Pantemakassar Travel Guide

  1. Pantemakassar

Don’t travel to Pante Makassar expecting bright lights, tourist attractions and vibrant nightlife. This dusty village has little to offer travellers and is better avoided if you’re looking for entertainment.

However, if you want to discover the roots of East Timor, Pante Makassar is a good place to start and certainly an area of natural beauty. Surrounded by sandalwood forests, coconut groves, and rice plantations, walking around Pante Makassar can be a rewarding experience.

Pante Makassar means ‘beach of Makasar’ and there is a pretty palm-fringed beach here which is a good place to swim and sunbath as Pante Makassar is one of the safest places in the country.

Getting There & Away

The only real way to get to Pante Makassar is by the twice weekly ferry boat from Dili, 170 miles to the west. The journey takes around 12 hours.

Pante Makassar attractions

  • Lifau: visit this small town to discover Portuguese ruins and learn more about this former Portuguese stronghold.
  • The beach: swim in the clear blue waters or stretch out on the sand for a while.