I Found Adventure. Now What?

I Found Real Adventure in Timor-Leste

On July 2018, I set off for my 63rd country, Timor-Leste (East Timor), the newest member of the Southeast Asian bloc, which gained its independence in 2002 and remains one of the least visited countries in Asia. I was attracted to the country because of all the stories I had heard about how remote and challenging it is to travel around Timor-Leste, where infrastructure is non-existent.

I wanted to spend a good amount of time traveling around the country, so I decided to book a roundtrip flight from Bali and started my 10-day journey in the capital city of Dili.

My first impression of Dili was that of any capital city of a small country or an autonomous region, such as Nagorno Karabakh: a small city with one "posh" area where all the government buildings, embassies, and tourists are. The further I went outside the "tourist" area, the more poverty I saw. The sight was not surprising to me, as I was raised in a similar place myself in the suburbs of Surat Thani, a southern province of Thailand.

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I spent the first day in Dili, visiting museums and learning about the independence movement that freed itself from the grasp of Portuguese colonization and Indonesian annexation. On my third day, I had done everything I could do in Dili and was ready to move on. As I was looking for a way to leave Dili, I started to understand what it is like to travel around a country that lacks infrastructure.

One thing to note is that Timor-Leste is not a cheap country to travel to. A dorm bed in a hostel in Dili costs me $10 - $15 per night, whereas a hotel will set me back upwards of $40 - $60 per night. Things become even more expensive when looking at a way to travel around the country. You see, when people said Timor-Leste lacks infrastructure, they really meant common infrastructure like paved roads and electricity that we often take for granted.

As I was planning my trip to the second biggest city in the country, Baucau, I was left with few options. One option is to use a $4 public bus, and another is to rent a motorbike or a 4WD jeep, which will cost me $35 - $160 per day excluding insurance.

In all my adventurous spirit and trying to prove to myself that I am a REAL backpacker, I chose to go with the public bus. The route connects the two biggest cities in the country, and it is the cheapest way to do it, so I thought to myself, how bad could it be?

It was one of the worst bus rides I have ever experienced, and I have been on many sketchy bus rides before. I have ridden a bus on the mountainous roads of Nepal, gone on a road trip through the unpaved roads of the Wakhan Valley bordering Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and hitchhiked my way through Nagorno-Karabakh, but nothing compared to the bus ride in Timor-Leste. I went to Timor-Leste seeking a real authentic adventure, and I found it.

So This is What Real Adventure Is Like?

Traveling on a road that connects the two biggest cities in the country, and with a distance of only 140 km, you would think that the bus ride would take a maximum of 2-3 hours. However, it took us over 5 long hours along the coastline of Timor-Leste.

You are probably thinking that at least the view was stunning, and I'm sure it was, but I was seated at the back of the bus. Their buses are always covered in posters and paint that block the entire window, so I didn't get to enjoy any of it.

There were fewer than 10% of paved roads along this route that connect these 2 "big" cities, and the majority of the roads are under construction. So, we had to go through countless potholes while avoiding construction obstacles the entire 5-hour trip.

Being at the back also didn't help, as I was launched out of my seat countless times, hitting my head on more things than I cared to remember. Even the conductor boys on the bus had that nervous look in their eyes when I asked them if they were okay.

I can tolerate such road conditions, but the one thing I cannot tolerate is the fact that people were smoking like a chimney inside the bus. Combining that with the dust coming in from the windows, I am pretty sure my life expectancy decreased by a year from that bus ride. After the 5-hour bus ride, I came out of the bus, coughing and covered in dust from top to bottom.

That said, I was rewarded with the city of Baucau, a beautiful, quiet city of around 50,000 people located on an elevated area near the coast. I went around taking photos of people, Portuguese architecture, and the last few remnants of Portuguese colonization. I also tried some of the best Mie Ayam (chicken noodle) I have ever tasted and relaxed blissfully on a balcony overlooking the Timor-Leste coastline, away from civilization.

Adventure Has Its Rewards But At What Cost?

On my walk around the city, I also saw people living in poverty, garbage everywhere, and kids running up to me asking for one dollar and possibly insulting me when I rejected. I was also asked to pay 8 times the price for a Mikrolet (small van) ride than what the locals would pay (25 cents). I told them frankly that I would only pay 25 cents like everybody else, and they seemed pretty stunned, but I had my way anyway.

That night, as I was preparing for another horrendous bus trip the next morning, it had me pondering the question, "Was it worth it?"

Not All Adventures are Worth Experiencing.

In my 6 years of traveling around the world, seeking the most adventurous experiences, never have I been taken aback by my own adventure this much before. Maybe I have been romanticizing the words "adventure" and "off-the-beaten-path" a little too much. When I am actually experiencing a real adventure, fully unsupported by tourism infrastructure, I cannot handle it.

Perhaps it is because I have been traveling for so long, experiencing so many amazing adventures with less effort, that I no longer appreciate real adventures. Or maybe it is the simple fact that I am approaching my 30s in November 2018, and the prospect of putting myself through such torture no longer benefits me like it did when I was 24.

All in all, I believe traveling in Timor-Leste is the real deal, and if you are looking for a genuine adventure beyond what most backpackers refer to as "adventure," Timor-Leste (outside of Dili) is a place you have to experience for yourself.

Further Reading for Timor Leste

I hope you found this travel guide useful. If you are looking for more articles about Timor Leste, there is a selection of articles available to help you plan your trip.

• Looking for a complete itinerary and travel guide for Timor Leste? 10 Days Itinerary to Timor Leste.
• What do you know about Timor Leste? Not much, I assume. If you are interested in the history of Timor Leste, here is a brief history of Timor Leste.
• Dili is the capital city where you will probably begin your journey into one of the least traveled countries in Asia. To help you get acquainted with Timor Leste, check out our one day travel guide on things to do in Dili.
• Atauro Island is the best place to go snorkeling in Timor Leste. There isn't much information out there, so here's a quick guide on how to get to Atauro Island from Dili.
• Once you arrive at Atauro Island, make sure to check out our travel guide on things to do on Atauro Island.
• Looking to go off the beaten path in Timor Leste? Baucau is a great place to break your trip towards Jaco Island. Here’s a quick guide on things to do in Baucau.
• Done with the beaches in Timor Leste? Why not explore the untouched mountain region of Timor Leste? Here's a complete travel guide on things to do, where to stay, and how to get to Maubisse.
• For all articles about Timor Leste, visit the Timor Leste Travel Guide page.
• Looking for more travel guides for Southeast Asia? You can find more on my Southeast Asia Travel Guide page.
• For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.