South East Asian Trips

Among the Tourist Destinations in East Timor, the Atauro Island is one of the most beautiful and scenic regions of the world. Every year, large numbers of tourists come here to spend there vacation in peace and tranquility. Atauro Island is a small island situated 25 kilometers north of Dili of East Timor.

Atauro Island at East Timor is located on the extinct Wetar segment of the volcanic Inner Banda Arc, between the Indonesian islands of Alor and Wetar. Politically, it comprises one of the sub-districts of the Dili District of East Timor. It is about 25 kilometers long and 9 kilometers wide, about 105 square kilometers in area. The Atauro Island is inhabited by about 8000 people.

The name of Atauro Island in East Timor means ‘goat’ in the local language, and it is also known as Kambing Island or Pulau Kambing by the Indonesians. The island is so named because of the large numbers of goats that were kept there.

With regard to geography of Atauro Island in East Timor, the Island is separated into 5 districts, each surrounding a village. The names of the villages are Bikeli and Beloi in the north, Macadade, formerly called Anartutu in the southwest, and Makili and Vila, formerly Maumeta in the southeast.

The largest town of Atauro Island is Vila. The other major towns include Pala, Uaroana, Arlo, Adara, and Berau. The bitumen road connects Vila to Pala, with walking paths to the other villages on the island of Atauro. There is an airstrip in the island for the convenience of the tourists.

Mount Manucoco is the highest point in the island that reaches a height of about 995 meters above sea level. The ocean strait between Atauro and Timor drops 3500 meters below sea level and is much shallower along the ridge leading to Wetar.

The Atauro Island is a small island with rugged landscapes and is frequented by landslides. There are many minor reservoirs around Macadade and the eastern slopes of Mount Manucoco that serves fresh water to the region.

Atauro Island has 2 distinct seasons: wet and dry. Vegetation consists of open Eucalyptus woodland and the tourists will get to see open slopes and beautiful hillsides. Rainforest is present within valleys and offers great scope for trekking, hiking and bird watching.

A ferry connects the Atauro Island at East Timor to the capital Dili, which takes about 2 hours. It can also be reached by fisherman’s boats. Atauro is also considered as a lovely destination for eco-tourism and the coral reefs are becoming known to scuba enthusiasts and divers from all over the world.