili Sundowner Spots,” coming soon.

How to Ride a Microlet in Dili

by the Dili Microlet Map collective

NEED A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OPTION to get around Dili? Try a microlet! These minibuses are affordable, reliable, easy to use, and give visitors a glimpse of everyday life in Timor Leste’s capital.

The best Dili microlet route map

Microlets do not have set schedules or stops, but they do follow regular, numbered routes. It can be hard, however, to know where any one particular microlet is going. Introducing: our brand new and fully current…

DILI MICROLET MAP

As the Dili Microlet Map collective, we are (currently) two expats and one gung-ho tourist who want to pay it forward to others in need of transport in Timor Leste. Our goal in creating this microlet route map is to visualize the local, sometimes-invisible system so newbie, would-be riders can better plan their travel around Timor Leste’s capital city.

Updated, portable, and ready to use

Previous online mapping efforts have helped many people (tourists and residents alike) navigate Dili. But we found that – spoiler alert! – some routes are outdated on these older maps, and one new route is missing completely.

We wanted a map that was not only updated, but also more portable, so we’ve presented all routes on Google Maps. It was important to us that riders could use our Dili Microlet Map with the technology they already have in their pockets or on the apps they prefer. Using Google Maps allows people to see the nearest microlet options in relation to their own blue dot, with live location tracking. For tech-savvy users, we also provided KML files as an offline option.

Riding a microlet is easy

So how do you get on a microlet? Consult our map, get to a road that has the route you want, and wait for one (that isn’t already full) to come along. Then flag it down and get on board. When you’re ready to get off, tap your 25-cent piece (the standard fare) on the metal roof rail – that’s the ‘bell’ for the driver to pull over and let you out.

Our collective is committed to accuracy, so one patient soul did the above, over and over, in September 2023: they rode, GPS-tracked, and hand-edited all 13 microlet routes. That work is what you hold in your hand now as you use our Dili Microlet Map.

Microlet tips – send us yours

We also tapped into the knowledge of avid microlet users, pulling out the most useful tips and colorful descriptions of the experience for future riders. Check out our web page to learn more, then share your experience through the page’s feedback form.

In a growing and changeable city, we know the routes will morph with time. So, we hope the community will share updates with us and help us keep the map as current as possible for all of Dili’s adventure seekers.

Happy riding!

How to Snorkel in Timor Leste

by Joe Lapp

Upfront caveat: The ocean is the ocean, and that means it can be wild and unpredictable. Dili Guide and the author bear no responsibility for accuracy of information or your own ocean experience. Inform yourself through multiple sources, make good decisions, keep safety a top priority… and most of all, have fun!

I SNORKELED FOR THE FIRST TIME in my life here in Timor Leste, three years ago, on the reef just off the Atauro ferry pier. Climbing unsteadily over the side of a blue fishing boat, I clung to the white plastic pipe that served as an outrigger and stuck my head under the surface. How fantastic! I was hooked.

While many expats who live in Dili scuba dive, you can see plenty of beautiful ocean life and lovely colorful corals from the surface at multiple established sites in and outside of Dili. No scuba gear needed. Best of all, most of the sites are walk-in – no boat needed, either!

Dili Snorkeling Information

After I got hooked on snorkeling at Atauro, I wanted to go all the time! I had heard there were places to snorkel much closer to home, around Dili. But the people I talked to had so much ocean experience, they didn’t realize that I needed very basic information to get started. And there wasn’t much info available online.

So I made my own snorkeling guide, now available on the Dili Guide website. Check it out!

DILI SNORKELING GUIDE

You’ll find all the information you need to get started snorkeling in Timor Leste – an equipment list, safety considerations, information on known sites in Dili and within an hour’s drive east or west along the coast, and more.

Read on for some handy FAQs, then peruse the full guide at your leisure.

Dili Snorkeling FAQs

What equipment do I need?
You’ll need a good mask and snorkel, for sure. Reef booties are advisable, to protect your feet as you walk in and out; some people like to use fins. For those who want extra reassurance, a flotation device is nice. Click through to the Dili Snorkeling Guide to find suggestions for other things you might want or need, and places to buy them.

