I note that the President is urging Australians to come here as tourists.\u00a0 And I see that a new 5-star hotel resort is on the cards :<\/p>\n
“The resort will be built between two ridges in Taci Tolu * on the coast of western Dili and will have a five-star hotel with about 350 rooms, a 27-hole golf course set amid lakes, and a business park.<\/em>”<\/p>\n This puts it just west of the existing Timorese defence HQ (and the race course) and just beneath the outstretched hands of the recently erected Pope Paul statue.\u00a0 It is also just across the road from Dili Rock – a popular diving spot.\u00a0 And 10 minutes from the airport.<\/p>\n Not that I am a hotel ratings genius, but my current best guess is that Hotel Timor may be a 4-star.\u00a0 Discovery Inn looks ordinary from the outside but at least it does have a more hotel-ish restaurant and bar.\u00a0 And the Com Resort is more 3-star-ish with its non-24-by-7 power.<\/p>\n On the more rustic tourism front, I recently did the Mt. Matebian walk.\u00a0 For more details on how to do it, I would try this site<\/a> which seems pretty up-to-date to me.\u00a0 The contacts given in the web page seem to be current.\u00a0 We did the Uaiboro start option which is gettable by 4-wheel drive in the dry – allow about 7 hours from Dili.\u00a0 I did the Uaiboro-summit in 4 hours and return in about 2 hours 40 minutes.\u00a0 I was knackered and drank about 3 litres of fluid during the recovery time at the end.\u00a0 It was fine but cold at the top, requiring additional clothing.\u00a0 It was fine but hot at the bottom, requiring as little as possible.<\/p>\n My only failure was my boots.\u00a0 The sole almost came off one on the ascent and had to be taped back on – this worked.\u00a0 The left sole came off 30 minutes from the end (no tape left) and I staggered in looking and feeling like a wreck.\u00a0 My t-shirt looked like a salt pan.<\/p>\n Note that TL does not have a camping\/hiking store that can supply typical western supplies so you have to bring what you need.\u00a0 We used a guide which I think is preferable.\u00a0 The guy wore cheap running shoes but took them off half-way up and went the rest of the way barefoot.\u00a0 While I was chugging down the water on numerous occasions, he seemed quite happy to do without.\u00a0 Near the end, the local kids were laughing at me with my sole-flapping boots as they raced past and around me barefoot on the loose stones and gravel.\u00a0 Doesn’t it cheese you off !?<\/p>\n * Note that “Taci Tolu” literally means 3 lakes.\u00a0 They currently exist but after the wet season, 2 of the 3 lakes usually merge to make 2 lakes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I note that the President is urging Australians to come here as tourists.\u00a0 And I see that a new 5-star hotel resort is on the cards : “The resort will be built between two ridges in Taci Tolu * on … Continue reading