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East Timor is in Southeast Asia. It deceit northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago. East Timor includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) district on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the small islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco. Public Holidays: East Timor now has public holidays that remember historic actions in the liberation struggle, as well as those associated with Catholicism and Islam. They are defined in Timor-Leste Law no.10/2005. Talk: Tetum and Portuguese are the authorized languages, but Indonesian and (limited) English are also widely spoken. Sleep: Dili has a number of decent hotels, and prices have come down since the heady days of independence and huge crowds of UN workers. Rooms elsewhere in the country are very limited.

Culture & Religion: The culture of East Timor reflects several influences, with Portuguese, Roman Catholic, and Malayisia, on the native Austronesian and Melanesian cultures of Timor. East Timorese culture is heavily influenced by Austronesian mythology, although the Catholic authority is also strong. Illiteracy is still prevalent, but there is a strong convention of poetry. As for architecture, some Portuguese-style buildings can be found, along with the traditional totem houses of the eastern region. Craftsmanship is also prevalent, as is the weaving of customary scarves or tais. Upon independence, East Timor became one of only two primarily Roman Catholic countries in Asia (along with the Philippines). The population mainly identifies as Roman Catholic (97%), though local animist traditions have a constant and strong control on the culture.

Buy: The two major things to carry home from Timor-Leste are coffee and customary hand-woven cloths called Tais. The design of the Tais varies particularly from region to region, and an expert can even tell which family they are from. Much like Scottish kilts, Tais for a given family should only be worn by that family. In Dili, the best place to find Tais is the Tais market, where you also can purchase local silver jewelry. Many street sellers also deal in Tais. Currency: US Dollars are the legal tender currency in East Timor and all business is in dollars. Banks and a few ATMs can be found in Dili. East Timor issued coins denominated in centavos and is not the same size as U.S coinage; however U.S. coins are broadly received.