Things to See in East Timor

This magnificent crescent of coast is sprinkled with restaurants and bars, as well as charming grottos and beaches. Fabulously kitsch concrete clams shade Areia Branca beach - watched over by the giant Jesus statue a further 1km (0.6mi) along. Styled after Rio's Christ the Redeemer, Fatucama's Jesus lords over turqoise bays backed by green-covered mountains.

The small fishing village of Com is becoming a popular weekend getaway from Dili. There's good fishing and snorkelling, although the only beaches are just beyond the pier or just before you enter the village. The 20 simple rooms of the shell-encrusted Com Beach Resort comprise the mainland's only beachside resort.

The idyllic island getaway of Atauro is visible from Dili, but a world away. It's home to a close-knit community of around 8000 people, mostly subsistence fishers and farmers. The island's eco-lodge, Tua Koin, provides traditional thatched-hut accommodation. Roll out of bed and into the sea, with world-class snorkelling.