Where is the best place to snorkel in Dili?
Dili has three main snorkeling sites. Probably the easiest to start at is the Dili Rock / Tasi Tolu area. This site on the western edge of the city is easy to find and has a very nice reef. Best of all, entry is possible at any tide, and you don’t have to swim out very far to start seeing fish. Cristo Rei Frontside and Cristo Rei Backside are the other two sites. These have lovely coral and sea life as well, but you’ll have to make sure it will be a medium to high tide (recommended 1.2 meters or above), otherwise entry can be impossible because of exposed rocks. Click through to the full guide to learn more.

What will I see?
You’ll see some of the most beautiful reefs in Southeast Asia (though, remember, Timor is the only place I’ve snorkeled, lol), relatively unaffected by coral bleaching. There will also be colorful fish by the hundreds: butterflyfish, angelfish, damselfish, triggerfish, surgeonfish, engineerfish… Ok, that last one was a joke. If you get really lucky, you might see a dugong, squid, an octopus, a moray eel, a lobster, a ray, or something else super special. In any case, simply floating in the deep blue as you get rocked by the waves is usually relaxing and fun, just by itself.

How can I get to Dili’s snorkeling sites?
Each site listed in the Dili Snorkeling Guide has a link to Google Maps, and directions to help you find the entry point. You can get to sites on foot, if you really want, but that’s likely to be a long walk, so wheels are recommended. Two wheels are good: pedal or motorbike. If you have a car, that’s pretty easy. Or, you can take public transportation, like a taxi or microlet. In case you want to do an evening swim and beach sit, be warned that microlets don’t usually run in the evenings.

What is the best time to go snorkeling in Dili?
I snorkeled for the first time in a sea so calm it was like a pond. I thought the ocean was like that all the time in Timor Leste! But I soon learned better, that sometimes the sea is so rough I don’t dare put myself or my kids in it. For a good snorkeling session, you want calm water and good visibility: these two things often go hand in hand. The ocean is generally the calmest in October and November, when winds are light. Morning and evening are generally the calmest times of day. The rainy season (approx. December through May) can mean runoff that makes the water cloudy, or sharp showers that ruin your beach time. Experiment, talk to people with experience, keep an open mind, keep an eye on the tide and the currents, and if conditions aren’t good, come back another time.

What if I’m not comfortable in the ocean? What about my kids?
The great thing about the ocean is: the high salinity helps you float! Even if you can’t swim that well, floating is a natural thing when your body is submerged. But still, there’s no shame in using a flotation device, such as a life preserver you put on, or a life ring or buoy you tow along. Having a flotation device is helpful to rest on, or to help you float while you’re upright in the water, talking to your companions or adjusting equipment. Starting out, definitely put your kids in a life jacket, both to keep them safe and to give you peace of mind. And, if you’re a family or group, towing a buoy of some sort gives you an in-water meeting spot everyone can hang on to. Help kids and new snorkelers get acclimated to the water and to their equipment, and keep them close. If you are inexperienced or have young kids, stick to days with calm water, take it easy, and go out with others. Dili’s dive companies offer guided snorkel sessions – highly recommended for your first time out in Timor. Dreamers Dive is known for taking out expat families in particular. Click through to the snorkeling guide to find even more info.

I hope the information here and in the snorkeling guide is helpful. If you’re like me and you get addicted to seeing colorful things under the sea, feel free to explore all the sites and send feedback. Now, gather your equipment, make a plan, figure out your transport, stay safe, and go see some fish!

Top 5 Dili Brunch Spots

Brunch. To some, it’s the best meal of the week. This combination of breakfast and lunch is often eaten somewhere between mid-morning and early afternoon, on a weekend. Why? Because the weekend is your chance to sleep in, relax a bit, and break your fast when you want to, not at the crack of dawn before work.

So where can a hungry expat get brunch in Dili? Here are Dili Guide’s top picks.

Beachside and Caz Bar

Areia Branca (“white sand” in Portuguese) is arguably Dili’s most-loved beach, and it is the place to see and be seen on a weekend morning. This curving stretch of tropical sand hosts two restaurants that expats love to brunch at. Forgive us for smooshing them together into one entry, it’s just our way of packing one more fave into a “Top 5” list.

