Since independence and the withdrawal of the United Nations from East Timor (although a small contingent still remains) there is a strong feeling of life entering a new era. Many families are now returning to remote areas that they had been forced to leave during the Indonesian occupation. Historically strong community organizations and beliefs still exist and are reinforced by villagers building and harvesting together. Many  Timorese believe that if any family member becomes ill it is because they have upset the ancestors, and a ritual ceremony is needed as a means of repentance and reparation.People are realising that their government which they have sacrificed so much to create, is struggling  to reconstruct services that were almost totally destroyed during the Indonesian withdrawal. The East Timorese can see that as villagers they need to work cooperatively and undertake projects themselves.

The hill tribes in the remote mountain regions are mostly subsistence farmers. In the mountains during the dry season there is mist and some rain so they are able to grow crops year round and produce a reasonable food supply. However transport costs are very high as roads are poor and few, so they must sell most of their produce locally. This means that very few dollars come into the district, leaving little or no money for school books and fees, purchasing medicines, tools or other necessary supplies.As a visitor trekking or cycling in Timor, whether you are in the mountains, Oecussi enclave on Atauro or Jaco Island you will need to hire a guide and buy accommodation and food. This greatly assists in rebuilding the local economy.

Getaway Trekking's involvement with East Timor spans 10 years. We are passionate about this country and its people. Our local guides are proud of their culture and as we sit around a camp fire they will share their remarkable stories. The struggle for independence cost thousands of innocent East Timorese lives at the hands of the militia; people were systematically tortured, raped and murdered. Now the East Timorese or “Maubere” are getting back on their feet and in line with Getaway Trekkings philosophy of being culturally responsible, we are encouraging development of small business enterprises to supply our trekking  and touring operations.

Source: Trekking East Timor

Getaway Trekking is offering a unique opportunity to join us on an exploratory trek in this beautiful country. This is an exciting way to travel, as you are at the cutting edge of tourism in a new region. Costs are kept to a minimum, but you must be flexible and have a great sense of humour - the basic rule of exploratory treks is that if anything can go wrong, it will!

Check out the program - the trek runs from 15-22 May