DILI TO BAUCAU
The drive from Dili to Baucau is, for the most part, gorgeous. Suspended midway
between the sea and the mountains, the road passes several beaches with very
snorkel-able reefs before crossing a river into the little town of Manatuto.
Although most of the buildings here were destroyed in 1999, it’s still a very
nice place to stop for lunch on the beach (try the Timorese Women’s Association’s
café) and a look at the local potter’s wares. There’s a terrific 2-day coast-to-coast
trek that begins here, winding through traditional mountain villages and ending
up at a nature preserve on the south shore.
Vemasse, beyond Manatuto, is rice country, after
which the road gradually leaves the coast and climbs through forests onto
Baucau’s plateau. Your introduction to what was once northern Australia’s
top honeymoon destination is a full-length runway designed to cater to international
airlines - and the national hope is that it may yet again. And then, abruptly,
this blank landscape gives way to lush forest as you head over the edge of
the plateau and down into East Timor’s second largest ‘city’.
BAUCAU
There are two sections to Baucau, New Town and - logically - Old Town. All
the interesting bits are in Old Town, which lies below Old Town at
the foot of a steep limestone cliff -although still a thousand feet above
the sea - and is built around a gushing fresh water spring. A number of very
pretty colonial buildings have survived here in various states of repair;
notable among them is the pink Pousada de Baucau, arguably the plushest hotel
in the country (with a very good restaurant and great views over the Savu
Sea). The 3km/2-mile walk down to Baucau’s beach follows the spring as it
flows under enormous banyan trees, over short waterfalls and along the way
irrigates coconut groves and bright green rice paddies studded with traditional
thatched houses.
If you can’t live without electricity, hot water and reliable telephone lines, use Baucau as a base for exploring points east and south.