Senior travel: Dili
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 3 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 53 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Government quarter and promenadeStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 30 minFlat, but cracked and missing pavement in places.
- Tais marketThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 45 min
- Cristo Rei of DiliThe guide has no step-free answer for this one · about 120 min
- Motael churchStep-free: check (check before you go) · about 25 minA few steps at the entrance; confirm on the day.
- Santa Cruz cemeteryStep-free: check (check before you go) · about 30 minUneven ground and little shade; a car to the gate is the practical option.
- Areia Branca beachStep-free: no (check before you go) · about 45 minSand and steps; not suited to wheelchairs.
- Resistance museumStep-free: check (check before you go) · about 75 minGround-floor access is likely but not confirmed; ask before you go.
Getting around in Dili
Dili is mostly flat but pavements are broken or missing, kerbs are high and few buildings are step-free outside hotels.
- Pavements:
- Cracked, narrow or missing; roads are shared with traffic.
- Getting around:
- A hired car is the step-free option; microlets have steps.
- Toilets:
- Accessible toilets are not guaranteed outside larger hotels.
Medicines and health on the ground
The Timor-Leste guide lists no medicine paperwork. Check the official customs page for your medicines.
- Heat:
- Drink bottled water, wear a hat and rest indoors from 11:00 to 15:00.
- Dengue:
- Mosquito-borne; use repellent, especially at dawn and dusk.
- Stomach upsets:
- Choose hot food; avoid tap water and unsealed ice.
- Medical:
- Care is limited; carry travel insurance with evacuation cover and your regular medicines.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.