Probably one of the most scenic walks around an airport in the world, taking in the largest river in Dili, a beautiful beach, a scenically located cemetery, and even some aircraft. Unusually for Timor-Leste, this is a flat and easy walk, making it suitable for all abilities, though as usual there is little shade.

I started at dawn from Conselho dos Combatentes da Libertacao Nacional. This was home to the internationally renowned Arte Morris community arts collective, until December 2021. The government physically evicted them to give the space to army veterans, who along with the church, are among the most powerful groups in Timor-Leste.

I walked by the main bridge over the Comoro River, which had some decent street art underneath.

The streets of Dili are always interesting to walk along. In this case I walked through the Suco (village) of Madohi, which had a standard Suco building, small worship area, and lots of people walking to work.

I reached the perimeter fence at the end of the runway for Timor-Leste’s main airport, which didn’t look that secure to be honest…

The Comoro River is the largest in Dili, and drains water from four municipalities, so it has a huge catchment, but for most of the year it is almost totally dry. I did this walk in June, just a few months into the dry season, but there wasn’t much flowing out into the sea. It was great to see some water and greenery at the mouth of the river through, quite different from upstream.

One of the first sights on Beto Beach was an impressively blue and substantial tomb.

I saw some local fishermen bring in a huge fish, a marlin I think.

There were varied sights along the beach.

In the distance was the airport, with a huge helicopter, probably relating to the oil and gas industry, taking off.

You can get good views of the airport from the sea side, along with other things of interest.

Rai Kotu Cemetery is one of the more scenic located cemetaries in Dili, with the small hill providing great views of the surrounding area.

Including to Tasi Tolu to the west.

And as is often the case in Timor-Leste, cemeteries seem to be popular places for goats…

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