The
Dili Guesthouse is the cheapest place for backpackers to stay in Dili. (5.00
a night)
It's near the stadium on the other side of the roundabout.
Most hotels in Dili cater to the NGO's, Media, and United Nations
people and go for 35.00 to 200.00 USD a night. The Backpackers
Guest House and Dili Guest House are the budget places.
East Timor is not a cheap place to travel but you can do it
ecomomicaly if you eat from the local stands and get produce from the
market and use local transport.
A
lot of vegetable vendors set up just across the street from the Dili Guest House (may 2006). It is
in a central location with a lot of hustle and bustle and plenty of bemos
to catch nearby.
The rooms themselves are very simple and plain but some of backpackers stay there to make their money last longer.
Indonesia is such a budget place to travel that the costs in East Timor
are a bit shocking at first. If you do not eat at the restaurants you
can save quite a bit.
There are vendors along the beach that sell ayam bakar (chicken) 4
pieces for a dollar and ikan bakar (fish) 2 for a dollar. Big ones are 1.00 ea. Tiger beer is
1.50 and they sell roasted corn also.
The
problem is right now (May-June 2006) there is a lot of instability in
East Timor so most vendors are not setting up their food stands.
Hopefully
things will iron out soon and they will be back out there again along the beach.
Most people here speak Indonesian but they usually prefer Tetum, a
local language. Some speak Portugese but English is not widely spoken
outside of Dili.
The US dollar is the common currency. The coins are Timorese. Nothing
usually costs less than 25 cents. A coconut is 50 cents. Taxis start at
a dollar in town, but the microlets are 10 cents a ride along established routes. Transport to the other towns is usually a good deal
on the buses - 3.00 to Maliana, 4.50 to Los Palos.
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