Jaco Island
A small uninhabited island off the eastern tip of the country, regarded as sacred by local people. Visitors come by boat for a day of white sand and very clear water.
Jaco Island
Very clear water and white sand are what this uninhabited island, inside a national park at the eastern tip, is known for.
Attractive locations
Nino Konis Santana National Park
The country's first national park, covering forest, coast and nearby seas on the eastern end. It is known for coral reefs, birdlife and a quiet, undeveloped feel.
Valu Beach
A pale-sand beach near Tutuala, facing the sea close to Jaco Island. It is a calm place for walking, swimming and relaxing in a peaceful coastal setting.
Lene Hara Cave
A cave near Tutuala with rock paintings left by early people, reached on a short walk. It is one of the best-known rock art sites in the east.
Tutuala
A village near the far eastern tip of Timor-Leste, the gateway to Jaco Island and Nino Konis Santana National Park. Traditional Fataluku houses, beaches and sea views surround it.
Jerimalai Cave
A limestone shelter near Tutuala where archaeologists found some of the oldest evidence of ocean fishing in the world. The site lies within Nino Konis Santana National Park.
Airports
Baucau Airport BCH
It is about 99 km in a straight line from Jaco Island.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Timor-Leste page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan28.7 °C207 mm
- Feb28.5 °C161 mm
- Mar28.4 °C129 mm
- Apr28.5 °C78 mm
- May27.9 °C69 mm
- Jun26.9 °C40 mm
- Jul26.0 °C17 mm
- Aug25.7 °C7 mm
- Sep26.3 °C7 mm
- Oct27.5 °C12 mm
- Nov28.7 °C43 mm
- Dec29.2 °C151 mm
Driest months: Aug, Sep, Oct. Wettest months: Jan, Feb, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 28% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency and help
Ask your hotel for the local emergency numbers and save the contact of your own embassy, or the country that represents yours, before you go.
local government
Police and emergency numbers (official tourism portal)
Helps with: The official tourism portal lists 112 for police, 115 for fire and 110 for an ambulance, and advises saving them before travelling beyond Dili. Mobile coverage can be patchy on remote roads.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Timor-Leste, including visitors, who needs police help in an emergency.
Phone: 112
local government
Ministry of Tourism and Environment
Helps with: Timor-Leste's tourism ministry, which runs the official tourism portal. Contact its head office in Dili for tourism information.
Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Timor-Leste or planning a trip there.
Phone: +670 331 1563
Email: tourisminfo@timorleste.tl
Address: Edifisiu Haksolok, Villa Verde, Dili
ngo
Timor-Leste Red Cross (Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste)
Helps with: Timor-Leste's national Red Cross society, based in Dili. Contact it through its main office for Red Cross services.
Who qualifies: People in Timor-Leste who need to reach the national Red Cross society.
Phone: +670 78377717
Address: Avenida 20 de Maio, No. 79, Gricenfor, Nain Feto, Dili
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Timor-Leste
Helps with: The UN migration agency, with a country office in Dili. It supports emergency shelter and relief, disaster preparedness, safe labour migration, border management and counter-trafficking.
Who qualifies: Migrants, displaced people and government partners. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.