My departure from President Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili was quite interesting before I even stepped onto the plane.
Departing From Dili Airport
Outside the airport is a statue honoring Nicolau Lobato. He is considered a national hero of the country. Leading separatist forces, he was killed by Indonesian troops in 1978.
I arrived at the airport one hour before departure. I figured that was way more than enough time needed, but after the tight connection on the way over, I wanted to allow plenty of time…just in case.
Outside, two security officers asked to see a copy of my reservation and my passport before letting me into the terminal.
Inside, I followed signs down a crude winding corridor to the check-in counter.
Boarding pass in hand, I followed the signs out to an semi-outdoor holding area. There, I was told to wait.
A few other passengers showed up and about five minutes later, a van pulled up. We were asked to get into the van, where we were driven around to the other side of the airport to a departure area.
Next to it was a “VIP Lounge.” I asked who had access to that (I was flying business class on the flag carrier, after all) but was told, “Only the President.”
Ha ha…
Hand baggage was screened and everyone went through a metal detector at the entrance. Inside was a single large room with bathrooms, a small duty-free shop, and a coffee shop. There was a Batik Air flight departing shortly for Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and the room was quite crowded.
Everyone was instructed to stamp out before they left. There were two immigration desks and you just stood and line and waited (at your leisure) to get stamped out of the country.
I tried a machiato and was happy to see the barista was using beans from Café Letefoho (the café that was closed due to lack of electricity earlier in the morning).
The coffee machine was from Breville (Sage in Europe) and did a decent job in making the espresso. The coffee was strong and a little too bitter, but by no means bad.
About 30 minutes prior to departure, boarding was called. It was time to fly back to Bali!
Next: business class on Aero Dili
I’m sharing about my whirlwind trip through Asia.
I loved this:
Next to it was a “VIP Lounge.” I asked who had access to that (I was flying business class on the flag carrier, after all) but was told, “Only the President.”
Epic.
You would have loved the airport in the old days before it got so fancy. Back in 2016 when I started traveling there, they had no a/c, cantina, or vending machines in the holding area once you went through customs and security. So, you sat there sweating, waiting for your flight to arrive. The unofficial process to get water was to ask one of the cleaners to buy water for you at the bar out front. S/he’d walk back through security, buy a few bottles of water for you, and then carry it past security back to the holding gate for a small tip. That’s the thing about traveling in developing countries. Everything is difficult, but nothing is impossible.
Love this story!
Really appreciate the Timor reporting. I’ll be in the region in February and may consider a side trip.
Reminds me of the old Terminal B at LGA.
procedures and facilities look about right for the situation and are not that much different from airports in many other airports.
Glad you enjoyed your time in Timor Leste and hope you picked up a little Portuguese in the process.