I've traveled to 20 countries in 2 years. I found the most stunning coast in one of the least-visited countries.

12.07.2024 - 22:13 / insider.com / Southeast Asia

I've spent the past two years traveling to 20 countries. While most of these countries — from the Maldives to France — were among the world's most popular, it was the off-the-beaten-path destinations that I enjoyed most.

Last month, I traveled to Timor-Leste, a country located in the South Pacific. The country comprises the eastern part of Timor Island and two smaller islands. At 5,800 square miles, it's comparable in size to the Bahamas.

It's also the 14th least-visited country in the world and the least-visited in Asia, according to a January report from CEOWorld magazine. Some 81,000 tourists visited Timor-Leste in 2023 — putting it just ahead of Chad and Sierra Leone, per the report.

The lack of tourists is not a direct result of the pandemic either. Back in 2019, only around 80,000 tourists had visited, per the National Statistics Directorate Timor. While researching my trip, I struggled to find information online for tourists — save for a handful of short vlogs on YouTube. I ended up having to learn along the way.

Here are seven things that surprised me about Timor-Leste.

Only a handful of airlines fly to Dili, the capital, where the only international airport in Timor-Leste is located. Tourists can only fly to Dili from Bali, Indonesia, and Darwin, Australia. I was in Bali for three weeks, so I decided to fly with the Indonesian budget airline Citilink. Dili's airport is tiny — there's only one departure gate and one runway.

There are no ride-hailing services in Timor-Leste. While there are some taxis to help tourists get around, I only spotted them around the airport and in the city center. I ended up meeting Fernando, a local, who took me around the city on a scooter. I found that traveling via scooter was the best way to sightsee from the coasts to the surrounding mountains.

While Hilton plans to open a hotel in Dili's business district later this year, when I visited, there were no luxury resorts or international hotel chains in Timor-Leste. With only around 70 hotels and guesthouses in the country listed on Google Hotels, lodging choices online were limited. I booked three nights at Timor Plaza Hotel & Apartments, a three-star hotel located next to a small mall in the city center.

After chatting with other travelers, I found many were staying in local guesthouses by the beach. They're usually a simple set-up, comprising a small room with a bed, mosquito net, and a fan. You can spot signs at the side of the road showing if there are rooms available for the night. Since there are very few tourists in the country, chances are you can negotiate a rate and book your stay on the spot.

The US dollar is the official currency. While used interchangeably, The East Timor Centavo is only minted in