Dili, East Timor Cruise Port

Dili is not only the capital of East Timor, but it is also the country’s largest city and main sea port. Also known as the City of Peace, its population of over 220,000 is located on Timor Island’s northern coast. Located on the Portuguese side of Timor, it was first colonized in the 16^th century and wasn’t declared an independent state until 1975. It then had to endure an illegal occupation until the late nineties when the UN intervened after much of the city was destroyed by militia attacks. Now rebuilt, all of East Timor has been a sovereign state since 2002. Dili’s waterfront area is very active and a popular site among tourists. There are a number of beaches a few miles from the city, a few of them sheltered and secluded to create an air of intimacy. As one of the few primarily Christian nations in Southeast Asia, East Timor also contains numerous churches and religious sites for travelers to explore.

• Cristo Rei, or the Christ the King statue, is a depiction of the Christ with his hand extended that looks over the bay and onto the primarily Muslim, Indonesia archipelago.
   
• The city’s history, particularly the militia invasion, is memorialized at the Archives and Museum of East Timorese Resistance. Exhibits and memorabilia of one of the nation’s darkest times are on display to educate others.
   
• The stunning Cemetery of Santa Cruz remains as a monument to the Timorese protestors that were slaughtered by Indonesian security forces during the nation’s bloody occupation.
   
• Tais market is a bustling bazaar that deals in the wares and fabrics that are locally made by the proud, hard-working people that call Dili home.