A super early start in Darwin gets us on the plane in time for a stunning sunrise over the Timor sea.
We land at Dili airport just after 6:30am and head straight for the speedboat to Atauro. The day is calm but the sea is choppy. I keep my eyes closed for most of the trip, opening them only to admire the shimmering light dancing across the water and this incredible pod of dolphins. They must have invented synchronised swimming - how do 3 of them jump out of the water at the same time?
An hour later we pull up at this tropical paradise, called Barry's.
The boat stops close to shore and we get on a rubber dinghy for the last few metres. Though the coral doesn't reach out this close to shore, the water is so clear we see starfish.
Beloi is a sleepy little village of two streets. Lots of broken fishing boats and animals sleeping in the shade.
Sadly there is so much rubbish on the main beach that our efforts to pick up the worst bits (decomposing plastic strands) seems to make little difference.
We stop in the market to get a pineapple, some guavas and a fresh coconut.
Barry's is a real institution. He came to Timor to teach English and never left after he fell in love with Atauro island. Those beach huts have slowly been expanding and now he has a thriving eco-lodge. He's keen to keep things word-of-mouth - who wouldn't when life is so simple and idyllic?
We laze around, swing in hammocks, have naps and swim in the ocean. The water is so warm and still that the ocean feels like a giant swimming pool.
All meals are served buffet style and there's a great selection - kangkung with cabbage, potato carrot salad, omelette, fish, rice and fried noodles.
It's been a long while since I've been at a place with complete digital detox. No one had their phones and we actually really enjoyed talking to each other, a reminder of simpler travel days not so long ago. We have dinner, swap stories, eat cake and sing happy birthday. Eventually we are all so exhausted that we sink into restful slumbers to the sound of the waves.
The next morning I wake up to the sound of roosters at sunrise. I move down to the beach, just a few steps away from my hut.
In the morning light my beach hut looks like something from a movie.
At breakfast we have the most wonderfully warm crusty rolls. We stuff ourselves with them, even inventing the Vegemite - pineapple jam combination that is pretty damn tasty.
Another incredulous snorkel in the giant aquarium later, we head out to the next village Vila to visit the doll factory. The workers are on break but we dig through the store and find some treasures.
Our second lunch at Barry's is just as delicious - greens with carrots, devilled eggs, empanadas and smoky fish (?tuna), again with rice and fried noodles. Healthy and tasty, what else could anyone ask for?
We lie down in the giant warm bath again before we get back on the boat
These kids have the same idea!
We land at Dili airport just after 6:30am and head straight for the speedboat to Atauro. The day is calm but the sea is choppy. I keep my eyes closed for most of the trip, opening them only to admire the shimmering light dancing across the water and this incredible pod of dolphins. They must have invented synchronised swimming - how do 3 of them jump out of the water at the same time?
An hour later we pull up at this tropical paradise, called Barry's.
The boat stops close to shore and we get on a rubber dinghy for the last few metres. Though the coral doesn't reach out this close to shore, the water is so clear we see starfish.
Beloi is a sleepy little village of two streets. Lots of broken fishing boats and animals sleeping in the shade.
Sadly there is so much rubbish on the main beach that our efforts to pick up the worst bits (decomposing plastic strands) seems to make little difference.
We stop in the market to get a pineapple, some guavas and a fresh coconut.
Barry's is a real institution. He came to Timor to teach English and never left after he fell in love with Atauro island. Those beach huts have slowly been expanding and now he has a thriving eco-lodge. He's keen to keep things word-of-mouth - who wouldn't when life is so simple and idyllic?
We laze around, swing in hammocks, have naps and swim in the ocean. The water is so warm and still that the ocean feels like a giant swimming pool.
The food is excellent at Barry's. At this lunch we feast on a smoky grilled fish - forgotten the name - that one of the other guests had caught in the ocean.
All meals are served buffet style and there's a great selection - kangkung with cabbage, potato carrot salad, omelette, fish, rice and fried noodles.
In the afternoon we go snorkelling. I have no underwater camera but I suspect no picture could ever capture the true magic of the underwater world. The coral reef at Atauro is pristine and the varieties of coral are countless. I particularly loved the brain coral and the ones that open and close really quickly like flower petals. It is simply incredible swimming with schools of fish, feeling like one is in some other surreal universe. Counting the types of fish is a futile exercise - there are just so many!
Afterwards we hang out with some people we met on the boat in the common area. One of the guys has his birthday and I practise Happy Birthday on the ukulele.
It's been a long while since I've been at a place with complete digital detox. No one had their phones and we actually really enjoyed talking to each other, a reminder of simpler travel days not so long ago. We have dinner, swap stories, eat cake and sing happy birthday. Eventually we are all so exhausted that we sink into restful slumbers to the sound of the waves.
The next morning I wake up to the sound of roosters at sunrise. I move down to the beach, just a few steps away from my hut.
In the morning light my beach hut looks like something from a movie.
At breakfast we have the most wonderfully warm crusty rolls. We stuff ourselves with them, even inventing the Vegemite - pineapple jam combination that is pretty damn tasty.
Another incredulous snorkel in the giant aquarium later, we head out to the next village Vila to visit the doll factory. The workers are on break but we dig through the store and find some treasures.
Our second lunch at Barry's is just as delicious - greens with carrots, devilled eggs, empanadas and smoky fish (?tuna), again with rice and fried noodles. Healthy and tasty, what else could anyone ask for?
We lie down in the giant warm bath again before we get back on the boat
These kids have the same idea!
Then it's time to head back to Dili again, this time on the dragon ferry. What an idyllic couple of days at Barry's - I'm already dreaming about my return.
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