While we’re mock-arguing that this is Dili’s most-loved beach, some expats actually argue about which of our two feet-in-the-sand restaurants is the best. Dili Guide reserves judgment. But, you know, one of them has to be listed first…

Beachside is a Dili expat institution. If you’ve just arrived in Timor, get a new friend to invite you out to brunch here, and you can get a good start on introducing yourself to the international community’s movers and shakers. It’s a great spot to sip your first green coconut, if you’ve never had one, while you wait for your order of eggs benedict or avocado on toast. Kids we know love the porridge – it’s served with cream and brown sugar.

Just down the waterfront is Caz Bar. It has similar food offerings, and it’s literally the same beach. Try both places, for brunch and other meals, and you’ll evolve your own preferences. Some people simply roll past both to see the current atmosphere then make a decision based on data: introverts might choose the quietest option, extroverts the busiest. At Caz Bar, kids we know love the crepes (“pancakes” on the menu), the tree swing, and the foosball and pool table in the pavilion dining area across the road from the beach.

Neither of these brunch spots are luxe. You’ll be sitting in a plastic chair at a worn wooden or plastic table. Food is simple, and ordering mixups or long wait times are as likely to happen on Areia Branca as anywhere else in Dili. But you’ll be relaxing on the sand in a tropical atmosphere, with calm waters and children playing and local coffee readily available – what more do you want?

(Well, ok, if you’re going to sit there for a while, you’ll want sunscreen: those trees you’ll be sitting under provide shade, but not 100%).

Agora

Started under Australian management, local-food stalwart Agora reinvented themselves under Timorese leadership in 2023. Now situated in an airy garden toward the back of the Timor Plaza complex, they are generally open daily for breakfast (except Sundays), making this a great place for weekend (ok, Saturday) brunch. Agora’s mountain-farm hookup means the coffee is always excellent, and their breakfast dishes – like the rest of the menu – do a great job melding Timorese staples with international cuisine. The tamarind turmeric drink is always recommended, whether you are eating early or late.

Ha Ha Cafe

Opened in 2022 as a coffee shop, this cozy indoor/AC spot is becoming known for food as well. Expats like the place for the Western-style cafe feel, and families like it for the small toddler play area. Brunch food is simple but tasty: yogurt and fruit, varieties of breakfast standards on toast. The coffee is consistently good, and inventive smoothies hit the taste buds just right. Many customers praise the baked goods. If there’s a freshly-baked cake under the glass cover on the counter, you just have to have a slice with your latte.

Venture Cafe

The Venture compound in Lecidere is headquarters for several business, well, um, ventures. The cafe part of the operation sits in a lush, 2023-renovated garden with splashing fountains and tropical fish. Wander into the welcoming courtyard through a streetside gateway to appreciate the Calder-like sculpture, fitting in neatly with well designed, corrugated-sheet buildings. An international breakfast and lunch menu, as well as the usual fresh juices and coffee options, makes for a tasty brunch in pleasant surroundings.

Esplanada

Hotel Esplanada closed during COVID, then reopened in 2023. Their second-floor restaurant pavilion just across Avenida de Portugal from the beach probably has the best sea view of Dili city’s ‘oceanfront’ establishments. The brunch atmosphere here is casual and relaxed – well, where isn’t in Dili? The Moroccan breakfast (see photo at the top of the page) is a great option for vegetarians. If it’s whale season, there’s a chance you’ll be able to shout “Thar she blows!” while you sip your flat white.

Breakfast notes:

  • The yogurt bowl at Agua de Coco in Timor’s ‘downtown’ area gets consistent praise as a breakfast fave.

  • Fans of the English Breakfast have a few places to try their luck: Dili Club, Caz Bar, Spooners, sometimes Padaria Brasao in Timor Plaza, probably other places too. If there’s any readers passionate enough to do an English Breakfast tour and contribute a blog post about it, get in touch with us!

  • If you want a buffet-style hotel breakfast, break out at Hotel Timor, all you can eat for less than you might expect.

  • Need a quick morning snack out and about? Try the freshly fried donuts from a roadside stall, presented in a plastic tub set on a wooden table in front of someone’s house. If you’re lucky, a kid will sprinkle some powdered sugar on it for you.

  • This one isn’t about brunch, but: For those who dislike e-readers, there are  leave-a-book, take-a-book shelves at Beachside, Caz Bar, and Ha Ha, to fuel your weekend reading.

Happy Brunching!

