The final day of a 46km three day hike through Ainaro and Manufahi, two of the most mountainous and scenic parts of Timor-Leste. Although we finished by 3pm, this was a decent day of hiking 15.8km, up 743m and down 720m, in hot conditions.

There were some lovely views around Laclo from the drone first thing.

The school we stayed at was hosting an event for veterans of the Timorese independence campaign against Indonesia, marked by these arches. We passed lots of people heading there throughout the day.

It was a very pleasant start to the day, until I tried crossing a river using stepping stones, and slipped badly, getting soaked, and more significantly getting my phone, drone, and camera wet! The first two survived fine but my camera was out of action until I got home and was able to dry it properly. The rest of the photos of the day therefore are from my phone…

It was enjoyable walking, with big views.

There were a few animals around…

We then started a long descent through increasingly overgrown and rough terrain.

Maun Julio in the lead needed to get his machete out to help clear the way.

The effort was worth it to reach the remote site where Timorese Independence hero Nicolau Lobato was killed by Indonesian forces in 1978.

From here it was a steep climb up to Mindelo to start the long drive back to Dili.

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