In response to Wade who asks about mobile phones and the ANZ bank :
As far as I know, your foreign SIM chip will not do you any good here. You can get a mobile phone on-contract or more commonly buy a pre-pay chip. Right now, you can buy a phone plus pre-pay chip for US$30 including $5 worth of calls.
For more details on rates, go here : http://www.timortelecom.tp/eng/planos_mobile_uk.html
There is one ANZ bank which has an ATM machine at the branch and ATMs at Leader supermarket and Tiger Fuel. These days, the ATMs work fine – it was not always like this. I don’t regularly open bank accounts but I found no significant difference in opening an account then anywhere else. I didn’t need a buttock print like in some places. It all works for me these days.
As long as people don’t beat up the ATM machine (happened once) or the phone lines are not stolen for the copper value, they seem to work.
Wade, is there anything else I can do for you ? Laundry ? Personal training ?
No all good now, will shout you a beer in June.
My aussie SIM card worked when I was in Timor last year, it just depends on if your provider has a roaming agreement with TT.
Of course, you’d want to watch the crazy prices for making calls. I only used it for SMS. I took a spare phone along as well, and stuck a TT SIM in that for making calls, etc.
For much of last year in Timor I had an Australian Vodafone SIM card with global roaming, and it worked most of the time, but occasionally would be unable to connect to the TT network for a day or two.
Good one squatter. I think if you could arrange the Dili F1race I wouldnt have to leave home, and travel so far next year. Taci Tolu perhaps?