TimorGetaway was born out of a shared love for travel and a deep desire to make Timor-Leste’s beauty accessible to the world. Founded by Flora Brytes and Delivio Soares, a husband-and-wife team of explorers, innovators, and dreamers, the idea emerged not from a business plan, but from countless journeys they took together, each one filled with discovery and inspiration.

Every time they travelled abroad, things were simple. With a single search online, they could find destinations, book experiences, and learn about local cultures. But whenever they returned home to Timor-Leste, they saw a different reality. Despite the country’s stunning beaches, mountains, and traditions, there was no digital platform that helped visitors explore its uniqueness, or that connected travellers directly to local hosts and communities.

Their vision took shape during a visit to Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, where they witnessed how tourism could empower everyday people. Local families earned a living through small boats, guiding visitors through breathtaking landscapes while preserving their culture and environment. Flora and Delivio were deeply inspired: what if Timor-Leste could do the same, and build a tourism model where locals lead, benefit, and protect what makes this nation special?

In 2024, the ASEAN Blue Innovation Challenge, funded by the People of Japan and implemented by UNDP Indonesia, opened its call for groundbreaking ideas. Flora and Delivio submitted their proposal through their own Timorese technology company, Prospares WebTech, which built the platform: a digital tourism platform designed to promote Timor-Leste’s authentic beauty, empower local communities, and champion environmental conservation.

From over 1,341 proposals across Southeast Asia and Timor-Leste, TimorGetaway was selected as one of only 60 winners. The team launched its pilot in Com, Lautem Municipality, training community members in hospitality, business and financial management, culinary arts, barista skills, creative crafts, and access to financial services. These efforts enabled local entrepreneurs to become hosts, guides, and storytellers of their own communities.

When the project concluded, Flora and Delivio knew this was just the beginning. To ensure long-term sustainability, they registered TimorGetaway as an independent, women-led Timorese company in 2025, with Flora as Founder and CEO and Delivio as Co-Founder and CTO, turning an award-winning pilot into a growing national platform.

Today, TimorGetaway stands as a proudly Timorese-born innovation, a bridge between culture and technology, tradition and transformation. At its heart lies a simple mission: Experience the Beauty. Empower the Community. Protect the Environment.

This journey would not have been possible without the dedication of our core team, Joctan Lopes, Octavio de Araujo, Guida Freitas, and Roberto Martins, whose creativity, commitment, and passion helped shape TimorGetaway from an idea into a movement.

Together, we are redefining tourism in Timor-Leste: one journey, one host, one story, and one product at a time. Through close collaboration with local providers in every municipality, TimorGetaway co-creates curated travel experiences that celebrate the distinct beauty, craftsmanship, and identity of each region, ensuring that every getaway tells a story worth remembering.