Timor-Leste

A young country on the eastern half of Timor, visited for diving, mountains and near-empty beaches. Everything is priced in dollars, so food and housing in Dili cost more than the setting suggests. The dry season runs from May to November with rain the rest of the year, and only the highlands soften the heat. Infrastructure is young: roads, internet and healthcare are limited, and serious treatment means a flight to Darwin or Singapore.