Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is one of the youngest nations on Earth, having gained full independence only in 2002 after centuries of Portuguese colonialism and a brutal 24-year Indonesian occupation. This tiny half-island nation in the Timor Sea, wedged between Indonesia and Australia, fought one of the most determined independence struggles of the late 20th century. Nearly a third of the population perished during the Indonesian occupation, yet the Timorese never gave up. When they finally voted for independence in a 1999 referendum, the margin was overwhelming.

What most people do not know about Timor-Leste is how spectacularly beautiful it is. The country sits on the Coral Triangle, the most biodiverse marine region on the planet, and its reefs are virtually untouched. Whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins, and dugongs cruise its waters. Inland, the terrain rises steeply to rugged mountains above 2,900 meters, with traditional villages clinging to hillsides where animist customs blend with Catholic faith. The roads are rough, the infrastructure basic, and that is precisely what makes it extraordinary - this is Southeast Asia before the tourist trail found it.