East Timor is a beautiful, rugged country, blessed with welcoming sociable people, and a mild climate, very few cars on the roads and a network of walking tracks. It's a trekkers' paradise! It is very rare to feel insecure or threatened.
In the remote mountain regions you will meet the hill tribes who are mostly subsistence farmers. They dwell in these regions because of cloud rain they are able to grow crops year round and produce a reasonable food supply. However their hard work does not find appreciation as transport costs are very high as roads are poor and few, and end up selling their produce locally leaving them with very little gains.
While trekking in Timor, whether you are in the mountains, Oecussi enclave or on Atauro Island hiring a guide becomes important and this also help to buy accommodation and food. This will definitely assists in having a travel in the local areas that is explored to its best.
Mount Matebean Mane and Mount Matebean Feto
This range lies about 20 kilometres south-east of Baucau. It is an isolated limestone formation mountain range. It is also the birthplace of rivers that flow toward the south and north coast. These are possibly the most rugged high mountains in Timor.
The trekking is not that difficult but not that easy too. You can call it medium level to hard, and can define it as you wish to. The trekking can be completed in a stretch, in a two or three-day walk or separate one-day walks with an overnight stay in the high mountain village of Uaiboro.
Ramelau Mountain Circuit
The Ramelau range is the crown of central Timor. There is four wheelers and trucks can access upto the 1900 metre high village of Hatobuilico and from there you can start the trek over Mount Tatamailau. At 2986 metres this is the country’s highest mountain.
The trek is along the spine of mountains and then goes down to the town of Ainaro. It also involves a short bus trip and then a walk uphill, and this completes the circuit back to Hatobuilico. One can say it’s a medium to difficult range for trekkers and involves one night in a bush camp and one night in Ainaro.
Oecussi Enclave
Oecussi enclave is a tranquil part of East Timor, a place of extreme isolation. The trek takes about three-day trek. It starts from Oecussi town on the north coast. The hike goes up the main water catchment in the valley and over the rugged broken coastal range to stay in Cutete. Then an overnight ferry trip to the west of Dili and one night in the village of Cutete and one night camping.
Atauro Island
Atauro is a places that transmits peace and it has it's attractions for nature lovers. This because it offers them with diving and snorkelling , and has some of the best reefs in the world. For hiking lovers, there are lots of tracks and paths.
Atauro is a four-hour ferry trip north of Dili. The three-day trek is of medium difficulty. You can spend the first night in the mountains, while the second night can be camped or possibly arrange a village stay.
The walk climbs up the mountain and then runs through the village gardens. Then sharply up into the rain forest and then along the spine of the island to the highest point, Mount Manucoco.
