For those of you that read my blog or interact with me in
the real world you might know I have the tendency to declare pretty much
anything as ‘the best thing ever.’ This is purely a reflection of my positive
and cheery nature rather then everything really being ‘the best thing ever’
because only one thing can be the best, and that thing is Atauro Island.
Paradise on earth and two hours by boat from Dili Atauro stole my heart from the very second we saw it clearly from our boat. It’s as
dry as the rest of Timor but scattered with trees and houses along its crystal
clear shoreline. Atuaro is today what I imagine islands off Thailand’s main
land where back in the 70’s - untouched gems that very few people know anything
about. There is power for only 4
hours every evening but for the most part you don’t notice it, it’s calm,
friendly and perfect.
We were lucky enough to stay at staff accommodation with our
partner where we were presented seaside views; morning and afternoon swims and
fresh coconuts cut right off the tree in the yard. There is just one place that
you could stay as a tourist called Barry’s place which is a all inclusive eco
resort on the island. It’s stunning and for anyone on the hunt for romantic
getaways I couldn’t think of anything better.
Atauro is also a old colonial Portuguese port and so a stroll
through the old town presents views of lovely old buildings, churches and
houses built with big rap around balconies, evoking images of ladies sipping
cool drinks and watching the sun set over the water.
Our stay on the island marked the last couple of days of our
work trip, and so we headed to the beach on our last evening to have a chat
about the impact of the trip both in a professional sense but also for us
personally. By this time it felt like I had been in Timor-Leste a lifetime and
I had learnt more then I could possibly have thought would be possible. This
place will hold really precious memories for me and I’ll hopefully be back for
years to come.
TRIP RATING: 5/5 FRESH COCONUTS
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