DILI, 12 April 2025 (TATOLI) – The MS Paul Gauguin cruise ship has once again docked in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, with 236 tourists on board.
The cruise ship docked at Dili Port at around 8 a.m. local time today after arriving from Australia and is scheduled to depart Timor-Leste for Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, at 4 p.m.
Bounty Timor Tour & Travel manager Platão Lebre said the tourists are from France, Australia, the UK, the U.S., and other countries.
He said that 103 tourists are set to visit tourist sites in Maubara, in the municipality of Liquiçá, while the others will visit the Timorese Resistance Archive and Museum, the Tais Market, the Santa Cruz Cemetery, and the Cristo Rei statue.
The tourists are expected to conclude their visits before 4 p.m. and return to the cruise ship to continue their journey to Labuan Bajo.
It’s the third time the Paul Gauguin cruise has visited the country, with the first visit taking place in February 2023, and the second in February 2025.
Timor-Leste is a small island nation in Southeast Asia and tops the list as the least-visited country in the world.
With only tens of thousands of tourists visiting the country each year, Timor-Leste offers pristine beaches, crystal clear waters, and untouched coral reefs.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
