Did you know that one of the last un-commercialised island paradises is sitting on our doorstep?

Have you heard of the tropical sun, the stunning white sand beaches, the turquoise seas, the colorful coral reefs and the towering mountain ranges that are just an hour’s flight North of Darwin?

Perhaps you know about the world class diving, fishing, sailing, mountain biking and trekking in the adventurers’ paradise of Timor Leste?

No, you haven’t?... Don’t worry most of the world hasn’t heard about it either…

Over the years I have been fortunate enough to visit Timor Leste, more commonly known as East Timor many times. It’s not that I’m a creature of habit, the opposite in fact. I’ve chased my curiosity around the world and back again. I’ve tagged all seven continents and have a travel wish as long as the index in a 1970s atlas. I have an insatiable appetite for new places, people and experiences. So why cover old turf eight times over? Good question, easily answered…

East Timor has a knack of delivering up the unexpected. It’s a tiny country stretching less than 300km long and 100km wide, home to a population of one million people. Yet it is a country in a constant state of change, as Asia’s newest nation it is fast approaching its Tenth birthday in 2012 and for all of my visits it has never been the same place twice.

When I first stepped off the plane into that warm humidity back in 2007, there was a humanitarian crisis underway with 100,000 people displaced and living under tattered UNHCR tents in the capital city. Every second building was a pile of burnt out rubble, a mark of the brutal Indonesian invasion. I’ll be honest, in many ways it was a confronting place for a 20 year old but despite the obvious signs of a recent and turbulent history, I quickly fell in love with East Timor. Her people and their spirit, unbeknownst to me, were firmly wriggling into a permanent place under my skin.

Today, a mere 4 years later, it is a different place altogether, safe enough for the President to drive around town in an open air Mini Moke! Where else in the world could you see that? (The Obamamobile, Barrack’s car of choice has 8inch thick armour plated doors, Dr Jose Ramos Horta’s car doesn’t have doors! He’s one cool cat President) There are very few buildings that haven’t been rebuilt and painted in bright shades of pastel pink, sunflower yellow or turquoise blue. The displaced persons camps are a distant memory as children play on the foreshore, fisherman sell catch of the day, women smile, laugh and wave. The whole country seems to exude a constant state of celebration and hope. Hotels, restaurants and cafes on each corner provide the creature comforts of home but despite the newly established security, Timor Leste remains an undiscovered, raw destination and that is one of the reasons I love it.

Despite the radical change, a lingering misperception still exists about Timor. That it is a warzone, that its dangerous and it certainly isn’t a holiday destination. That view is understandable with headlines splashed across our newspapers and on our TVs for the last decade about troops, violence, and even asylum seeker solutions. It’s understandable the average Joe isn’t booking a flight, but it is unfair to continue to hold onto an outdated opinion about a place when it is one of our closest neighbours. We owe it to them, and to ourselves to refresh our knowledge. Anybody who has actually spent time in Timor will paint you a picture of a stunning tropical paradise and a fantastic holiday destination.

Personally, when I tell people about my passion for the place, my conversation usually runs something like this;

“I’m off to Timor Leste next week, I can’t wait!”

“Sorry where are you going, Timor Less….? Sorry, where??”

“Timor Leste… East Timor” I say,

“Oh Rrright, East Timor” as the penny drops, immediately followed by “Why would you go there, are you nuts? Aren’t you scared? Don’t you know that’s a war zone?!”

“I’ll be sure to pack my bullet proof bikini then!” Is my sarcastic answer, followed by a serious “No really, Timor WAS a war zone over TEN years ago! In my opinion it is now safer than Bali, safer than many Asia Pacific nations! Trust me, it’s an adventure haven set in a tropical paradise. It’s one of my favourite places in the world”

The silver lining of Timor’s turbulent history is a thick and shining one. Being occupied for over four hundred years, firstly by the Portuguese and then by the Indonesians has seemingly allowed Timor Leste to escape many of the pitfalls of over-development. The diverse environment is totally pristine and untouched. The lifestyle of the people is natural, sustainable and off the land. Everything you eat is organic and usually packaged in banana leaves, the culture is rich and authentic. Life is about family, community and the village. Everywhere you go people are living in the present moment and wearing smiles that stretch from ear to ear.

We are often quick to judge that kind of lifestyle as basic in comparison to our lives at home, but I think in many ways they are living the richer life. People spend more time with their families, they work together in the fields, they don’t live beyond their means, children have freedom to roam and explore under the caring eyes of the whole community. Superficiality, materialistic desires and greed are seemingly foreign concepts.

Best of all, you can travel here and be a fly on the wall amongst these wonderful people observing and experiencing real culture, not manufactured village visits complete with grass skirt displays. You can be the only traveller in the village and your novelty immediately endows you with celebrity status because you are such a rare sight. Children by the dozen will appear out of nowhere to shake your hand and say ‘Bondia Malae” (roughly translating to Good Morning foreigner) Harassment and hawking of cheap souvenirs on the beach just doesn’t happen and many of the roads around the country are not only roads less travelled but tracks never before tramped upon by tourists.

Coming here, you are a pioneer and an explorer. It’s not just the people and the wonder of the natural environment that will astound you, there is also a lot to do and see. You may wish to trek to the 3000metre summit of the highest mountain, Mt Ramelau, and take in the view across the entire country, from one ocean to another with a slight turn of your head. Or take an adventure tour around the country on a mountain bike or a motorbike? Maybe the coast is your calling and making bubbles on some of the world’s best diving spots or catching black Marlin a mere 50metres off a white sand beach is your idea of paradise.  After the excitement of your travels, relax in the sun on an uninhabited tropical island and fall asleep to the sound of the ocean in a beachside thatch hut.

Timor Leste is an intrepid destination and it isn’t for everyone. If you are looking for a five star luxury resort holiday and you are happy to share your white sand beach with hundreds of other photo-snapping tourists, Timor Leste isn’t what you are after. East Timor is about getting off the beaten track, literally. It’s for adventurers and eco-travelers who enjoy the odd outdoor cold shower and would rather be in touch with nature than in constant connection to the internet.

Going to Timor today is not only an opportunity to see a place in a state of pure nature, it is also an opportunity to participate in a unique moment of history; the building of a nation. I don’t know too many safe places in the world that such an invitation, in a stunning location with so many things to do, see and experience, exists! So if you’ve been nodding your head as you’ve been reading, and thinking about packing your boardies and your boots, my message is:

Get into Timor Leste today and seize the opportunity before the rest of the world finds out.