Traditional houses
Conical thatch.
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Maubisse is a historic town in the hills south of Dili, among green and brown mountains folding to the horizon. Its air is cooler than the coast, with round traditional houses with conical thatched roofs and farms on the slopes, and it is a weekend escape for people from the capital. The town is in Ainaro Municipality, about 70 km by road from Dili, and around 6,200 people live in its area. Its climate sits between tropical and highland because of its height, so nights are cool. It is a nearby starting point for Mount Ramelau, the country's highest peak. You walk the roads between the hills, seeing round houses with thatched roofs, big boulders in the fields and ridge after ridge of mountains. The town has places to stay and fills with people from the capital at weekends. Maubisse is about 31 km in a straight line south of Dili, on a winding mountain road that can take hours. Walking is free. Bring warm clothes for the evening and drive carefully on the narrow roads.
Conical thatch.
Ridge after ridge.
In the fields.
Ainaro Municipality, south of Dili, Timor-Leste
Hours on a winding mountain road.
Nights are cool; bring warm clothes.