Day 568: April 21, 2026 – Dili, Timor Leste

Prior to setting off on this journey, I knew almost nothing about Timor Leste (aka East Timor). That’s probably because it hasn’t been a country for very long — it gained its independence in 2002, after centuries of Portuguese rule and a 24-year Indonesian occupation.

For a small island, it has a lot going for it. Natural beauty (friends who went snorkeling raved about the coral reefs), excellent food (the salad I had at our hotel restaurant was ultra fresh, and a unique caramel desert hit the sweet spot) and friendly people (the immigration officials who came on board to do our clearance asked us to pose for selfies with them). It was also the only country so far, that processed our Visa On Arrival paperwork using carbon paper. I didn’t know that still existed!

It may be a small country, but it was a birding bonanza — half a day of birding netted 30+ lifers (birds I hadn’t seen before). It helps to have a knowledgeable local bird guide like Jose Teixeira by your side. He is a lawyer by profession and birder by hobby. I joined fellow birder John and his SOB (spouse of birder) Danette for our 6:00 am pickup. Jose knew the birding hotspots, first in the mountains, then a coastal mangrove forest.

Timor Leste Lifers