Further afield we offer day trips visiting dive sites along the coast around 40min to 1.5hr drive from Dili. Prices start from 120 USD. These trips include two shore dives, a dive guide, lunch and refreshments. Trips run for a minimum of two people. (High season Mid Sept-Nov surcharge applies)
Dive Timor Lorosae is the oldest existing dive shop in Timor-Leste and the only PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Center (5-Star IDC). Established in 2000, they have operated with a spirit of adventure and exploration. Many of the dive sites in Timor-Leste were discovered, explored, and named by them. Committed to providing exceptional experiences, they continue to seek out new and exciting dive locations to keep divers happy.
However, their priority goes beyond just fun—they emphasize safety and comfort above all. Dive Timor Lorosae has a team of highly qualified professionals and maintains top-quality dive gear, which is regularly serviced by their own certified technicians.
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East of Dili, divers can experience shore diving at its best. Easy access along the coast allows divers safe entry to great wall dives. Secret Garden, K41, Bob’s Rock and Lone Tree are some of the amazing dives that can be done. Approximately 40 min East of Dili the diving starts and continues as far as Com some 100km away. The variety of dives along this stretch of road is endless yet K41 and Lone Tree are among the favorites of the local divers.
From the start, Dive Timor Lorosae has been dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism as an alternative source of income for the country. They place great importance on educating and training local staff, often taking them scuba diving to help them appreciate the beauty of their own land. Their goal is to make a positive impact on Timor-Leste through diving. They were the first to dive and explore Atauro Island, as well as many of the dive sites along the north coast. Dive Timor Lorosae offers a range of services, including dive trips, dive courses, whale watching, dive insurance, accommodation, and a restaurant.
East Dili Diving Sites:
Secret Garden is a colorful sloping reef and shallow wall with an easy access from the beach on high tide. This dive site is very sheltered from waves and current and usually has very good visibility. Hard and soft corals are all over the place until 40 meters. Reef fish, Orangutan Crabs and a big variety of Nudibranchs are waiting there to be spotted, Whitetip reef sharks are often passing by and if you are lucky the occasional dugong in the shallows.
Lucky day: Dugong, Napoleon Wrasse
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 5 – 40
Required skills: Open Water Diver
Snorkeling: yes
Black rock is a deep wall to 100+ meters with an access from the beach on high tide. This dive site can have pretty strong current in the shallow area and is recommended on slack tide and only for experienced divers. Massive Sea fans and sponges all over the wall with lots of colorful reef fish around. The tempting dark blue water underneath really gives the feeling of flying.
Lucky days: Bumphead Parrotfish, Spanish Dancers, Thresher Sharks, Whitetip Reef Sharks.
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 5 – 50+
Required skills: Advanced Open Water
Snorkeling: yes
The west side of K41’s reef is a very beautiful slope sheltered from waves. Colorful hard and soft corals, as well as reef and critters such as Leaf Scorpionfish, Flatworms, and Octopus on the left hand side. A macro photography paradise. The right side of the dive site is more of a sandy and rocky slope with a big diversity of Nudibranchs. Entry and exit are easy anytime.
Lucky day: Whitetip Reef Sharks, Squid, Frogfish, Robust Ghost Pipefish…
Lens: Wide angle / Macro
Depth: 5 – 40
Required skills: Open Water Diver
Snorkeling: yes
K41 is one of the most popular sites for divers, snorkellers and picnickers alike. Imaginatively named, K41 is 41 km from Dili. This famous dive site is a shallow wall ending with a very deep slope full of sponges, corals, and colorful fish if you decide to swim to the right. The light and the visibility are usually very good and many critters such as Leaf Scorpion fish, Winged Pipefish and nudibranchs that can be spotted along the dive as well as beautiful coral. Entry and exit are easy anytime.
Lucky day: Turtle, Whitetip Reef Shark …
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 5 – 40
Required skills: Discover Scuba diver
Snorkeling: yes
Behau Village is a sloping reef from 5 meters down to 70-80 meters covered with hard and soft corals. Usually with very good visibility and mild current. Some great crevices where we can often find ribbon eels and leaf scorpionfish. And if you are very lucky we occasionally see sea moths in the sand.
Lucky day: Ribbon Eels, Sea moths, Leaf scorpionfish…
Lens: Macro
Depth: 5 – 50m
Required skills: Open Water Diver
Snorkeling: yes
Bobs Rock is a big sandy patch full of huge Garden eels and a shallow colorful wall down to 12mt ending with a deep slope. Snappers, Butterflyfish, Sweetlips are covering the wall, Anemone Shrimps and Nudibranchs are hiding at the bottom. Look in the cracks to find some Pipefish, Scorpionfish, and eels. This dive site has an easy access from the beach anytime.
Lucky day: Frogfish, Seahorse, Barracuda, Bumphead Parrotfish…
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 5 – 40
Required skills: Open Water Diver
Snorkeling: yes
Marble rock is a beautiful shore entry dive site with an amazing wall covered in healthy colourful corals and the chance to spot some larger pelagic fish cruising around such as Giant Trevallies, Tuna, Spanish Mackerel.