As you probably know if you’ve lived here (or done your research before coming), Dili isn’t a super-huge foodie place. But for Dili expats who really love a lazy weekend morning out at a casual brunch spot, there’s more than one place – more than five, in fact – to fit your need.

And, unlike popular cafes in larger cities in more developed countries, you won’t ever have to wait in line to get a table!

The Dili Guide Blog

Hello, welcome to the Dili Guide blog! If you received this via email, you are one of the first Dili Guide subscribers. Congrats! If you found this post on diliguide.com, then you’re digging into a brand new website in its second week of existence. Thank you!

Dili loves Dili Guide

The response to Dili Guide has been super positive. “Really fills an informational hole,” said one user. “It looks great! Love the food guide section,” said another.

“I just forwarded it to a couple people who intend to relocate,” was perhaps the best compliment. Why? Because it means Dili Guide is immediately meeting its goal of being useful to expats moving and settling into life in Timor Leste.

That’s not our only audience, though. We want to be relevant for long-term Dili expats and families as well. And that’s what this blog is all about.

Regular posts, with content you want

Dili Guide plans to regularly publish blog posts showcasing the best Dili has to offer. A post might highlight top date night spots, or where to sip a sundowner, or tips on buying Portuguese wine and cheese.

All these mini-articles will live on our website’s “Best Of” page, so they’ll be available for all our readers, completely free, with zero annoying ads.

Subscribers, though, will get the earliest access to new Dili Guide content via a note in their inbox. Sign up now, if you haven’t already! And, if you find our posts useful, tell your friends to subscribe too.

Be a top DG fan

We plan to put out periodic calls for content, for those who want to engage even more. That’s right, we’re going to crowdsource our way to an even better guide for expats in Dili.

But don’t wait until we ask! You can make content recommendations any time – or give feedback on what’s already published. Just visit our About page, then email us.

Info you need, always there

But enough about our plans for the blog. The regular website pages loaded with Timor Leste info will always be the heart of Dili Guide.

If you are seeing this blog post, you’ve probably explored some of those pages already. We’ve put in a full linked list below, just in case you missed anything.

Thanks again for being part of the brand new Dili Guide experience!

Dili Guide Website Pages
Eat + Drink
Shopping
Leisure + Sports
Ocean
Arts + Culture
Recreation
Sights
Life (full content coming soon)
Kids
Best Of
About

Why an expat guide to Dili?

For those who choose to move to another country – thus becoming an expatriate or “expat” – a sense of belonging and community is important. The first weeks in a new place are a whirlwind. There’s life stuff to figure out, people to meet, an unfamiliar place to explore, perhaps a family to settle. Probably a new job to learn. And, it’s all happening-at-once.

Dili questions, answered

That’s where Dili Guide comes in. We aim to provide relevant, useful information to destress a move to Timor Leste – or help you decide whether to come here at all.

But that’s not everything! We also want to help long-term expats learn more about Timor. You might have lived here for 10 years, but Dili’s dynamism means there’s always a new spot to survey or a new friend to meet.

(Or, if you’re a tourist using our guide to figure out where to buy souvenirs or what beach to go to, no problem! We’d love to see you enjoy your time in Timor and help bring more travel exposure to this beautiful island.)

Dili connections, free for everyone

The concept of a guide to expat life in a particular city or country is nothing new. International residents trade information daily, around the world, especially as new people come into a community and old-timers leave.

There is a deep value to this information, more personal and communal than monetary. That’s why Dili Guide is a free, non-monetized resource. We want to help Timor Leste’s expat community help each other, as neighbors.

Whether you are brand new to Dili’s expat scene or you’ve been making introductions for others at Beachside brunches for eons, it’s always important to strengthen community connections. We all need someone to lean on, especially when we’re living far away from family and friends.

Dili fun, when you need it

We all need to relax and enjoy life now and then, too. Overseas living has its challenges. There are moments of joy that make it all worth it.

Dili Guide offers suggestions of where to eat, how to play, and what to see while you’re hanging out in Timor Leste. No matter how long you’re planning to be here, we know you’ll find ways to appreciate local pastimes and create your own good times.

The ability to move around the world freely is a privilege. Dili Guide can help you live fully, knowledgeably, and responsibly in Timor Leste. Thanks for using our website!