A Solo Adventure to Southeast Asia's Newest Country
Where: Dili. Timor-Leste, Asia. When: April 2026 What:text How: International flight, walking, taxis. Country counter: No.101 Illnesses or mishaps: text
travel tips, links & resources
Solo travel is a bit daunting, even for the most fearless of travellers. If anything goes wrong you are pretty much on your own. As this was a solo adventure I made sure I packed a comprehensive first aid medical kit which included several rounds of antibiotics. Travelling alone does have a number of advantages: people are far more likely to engage you in conversation and you are also more likely to engage others in the same way.
If getting some good photographs of you on your trip is important to you, as it is me, and you're travelling alone, a crucial piece of kit to pack is a mobile phone tripod. Mine includes a Bluetooth remote clicker. Sure, you could ask strangers to snap photographs of you but, in my experience, these are normally of poor quality. My tripod enabled me to get some well-composed, website-worthy photographs of myself in-situ.
I see countries experiencing difficulties, as in the case of Timor-Leste, as travel opportunities. Often flights and accommodation are cheaper than more popular destinations and both government and locals are far more appreciative of your visit. It also means you help businesses and local people at the point at which they most need it - when other mainstream travellers stay away.
