Practical information East Timor

7335  sq.mi

22 hours. London-Paris-Dili via Djakarta-Denpassar (Bali) and Kupang (Timor- West).

1094000 hab.

Comoro airport is 3 miles west of Dili. The taxi fare to the town centre is 7,500 IDR and the bus fare is 400 IDR.

It is inadvisable to travel alone at night along country roads. Try to take the bus rather than renting a car.

Portuguese, Bahasa Indonesia, Malayo-Polynesian and Papuan languages are spoken. English is also spoken.

Passports must be valid for six months after the return date and you must have a visa (25 dollars).

Christianism (50 %) and Animism (50 %) are dominant. There are a few Muslims.

The currency used in the country is the US dollar (USD).
£1 = approximately US$1.530.
Credit cards (MasterCard, American Express and Visa International) are accepted in larger hotels and some restaurants. There are no cash machines here.
The banks in East Timor do not change pounds, soyou will need to bring US dollars, and make sure the notes are in a good condition. Travellers cheques must also be issued in US dollars. Banks are generally open from 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday, although some branches also open on Saturdays from 8:00am to 11:00am.

There is no local air travel and there are no railway lines. Several minibuses travel across all towns in the region from Dili: Maubisse (3 h), Ainaro, Same, Suai (10 h), Baucau (3 h), Los Palos (7 h) and Viqueque (7 h). It is possible to travel along the coastal regions or to the islands of Atauro and Jaco. You are advised to rent a chauffeur-driven car, as it is not safe to drive alone. If you insist on driving, you will need an international driving licence and driving is normally on the left, but it is not rare to find people driving on the right! Renting a motorcycle is also common practice.

Main recommendations:
There is no particular vaccine required except for the vaccine against yellow fever if you have previously been in an area affected by the disease. Check that your DTP vaccine is up to date, and vaccines against typhoid and hepatitises A and B are strongly recommended, as well as an anti-rabies vaccine and a vaccine against Japanese encephalitis B, if you are staying for a long time in remote areas.
You should also plan to have a chemoprophylaxis against malaria: the region is listed in zone 3 and be aware that several cases of diseases, passed on by insect bites, have recently been reported.
The main protection measures consist of the following: avoid walking outside after nightfall; wear long-sleeved clothes which cover and protect the entire body (spraying your body parts which are not covered with clothes with a repellent product); spray your clothes with insecticide; spray rooms with repellent products and sleep with a mosquito net.

110 V and 220 V, 50 Hertz. An adapter is not needed, however, be aware that electricity is infrequent.

To call East Timor from the UK, dial: 00 + 670 (country code) + the number you are calling.
To call the UK from East Timor, dial: 00 + 44 + the number you are calling without the initial 0. To call within Indonesia, dial 0 + the town code.