Safety in Timor-Leste

Night in the city: Dili shuts down after nine in the evening and the streets empty out. Solo travellers should not walk in the dark; have your hotel reception call a blue taxi instead.

Wildlife: Crocodiles live in rivers and along parts of the coast, and Timorese consider them sacred. Always ask local people whether it is safe to swim or dive at a particular spot.

Roads: This is the biggest genuine danger, thanks to landslides, potholes and hairpin bends without barriers. Never plan a drive between towns after sunset; it is a serious way to get killed.

Health: Mosquitoes carry dengue and malaria, particularly in the wet season. Use repellent with a high DEET content and always sleep under a net.

Water: Tap water is not drinkable even in expensive hotels, so stick to bottled. Ice in street drinks can be equally dubious, so treat it with caution when it is hot.

Theft: Petty stealing happens in market crowds and on packed microlets. Keep valuables in front of you and never leave a bag unattended on an empty beach.

Timor-Leste is among the least visited countries in Asia. Tourists are few and organised deception has simply not developed.

Taxis in Dili. No meters; prices are agreed. Microlets — minibuses — cost almost nothing but are packed. A foreigner will be quoted more, though the sums stay small.

Currency. The official currency is the US dollar and there is nothing to change. The coins are local centavos.

Trips to Atauro. A ferry runs to the island on a schedule; private boats are cheaper and less safe. Dive centres in Dili operate to a decent standard, but check the equipment.

Cash. ATMs are few, present in Dili and almost absent beyond it. Cards are accepted in a handful of places. Bring dollars in cash and small denominations.

Vehicle hire. A 4x4 is the only way to move around the country. Roads outside Dili are in poor condition.

The situation. The country has stabilised after the unrest of past decades, but political tension and street clashes between youth groups occur periodically in Dili. Crowds are best avoided.

Drugs. The law is strict.

Drones. Permission is required.

Photography. Military and police facilities should not be photographed. Ask permission for people; the country is religious and traditional.

Religion. Timor-Leste is among the most Catholic countries in the world. Religious festivals and processions are observed seriously, and church dress is covered.

Tara bandu customs. Traditional prohibitions on using particular areas of land and sea are marked with palm-leaf signs. Do not breach them: for local communities this is serious.

Documents. A visa on arrival is available for many nationalities, but the terms have changed — check in advance.

Malaria and dengue. Both are present. Malaria in rural areas and dengue nationwide with outbreaks in the rainy season. Discuss malaria prophylaxis with a doctor for your route, and use repellent constantly.

Vaccinations. Hepatitis A, typhoid, rabies and Japanese encephalitis are advised. A yellow fever certificate is required from arrivals out of endemic countries.

Water. Bottled only.

Healthcare is the country's weakest point. The hospital in Dili is basic and beyond the capital there is essentially none. Standard practice for serious cases is evacuation to Darwin (Australia) or Bali, which is expensive and not always quick. Insurance with evacuation cover is essential and must operate in this region.

Diving. Atauro and the Dili coast are among the region's best dive sites. But there is no hyperbaric chamber in the country: decompression sickness means evacuation to Darwin. Diving must be a named item on your insurance.

Roads. Mountainous, broken up, and washed out in the rainy season. Nobody drives at night.

Heat. The tropics, with high humidity.

Timor-Leste is a calm country with low crime against foreigners, though petty theft occurs in Dili.

Police. Functional, with few English speakers. Tetum and Portuguese are official, many understand Indonesian, and English appears in the tourism sector.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken; the process is slow.

Dili at night. Some districts see clashes between youth groups after dark. There is usually no direct threat to a foreigner, but travelling by car is better.

Traffic police. Checks occur; keep your documents with you.

What actually matters. The main risks in Timor-Leste are not criminal but infrastructural: the absence of healthcare, the state of the roads, and remoteness. Plan the trip on the basis that help will be far away.

Emergency number is 112.