Dili
Timor-Leste's capital on a long bay, with Cristo Rei on the cape to the east and Atauro on the horizon.
- Arrival
- Presidente Nicolau Lobato International · DIL
- To the city
- About 6 km from the centre
- Private jets
- Daytime hours, prior permission
- Best time
- June to October
The city
A capital along the bay.
Dili lies at the foot of green hills, and most of what a visitor wants is close to the water. A promenade runs past the white arcades of the Government Palace and gardens shaded by banyans; the church of Saint Anthony of Motael, built around 1800, faces the beach. The Resistance Archive and Museum tells the story of the fight for independence through photographs and the words of those who lived it.
The dry months are the ones to choose. From June to October rain is light and the sea stays at 27 or 28 °C. In the wet season the hills turn lush, and December to March each bring more than 170 mm.
- Cristo Rei A 27-metre Christ on a globe at the tip of Cape Fatucama, inaugurated in 1996 and reached by more than 500 steps.
- Areia Branca The beach where Dili goes for a drink at sunset.
- Dare A memorial museum to the Second World War in the hills above the city, with a café and a view over the bay.
Arriving
One airport, close to town.
Presidente Nicolau Lobato International is 6 km west of the centre and takes every flight into the country.
- Bali 1 h 50
- Jakarta 3 h 05
- Manila 3 h 45
- Perth 3 h 55
- Beijing 7 h 25 long-range jet
When to go
June to October.
Hot all year, with highs of 28 to 30 °C in every month. The difference is rain: from June to October it falls to between 27 and 69 mm a month, while December to March bring more than 170 mm each.
- 29° J 187 29°
- 29° F 174 29°
- 29° M 173 29°
- 29° A 99 29°
- 29° M 111 29°
- 29° J 69 28°
- 28° J 52 27°
- 28° A 27 27°
- 29° S 33 27°
- 29° O 52 28°
- 30° N 94 29°
- 29° D 176 29°
Where to stay
Where to stay.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
The best table in town.
No restaurant guide covers Timor-Leste. Prato is the steakhouse the official tourism site recommends for a special dinner in Dili.
- Prato Steak House Timor-Leste tourism board Steakhouse Pateo, central Dili
Elsewhere in Timor-Leste
More reasons to come.
Flying to Dili?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.