The penultimate day hiking coast to coast across Timor-Leste was a bit of catch up day after losing time due to bad weather earlier in the trip. We used the support vehicle to skip a few of the less interesting sections, so we could make it to Betano Beach on the south coast.

We left the school in Lepulau where we had spent the night and basically drove around the mighty Mt Kablaki (which we would return to the next day).

As ever Timorese roads are interesting, with large rocks in the middle of one part, and a heavily loaded local bus ahead.

We stopped at this incredible swimming spot about 10 minutes north of Same, which somehow wasn’t on Google Maps until I added it after this trip. It was an amazing place!

There was something similar, if far more industrial looking, closer to Same which I think is more likely for flood control than for swimming.

Same is a typically spread out Timorese town, with an unusual Protestant Church and a roundabout home to a statue of a warrior holding a spear and shield in honour of local leader Dom Boaventura.

We went for a short walk south of Same to see traditional Timorese buildings.

I was less happy about this monkey in a homemade cage…

We then drove south toward Betano, passing some colourful houses.

We went for an explore along the Caraulun River, one of the ten largest in the country.

Locals were using nets to catch shrimp.

There is a large irrigation system, though given that the nearby rice field had been turned into maize fields I’m not sure whether it is working properly.

This house had an interesting front porch extension!

We got back into the car again to head to Betano Beach, home to a large unexplained monument, an impressive beach, and the remains of an Australian WW2 destroyer that ran aground.

We camped for the night at Parque Nacional de Dom Boaventura, which confusingly isn’t really a national park in the usual meaning of the word, but more a space for a large monument to a local resistance hero who fought a long campaign against the colonial Portuguese at the start of the 20th century.

It is also home to a site for heroes and martyrs of the patriot movement.

For the detailed route and logistical information please select this hike below (click top left for the list of hikes).