Lautém

Why visit?

The easternmost, flattest, and second largest municipality (after Viqueque), Lautém is popular with visitors despite the distance and time involved to get there. The capital Lospalos may only be 210km from the capital Dili, but allow at least 5 hours to get there by road (by private vehicle, longer by bus). Jaco Island is the main draw, an uninhabited, sacred island at the easternmost end of the country, but there are also interesting sights in Timor-Leste’s only national park (Nino Konis Santana National Park), traditional Fataluku spirit houses, Timor-Leste’s largest lake, and the relaxing coastal village of Com.

Top three experiences

Spending time on Jaco Island
Exploring the rock art and caves of Nino Konis Santana National Park
Relaxing by the beach in Com

Top places to stay

Pousada Lautem, Tutuala (+670 7746 3880)
Laukmorre Guest House, Valu Beach (+670 7731 2337)
Kati Guest House, Com (+670 7732 4294)
Sina Guest House, Com (+670 7580 6627)

Top places to eat and drink

Warung Bakso, Lospalos
Note that in most parts of Lautém the only place to eat will be at your accommodation

Sights

Jaco Island – One of Timor-Leste’s two islands (with Atauro Island), Jaco is an uninhabited, 10km² island about 700m off the eastern end of mainland Timor-Leste, home to beautifully clear waters off a white sand beach. There isn’t really anything on the island, other than an impressive set of whale bones to the south of where the boats land, and a thick bush interior with no paths, but it is a quiet and relaxing place. Just off shore are several patches of coral, though less diverse or life filled than those around Atauro Island, with stronger currents and some risk of crocodiles. It isn’t possible to hire snorkel gear locally so bring it with you. It is an important site for birds, including rare birds such as the great cuckoo dove and the orpheus fathead. Jaco Island is considered sacred by Timorese and staying overnight is not allowed, but it is a popular place to visit for a few hours.

Jaco Island is reached by small boat from the southern end of Valu Beach (where there is accommodation), which costs $10 per person for a return trip. Pay on your return. The channel between Valu Beach and Jaco Island may look swimmable, but the currents are very strong. The crossing can be rough and life jackets may be advisable (though not available locally). It is best to visit in the morning when the sea tends to be calmer. Let the boat operators know how long you want to be on the island (a couple of hours is usual), and they’ll come pick you up, though timings may be approximate.

Crocodiles are regularly spotted by Valu Beach so it is advisable to stay out of the water. The strong currents deter, but not entirely, crocodiles from visiting Jaco Island. There have been no publicised fatalities but a number of near misses have happened. Enter the water at your own risk.

Getting to Jaco Island requires some effort, and while technically doable in 2 days, it is much better to spend 3 days and stay in Baucau or Com on the way there or back. It is 6-8 hours’ drive from Dili with transport, which every tour operator in Timor-Leste can organise. The roads from Dili to Com are fine, then vary between fine and terrible to Valu Beach. Allow 2-3 days if taking public transport as buses from Dili to Lospalos arrive after the erratic (mostly) daily bus from Lospalos to Tutuala leaves. From Tutuala it is a steep 8km walk down to Valu Beach.

Other transport options offered by the Cooperativa Pescas O Sol Nascendo Tutuala (+670 7760 9031 or +670 7718 2335) include a boat trip around Jaco Island for $20 per person, and a return journey by boat from Com for $100 per person. Note that everything boat related is weather dependent.

Nino Konis Santana National Park – Jaco Island is part of Timor-Leste’s first (and only) national park, which was established in 2007. It is named after independence movement national hero Nino Konis Santana, a former commander of FALINTIL, who was born in Tutuala, which lies within the park. Nino Konis Santana National Park encompasses 123,600 hectares (55% land, 45% ocean), including Com, Tutuala, Jaco Island, Lore, Mount Paitchau, and Lake Ira Lalaro. It is home to a wide variety of landscapes and wildlife, including over 200 species of birds, sea turtles, deer and monkeys. Four areas in particular have been identified as Important Bird Areas – Jaco Island, Monte Paitchau, Lake Ira Lalaro, and Loré. This brochure has a map and further information on the national park.

Although designated as a national park, around 15,000 people in five villages live inside the park boundaries, and activities such as fishing continue as they did before 2007. People have lived in the area continuously for over 40,000 years, and over 100 archaeological sites have been documented. The most visited are Ili Kere Kere and Lene Hara cave. Both should be visited with a local guide (which your accommodation should be able to arrange), as they are sacred places and are unmarked from the main road. Ili Kere Kere is $10 per person, and Lene Hara cave $5 per person.

