Asia
Timor-Leste
Dili District
Dili
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Tais Market
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Tais Market

See all things to do
See all things to do
Tais Market
4
224 reviews
#1 of 5 Shopping in Dili
Speciality & Gift Shops
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What people are saying
Alex H
By Alex H
“Average market with not much flexibility”
Jul 2023
Not a huge amount of market stalls but the ones which are there are decent. You don’t feel pressured into buying anything like in some other places in SE Asia. Timor Leste football shirts only go up to XL, which is nowhere near XL size in Europe so if you’re large like me, they won’t fit you. Fridge magnets are $12 (yes twelve!!) but you can try and barter them down to a lower price. Old Timor notes are on sale in one of the stalls. All in all, average market that’s probably worth one visit.
Gama Apartment
By Gama Apartment
“Local tais market”
Oct 2021
Amazing place to buy all sorts of Tais and souvenirs! Bigger covers for couch and bed are around 25USD, smaller ones for the table are around 10USD and the small ones are 2USD.
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The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
57 within 5 kms
Timor Thai Restaurant
37
0.2 km€€ - €€€ • Asian • Thai • Vegetarian Friendly
Ocean View Hotel
19
0.2 km€€ - €€€ • Steakhouse • Seafood • International
Kaffè U'ut
9
0.3 kmCafe
Thai Herb Restaurant
5
0.2 kmThai
Restaurante Prato
7
0.5 km€€ - €€€ • European • Portuguese
loja&cafe Aroma Timor
10
0.6 kmCafe • Asian • Healthy
Doce Tantacao
9
0.7 km€ • European • Portuguese
Agora
70
1.3 km€€ - €€€ • International • Fusion • Vegetarian Friendly
Tibar Ximangano Beach Restaurant
53
1.1 km€€ - €€€ • European • Contemporary • Portuguese
Letefoho Specialty Coffee Roaster
105
1.4 km€ • Quick Bites • Cafe
See all
Attractions
8 within 10 kms
Immaculate Conception Cathedral
41
0.4 kmChurches & Cathedrals
The Archives & Museum of East Timorese Resistance
238
0.8 kmSpeciality Museums
Cemetery of Santa Cruz
134
2 kmCemeteries
Cristo Rei
504
Monuments & Statues
Largo de Lecidere
10
1.6 kmParks
Xanana GusmAo Reading Room
7
1.6 kmLibraries
Arte Moris
38
4.1 kmArt Galleries
Tasitolu
63
Nature & Wildlife Areas
See all
See what other travellers are saying
  • Kate N
    82 contributions
    Good tais if you know where to look
    I recommend making your way right to the back for the best Tais. You will know the quality Tais as they are a heavier, more rustic weave with more natural colours. Ask the stall owner to tell you about the makers of the Tais, they should be able to produce some photos of the women who make them and tell you where they come from. Don't be shy to barter. You should be able to get a 30cm x 1.5m good quality Tais for around $35 USD. Expect to pay around $100 USD for a large good quailty Tais.
    Visited February 2020
    Written 3 April 2020
  • Angela A
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia71 contributions
    Expensive
    I visited this market because I wanted to get some of the Timorese handcrafted cloths and a few souvenirs but I got the shock of my life, the price for a T-Shirt was USD15, two metres of their handwoven cloth was USD75, too expensive. Once you are a foreigner they know, so I guess that may account for the very high prices. Quite small too.
    Visited February 2020
    Written 24 February 2020
  • CKF
    2,201 contributions
    Local crafts for tourists to buy
    I understand that Dili is not a big tourist destination, so I am uncertain why this market was built. It actually has some nice woven handicrafts and I felt the prices were reasonable, but we were the only ones there. It felt like a ghost town. In addition, all the shops had the same items. I picked up a few souvenirs but it was kind of an uncomfortable atmosphere.
