Insight Tour: Timor-Leste 2026
Funders are invited to join AIDN’s Insight Tour to Timor-Leste from 27 September to 4 October 2026. Designed to get funders on the road and into the field! We offer engaged funders an in-depth insight into the work and operating context of a variety of not-for-profits.
You’re invited to join the Australian International Development Network on our Insight Tour to Timor-Leste in 2026. You’ll have the chance to meet leaders, see locally-led initiatives in action and explore how philanthropy can play a catalytic role. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of Timor-Leste’s trajectory, build trust-based relationships and identify opportunities to support long-term, meaningful change.
Logistics for the tour are being generously organised by Intrepid Travel at cost price.
We hope you can join us! If you have any questions, get in touch with us.
Why Timor-Leste?
Timor-Leste is right on our doorstep (just a 90-minute flight from Darwin) yet remains one of the least understood and most underfunded countries in our region.
Despite being a young nation with extraordinary resilience and a strong sense of identity, it faces some of the highest poverty rates and development challenges in the Asia-Pacific.
- 1 in 2 children are malnourished (including stunted and underweight)
- 40% of the population lives below the national poverty line
- Nearly 1 in 3 women in Timor-Leste experience Gender Based Violence (comparable to PNG)
- Health system faces significant challenges – infrastructure, workforce shortages, and supply chain gaps. Maternal health, child malnutrition, and preventable diseases remain major burdens.
Australia has a long history with Timor-Leste, and a real opportunity to back it more seriously. For Australian donors, that’s a compelling case for deeper, more intentional giving.
At a glance:
- 7-day itinerary
- 27 September – 4 October, 2026
- Meet with over 20 NGO teams as well as site visits to approximately 10 NGOs
- Showcase Day on Saturday 3 October
- Travel with other funders, group size of 8-14 people
- In-country logistics by Intrepid Travel
- Pre-departure briefing
- Due diligence and information pack provided prior to departure
Organisations we’ll be visiting
We’ll be releasing organisations’ names over the coming month. Stay tuned as the details are confirmed.
The Showcase Day
As part of the Insight Tour to Timor-Leste, AIDN will host a Showcase Day in Dili. We’re bringing together around 50 people from the international development community to share insights and collaborate. The day will include an open conversation about how change really happens and what it takes to build strong local leadership, with the chance to hear from others who know the country well.
The Itinerary:
*Please note that site visits are indicative at this stage and are subject to change. If you have requests for specific site visits, please speak to our team.
| 1 | Sunday 27 September | Dili |
Arrival day. Context setting dinner with experts working in the fields of health, education and gender based violence in Timor-Leste. |
| 2 | Monday 28 September | Dili |
Site visits. Accommodation at Timor Plaza. |
| 3 | Tuesday 29 September | Dili |
Site visits. Accommodation at Timor Plaza. |
| 4 | Wednesday 30 September | Dili > Ataúro Island |
Travel from Dili to Ataúro Island with Mission Aviation Fellowship. Site visits in Ataúro Island. Overnight accommodation at Barry’s Place. |
| 5 | Thursday 1 October | Ataúro Island > Dili |
Site visits. Accommodation at Timor Plaza. |
| 6 | Friday 2 October | Dili |
Site visits. Dinner hosted by The Good Business Foundation. Accommodation at Timor Plaza. |
| 7 | Saturday 3 October | Dili |
Morning visit to town and markets. Showcase Day. Accommodation at Timor Plaza. |
| 8 | Sunday 4 October | Dili |
Morning walk to Christa Rei and breakfast on the beach. Departure. |
Your Hosts:
AIDN’s Julie Rosenberg and Emily Umbers will be joined by co-hosts Peter McMullin AM and Stuart Thomson from the Good Business Foundation.
Julie Rosenberg
Executive Director, AIDN
Julie Rosenberg is AIDN’s founding Executive Director, with over 30 years of experience in senior roles across the commercial and for-purpose sectors in Australia and internationally. She is passionate about raising the profile of giving and the role Australians can play in places like Timor-Leste.
Linda Fox
Co-Founder & Board Member, AIDN
Linda has been the CEO of Partners For Equity since 2015. She was also Grants Manager at the Planet Wheeler Foundation from 2015 to 2023, and before that worked as a commercial/finance lawyer in Sydney and London. She is passionate about connecting Australians with the communities and organisations doing vital work in Timor-Leste.
Peter McMullin AM
Good Business Foundation
Peter has over 50 years of involvement with Timor-Leste. His close relationships with President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao as well as his program supporting young entrepreneurs will help make this trip a huge success.
Stuart Thomson
Good Business Foundation
Stuart first visited Timor-Leste in 2010 when working on a food and nutrition project. He then headed up Timor-Leste Hearts Fund between 2017-2019. After that time he co-founded the Good Business Foundation that supports growth stage women led businesses in Timor-Leste in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Costs:
Cost for the Insight Tour is US$3,400 per person, which covers transport, accommodation, meals, and guides. International flights to/from Timor-Leste, visas, and vaccinations are not included.
A deposit of US$1,000 is required to secure your place on the trip by 31 July 2026.
Minimum group size is 8 people.
Cost will include:
- Road transfers
- Transport (flight or boat) to Ataúro Island
- Accommodation at Timor Plaza and Barry’s Place
- Breakfast, lunch & dinner each day (unless specified otherwise)
- Site visits as detailed in the itinerary
- Showcase Day
- Dinner hosted by Good Business Foundation
- Tips for drivers and guides
Costs will exclude:
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Alcohol
- Tips for hotel staff
- Entry to any cultural or tourist activities unless indicated
Partners:
Interested?
If you would like to join AIDN Insight Tour, then please…
or get in touch with us directly. Spaces are strictly limited.