Balibo Fort

Balibo fort stands on a hill in the town of the same name near Timor-Leste's western border, a small Portuguese work of the eighteenth century with walls, a courtyard and a view down over the coastal plain and across to the Indonesian side. It was restored in the 2000s by an Australian foundation working with the community and now runs as a lodge and training centre for local staff.

What you actually see

• The fort walls - the eighteenth-century Portuguese work on the hill.
• The courtyard - the enclosed space the buildings run around.
• The border view - the coastal plain and the frontier country below.
• The community project - the restoration run as a lodge and training centre.

When to go

May to November is the dry season and the roads are best. The rains from December make the drive slower. Mornings are clearest for the view.

Honest expectations

The drive from Dili takes around three hours on a road in variable condition. The fort is small and half a day covers it. Facilities are the lodge.

Nearby

Maubara is east, and the Indonesian border is west.