Ili Kere Kere is reached by a rough road off the main road between Tutuala and Valu Beach, followed by a 2.3km return walk (not the 250m denoted by the signage at the start of the trail). The walk gets increasingly rough and steep (downhill) before reaching the best known rock art depicting a sea urchin, as well as a harder to recognise image of cockfighting, and other rock art. Walking around the base of the cliff offers great views of Jaco Island in the distance. Allow about an hour to visit Ili Kere Kere. Look out for the giant bee hives hanging from the rock overhang above the rock art.

From where the trail to Ili Kere Kere starts there are two other trails that are far less visited. Pati-Patinu (500m walk apparently) goes to seven holes in stone, which demonstrate a tradition practice by ancestors of the Tutuala area. Moa Mimiraka (700m walk) is home to four pieces of rock art illustrating headhunting, arm stencil, a festive event, and warriors.

The path to Lene Hara cave starts from the main road between Tutuala and Valu Beach and is a 1km return walk along an easier path than Ili Kere Kere. At the end is an impressive cave which has a couple of areas with rock art. Allow about half an hour to visit Lena Hara cave.

Com – A relaxing fishing village, home to a lovely beach and a few decent guest houses. There isn’t much to do here, but it is a great place to unwind and get away from everything. On the drive in look out for a traditional Fataluku spirit house inland, and the decaying remains of Com Beach Resort. The sea looks incredibly inviting but crocodiles are regular visitors, so it is best enjoyed from a distance. At the eastern end of town there is a sizeable wrecked ship (next to Sina Guest House), and further around the coast the remains of a Portuguese colonial era building.

Fuiloro – At the crossroads between heading east toward Jaco Island, and heading south to Lospalos, this village has a couple of sights of interest. There are a few remains of a Portuguese fort, and to the north an incredible cemetery with animal bones on top of many of the graves.

Lospalos – The main town in Lautém, Lospalos is a potential place to spend the night when travelling, but otherwise sights are limited, although the town itself is interesting and you can buy high quality handmade crafts. The Catholic Church (Paróquia São Pedro e São Paulo Lospalos) has an eye catching design, topped with a traditional Timorese Fataluku style roof. On the outskirts of town is the main market which operates on Saturdays.

Desa Rasa – Between Lautém and Lospalos, this small community is a good place to see traditional Fataluku houses, distinctive buildings on stilts with high pitched roofs.

Tutuala – A small village home to impressive coastal views, the last shops before Jaco Island, a sizeable church, and a former Portuguese building, turned guest house (Pousada Lautém).

Lake Ira Lalaro – Lake Ira Lalaro is the largest lake in Timor-Leste. It is a seasonal body of water, whose size expands greatly during the wet season, from 1,000 hectares to 5,500 hectares. The northern shore is flat grassland that reclaims much of the lake during the dry season, while the southern shore is swampy with half drowned trees, more photogenic but harder to reach. It is hard is really appreciate the lake without using a drone as the landscape is so flat. In the wet season the lake is apparently home to around 300 crocodiles. Note that the road around the southern shore of the lake to Jaco Island is only passable by motorbike, and then only if you are comfortable driving over this!

Lautem – A coastal village home to the extensive remains of a Portuguese fort (much of which is above the town and hard to see from the road), Japanese bunkers on the beach, and Katolika Church on a hill behind has a Fataluku style roof. Just before entering the village the Apikuru memorial (Monumento dos Mártires de 1999 Latem) commemorates nine people (including two nuns, three priests, and an Indonesian journalist) who were killed during the violence in 1999 that accompanied independence. The bridge over the Malailada River before the memorial is a popular place to spot crocodiles in the waters below.

Snorkelling

Jaco Island is the safest place in Lautém to snorkel, but there have still been a number of near misses in recent years so be careful. Although people do swim and snorkel in Com there have been a number of crocodile attacks on locals in recent years so it probably isn’t worth the risk.

Shopping

In Lospalos you can buy high quality handmade tais, wood carvings and woven baskets.

Getting there

From Dili expect to pay $8-10 for a local bus from Dili’s Becora Bus Terminal out to Lospalos, or take a $5 bus to Baucau and join a Lospalos bus from there. MAF fly on Tuesdays and Thursday between Dili and Lospalos (stopping in Baucau each way), and can organise a car and driver in Lospalos for $100 a day (excluding fuel).

Getting around

In general you’ll need a private vehicle to properly explore Lautém, or go with a tour operator. People have ridden scooters around Lautém, but the state of the roads makes it challenging, better to rent a motorbike (if you know how to ride one safely over rough roads). Local buses are infrequent beyond Lospalos. There is apparently a local bus between Lospalos and Tutuala though the timetable is at the whim of the driver so be prepared to wait a while…