A tiny oil-rich monarchy that seems, superficially, more Middle Eastern than Southeast Asian, the enigmatic country of Brunei often intrigues visitors. Its official title is Negara Brunei Darussalam, Darussalam meaning “Abode of Peace” – and tranquil it certainly is, with little crime and a sense of calm, bordering on ennui, thanks to the income generated by massive offshore oil and gas deposits. The 420,000 inhabitants – two-thirds Malay, almost a tenth Chinese, nearly a quarter expatriates and foreign workers, and just a few percent indigenous peoples – enjoy a cosseted existence. While the genuinely wealthy elite form a select few, there’s a large middle class; education and healthcare are free; and houses, cars and even pilgrimages to Mecca are subsidized.
Brunei’s sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, is famously one of the world’s richest people. Ruling as an absolute monarch, he is prime minister, defence minister and finance minister rolled into one, and his extended family, the Bolkiahs, control virtually all government departments and the vast majority of the nation’s wealth; it’s said that nothing of any real importance is decided without the thumbs-up from a family member.
This is, however, no glitzy Gulf sheikhdom. Brunei is basically low-rise and low-key, feeling not unlike Malaysia’s oil-rich state of Terengganu, only more torpid and with more discernible signs of wealth. Primary and secondary tropical forest still cover seventy percent of the land area; indeed the country’s boundaries are easily discerned from the air, as Sarawak’s logging roads and oil-palm plantations halt as if by magic at the border. Most of Brunei is less than 150m above sea level, its rainforest, peat swamp and heath forest running down to sandy beaches and mangrove swamps. The country is divided into four districts: Muara, which contains the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan; agricultural Tutong; oil-rich Belait; and Temburong, a sparsely populated enclave severed from the rest of Brunei by Sarawak’s Limbang district.
For most travellers, Brunei is simply a transit zone on the long bus ride between Miri and Kota Kinabalu. Those who stay seldom do so for more than two or three nights, long enough to glimpse the main sights and the way of life without the cost of living – much higher than in Malaysia – creating too much of a dent in their bank account. Conveniently, the capital is home to many of the key attractions, notably the fascinating Kampong Ayer, a rambling collection of houses built over the wide Brunei River, and offers one of the best chances to see proboscis monkeys in all of Borneo. The other attraction is the pristine rainforest in Ulu Temburong National Park in Temburong, though this is a much more controlled and sanitized experience than any Malaysian national park, with few trails to explore. Otherwise, the sultanate holds some interesting Islamic architecture; a clutch of moderately interesting museums, beaches, small nature parks and modern longhouses; and one solitary nod to Dubai-style excess – a hotel/country club, the Empire, that’s worth seeing for its ludicrous grandiosity.
Visitors may find aspects of the country – not least its use of Sharia law and hudud punishments – uncomfortable and oppressive; it remains hard to see how the Sultan will fulfil his aim of making tourism a major part of the nation’s GDP by 2035.
ulu temburong national park
Highlights
1 Kampong Ayer This scenic collection of wooden houses, built out over the Brunei River, offers a glimpse of traditional life.
2 Royal Regalia Building One of Brunei’s most entertaining museums, housing processional chariots, ceremonial paraphernalia and offbeat official gifts.
3 Proboscis monkeys Just minutes from downtown by boat, a group of these curious-looking creatures can usually be seen foraging by the Brunei River.
4 The Empire Hotel Come to witness how a royal folly with a cavernous marble atrium now functions as a successful hotel, then hang around for a bite to eat.
5 Ulu Temburong National Park Brunei’s premier nature reserve holds a heart-stopping canopy walkway and opportunities for river rafting and tubing.