Lucky day: Eagle Ray, Turtle, White tip Reef Shark, Napoleon Wrasse
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 5 – 50
Required skills: Open Water Diver
Snorkeling: yes
One tree is a very healthy sloping reef covered with soft and hard corals and surrounded by reef fish. Spiny Lobster are hiding in the shallow part and some big Groupers living deeper. The access is a little easier on high tide but possible any time.
Lucky day: Eagle Ray, Devil Ray, Turtles, Whitetip Reef Shark…
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 5 – 40m
Required skills: Open Water Diver
Snorkeling: yes
As you enter Lone Tree from the shore you swim over beautiful shallow corals until you hit a white sand patch with coral bommies. From her you can go left or right, both are beautiful dive sites.
On the right, Lone tree has a deep wall dive. On the left it is a deep sloping reef with very healthy coral reef and a big diversity of fish. The shallow area has a huge anemone garden full of Clownfish, more than you can possibly count! Lionfish and Scorpionfish are hiding in the deep part.
Easy access from the beach any time.
Lucky day: Devil Ray, Whitetip Reef Shark, Napoleon Wrasse…
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 5 – 50m
Required skills: Open Water Diver
Snorkeling: yes
Dirt Track is one of the most beautiful reefs along the East coast. This dive site has a easy access from the beach any time. Because of some strong current better to plan the dive there on slack tide. Very interesting topography at the eastern end of the dive site with large cracks and crevices to explore. An incredible diversity of reef fish all over the corals and some pelagic sometimes cruising in the blue.
Lucky day: Manta Ray, Grey Reef Sharks…
Lens: Wide angle
Depth: 5 – 40m
Required skills: Open Water Diver
Snorkeling: yes
Imaginatively named, K57 is 57 km from Dili! This stunning wall dive is so close to the beach that we usually just do a giant stride from the rocks to enter the water. Not only a very healthy reef full of soft corals and huge sponges surrounded by fish, it’s also “Nudibranch Paradise” with a big variety of those colorful sea slugs all over the place. Many interesting bommies, cracks and caverns spread around the sandier bottom at all depths along the slope. The light shining through the crevices makes it a favourite for underwater photographers.
Lucky day: Ornate Ghost Pipefish, Bumphead Parrotfish
Lens: Wide angle / Macro
depth: 5 – 50
required skills: Open Water Diver
snorkeling: Yes
Outstanding experience with the dive team at Dive Timor Lorosae. Such a highly professional and knowledgeable team that make you feel so welcome and relaxed from the outset. I couldn’t recommend this business more highly. Thank you for an amazing introduction to the coral triangle!!
Great dive center, very professional staff. The installations and equipment are very good.
Instructors are friendly and take safety seriously. Do everything to meet their divers needs.
The location of the dive center is perfect, in the center Dili.
Wow!! Just can’t rate this place enough!! Management and staff are all outstanding!! They are all so professional and passionate with what they do!!
My friends and I went out on their whale watching tour yesterday and were so lucky to find so many sperm whales we didn’t know where to look!! Also had the opportunity to swim with them!! What an experience!! Thank you for a fantastic day!!
This is just one of the great things Dive Timor Lorosae has to offer!!
Dive Timor Lorosae really impressed me with its professionalism. I’ve done previous snorkels in Phuket and Sabah and when Marianne, the British general manager who’s been in Timor Leste for 23 years, asked me to come in the day before to get fitted out, I was surprised. This was the first time an operator made sure I was properly fitted out in a dive short suit, scuba shoes and fins for a snorkeling trip. I really appreciated this focus on doings things properly and safely.
Dive Timor Lorosae has very professional staff as well. My friend and I were assigned Selina as our guide, and we’re so thankful to have Selina taking care of us during our two snorkels off two different spots along the rocky Timorese shores. We’re not super confident in the ocean, but Selina’s chilled, patient and caring personality encouraged us to explore the fantastic anemone garden at the second dive spot (we were tired after the first snorkeling spot and were going to pass on the second snorkeling spot). In the end we were glad we ventured out under the choppy waves because I felt like I was touring an acquarium filled with colourful fishes and anemones. Unforgettable experience.
I highly recommend Dive Timor Lorosae as a well-run, professional and caring outfit for your snorkeling and diving trips in Timor Leste. I’ll love to come back during the whale migration season and take a tour with Marianne and her crew 👍👍.
I did both a snorkelling trip and my whole PADI open-water certification with Dive Timor Lorasae. The whole team was incredible: it was easy to get things booked, get gear fitted and work out a schedule that suited me. Giovanni is a marine biologist who led our snorkel trip, he was so kind and was able to answer all (literally so many!) of our questions with ease, plus point out interesting creatures and facts about life on the reef. Selina was my sucuba instructor for the pool session and my 4 open water dives, in different beautiful locations. She was an incredible instructor, patient, easy to understand, knowledgeable, and so kind. She made scuba diving feel safe and fun, and be an altogether unforgettable experience. East Timor has some amazing reefs and beaches, pristine and with some of the most biodiversity waters in the world – most times we were the only divers there. Delicious lunch (they even made me a vegan option) was served on the days when we went to two different beautiful locations (a couple of hours drive away from Dili) with their van! So happy I got my certificate here, and thank you so much to Selina and the rest of the team for making it possible and such a great experience!