    Visited February 2020
    Written 1 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.0
224 reviews
Excellent
46
Very good
102
Average
67
Poor
9
Terrible
0
Alex H
Port St. Mary, UK1,313 contributions
Average market with not much flexibility
Jul 2023 • Friends
Not a huge amount of market stalls but the ones which are there are decent. You don’t feel pressured into buying anything like in some other places in SE Asia. Timor Leste football shirts only go up to XL, which is nowhere near XL size in Europe so if you’re large like me, they won’t fit you. Fridge magnets are $12 (yes twelve!!) but you can try and barter them down to a lower price. Old Timor notes are on sale in one of the stalls. All in all, average market that’s probably worth one visit.
Written 9 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gama Apartment
Dili, Timor-Leste5 contributions
Local tais market
Oct 2021
Amazing place to buy all sorts of Tais and souvenirs! Bigger covers for couch and bed are around 25USD, smaller ones for the table are around 10USD and the small ones are 2USD.
Written 9 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kate N
82 contributions
Good tais if you know where to look
Feb 2020
I recommend making your way right to the back for the best Tais. You will know the quality Tais as they are a heavier, more rustic weave with more natural colours. Ask the stall owner to tell you about the makers of the Tais, they should be able to produce some photos of the women who make them and tell you where they come from. Don't be shy to barter. You should be able to get a 30cm x 1.5m good quality Tais for around $35 USD. Expect to pay around $100 USD for a large good quailty Tais.
Written 3 April 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ivo Carneiro De Sousa
Macau, China146 contributions
Vey nice people and disappointing textiles
Dec 2019
The Tais market in Dili is famous and one of the main tourist attractions. Male and female tais do have a significant presence in the cultural history of East Timor peoples and cultures, turning in one of the first dowry transactions, called "Barlak." So, when one visits the Tais market believes that it offers beautiful traditional clothes and handcraft. It is not the case. It is difficult to find real traditional tais, and most of the products are new and industrial.
In consequence, the advice is simples: if you like something buy it, but don't try to wonder about its traditional value. Most of the clothes come from Indonesian factories and not from local handicraft ateliers. Disappointing, but people are friendly, pleasant, and with plenty of time to bargain.
Written 14 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CKF
CT2,201 contributions
Local crafts for tourists to buy
Feb 2020
I understand that Dili is not a big tourist destination, so I am uncertain why this market was built. It actually has some nice woven handicrafts and I felt the prices were reasonable, but we were the only ones there. It felt like a ghost town. In addition, all the shops had the same items. I picked up a few souvenirs but it was kind of an uncomfortable atmosphere.
Written 2 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angela A
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia71 contributions
Expensive
Feb 2020
I visited this market because I wanted to get some of the Timorese handcrafted cloths and a few souvenirs but I got the shock of my life, the price for a T-Shirt was USD15, two metres of their handwoven cloth was USD75, too expensive.
Once you are a foreigner they know, so I guess that may account for the very high prices.
Quite small too.
Written 25 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Manuel
Lisbon, Portugal13 contributions
Local handcraft products from East Timor
Jun 2019
The Tais Market is a good place to find local interesting hand crafts articles from East Timor, with a a large and diversified Tais textiles the most representative article from country.
Written 10 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LightOfTheWest
Zurich, Switzerland30 contributions
Nice place for suvenirs
Sep 2019
Whether everything is indeed handmade remains unclear, but it is sold by locals, who will begin to lower the first given price if they notice that you keep looking at a specific item. The first prices they gave me were however not high at all, keeping in mind how much the same can cost in Europe. It is maybe not top quality; if someone wants a really good quality I would suggest the shop in the lobby of Hotel Timor, which sells a good variety of products made by a local women foundation. Of course the prices are much higher (no different than in Europe I would say). some of these products can be also found at the little souvenirs shop at Dili airport.
Written 15 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nino Madaan
Rome, Italy218 contributions
Nice place for Timor Handicrafts
Oct 2019 • Friends
It’s nice place love the things there. Prices are a bit high but you can manage to give your offer and they usually agree
Written 8 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neville S
Greater Newcastle, Australia1,084 contributions
Good
Sep 2019 • Friends
This market features locally made material such as scarves and blankets, you will most likely see a lady or 2 weaving cloth on the spot, also a range of tourist souvenirs is available
Written 5 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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TAIS MARKET: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Tais Market