Brief history

The Brunei of today is just the rump of a vast, powerful sultanate that was gradually gobbled up by the Brookes’ regime in Sarawak in the nineteenth century. Trade was the powerhouse behind its growth. Tang and Sung dynasty coins and ceramics, found a few kilometres from Bandar Seri Begawan, suggest that China was trading with Brunei as early as the seventh century. Brunei subsequently benefited from its strategic position on the trade route between India, Melaka and China, and exercised a lucrative control over merchant traffic in the South China Sea. As well as being a staging post, where traders could stock up on supplies and off-load cargo, Brunei was commercially active in its own right by the fourteenth century; the nakhoda, or Bruneian sea traders, traded local produce such as camphor, rattan and brassware for ceramics, spices, wood and fabrics.

The Brunei Sultanate

Islam had begun to make inroads into Bruneian society by the mid-fifteenth century, a process accelerated when wealthy Muslim merchant families decamped to Brunei after Melaka fell to the Portuguese in 1511. Brunei was certainly an Islamic sultanate by the time its first European visitors arrived from Spain in 1521. Commonly acknowledged as the sultanate’s golden age, this period saw its territory and influence stretch as far as the modern-day Philippines.

However, things turned sour towards the close of the sixteenth century. Following a sea battle in 1578, Spain took the capital, only to relinquish it days later due to a cholera epidemic. The threat of piracy caused more problems, scaring off passing trade. Worse still, factional struggles loosened the sultan’s control at home. With the arrival of James Brooke in 1839, the sultanate was to shrink steadily as he siphoned off its territory to neighbouring Sarawak. This trend culminated when Charles Brooke’s capture of the Limbang region split Brunei in two. By 1888, the British had declared Brunei a protected state, meaning responsibility for its foreign affairs lay with London.

The Sultan of Brunei

Brunei’s head of state, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (whose full title is 31 words long), is the 29th in a line stretching back six hundred years. Educated in Malaysia and Britain, he has been sultan since 1967, following the voluntary abdication of his father, Omar.

Hassanal Bolkiah was once deemed the world’s richest person, though today a conservative estimate of his net worth, at a mere US$20 billion, would put him only in the top forty of Forbes’ list of billionaires. Tales of his extravagance are legion – of private jets festooned with gold bathroom fittings, for example. However, the sultan takes pains to live down that persona by cultivating an image of accessibility. Brunei’s highly compliant press is full of stories of his majesty’s presence at community events – the launching of a new school, say – and for two days a year, at Hari Raya Aidilfitri, the sultan throws open the Istana Nurul Iman to the public, with tens of thousands standing in line for hours to meet him and other members of the royal family. Despite the pious nature of the regime, there have been many accusations of corruption and debauchery within the palace, though these tend to be settled out of court.

The sultan defined the philosophy underlying his rule when, in the 1990s, he introduced an ideology called Melayu Islam Beraja, essentially that the monarchy is founded on the twin pillars of Islam and Malayness. There are few signs of participatory democracy, however. In 2004 the sultan reconvened Brunei’s legislative assembly, two decades after it was suspended, with sixteen appointed members. They voted to enlarge the assembly to include up to fifteen elected members, but no elections have so far taken place. In 2006 the sultan amended Brunei’s constitution to make himself infallible under Bruneian law, and in 2014 he took the controversial step of introducing harsh traditional punishments under Islamic law.

The twentieth century and beyond

The start of the twentieth century was marked by the discovery of oil, which drove the British to set up a Residency in 1906. By 1931 the Seria oil field was on stream, but the Japanese invasion of 1941 temporarily halted Brunei’s path to prosperity. As in Sabah, Allied bombing during the occupation that followed left much rebuilding to be done.

While Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan became Crown Colonies in the early postwar years, Brunei remained a British protectorate. The British Residency was finally withdrawn in 1959, and a new constitution established, with provisions for a democratically elected legislative council. At the same time, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien (the present sultan’s father) was careful to retain British involvement in defence and foreign affairs – a move whose sagacity was made apparent when, in 1962, an attempted coup led by Sheik Azahari’s pro-democratic Brunei People’s Party was crushed by British Army Gurkhas. Ever since the failed coup, which stemmed from Omar’s refusal to convene the first sitting of the legislative council, the sultan has ruled by decree in his role as an unelected prime minister, and emergency powers have been in place. Despite showing interest in joining the new Malaysian Federation in 1963, Brunei chose to opt out rather than risk losing its oil wealth and compromising the pre-eminence of its monarchy; not until 1984 did it cease to be a British protectorate and become fully independent.

Little scrutinized by the outside world, modern Brunei charts an unruffled course, though there’s no clear sense how the country plans to cope when its oil runs out in a couple of decades, and even fairly well-educated young people find it hard to find jobs. The sultanate retains close ties with the UK and, regionally, especially with Singapore and Malaysia. Following the seventy percent slump in the price of oil since 2013, the country has gradually spiralled into debt (which was around sixteen percent of GDP in 2017), and it seems like Chinese investment (US$6 billion in 2016) is largely propping up the country’s economy.

In May 2014, to international and some local consternation, Islamic hudud punishments were brought in at the sultan’s behest. In theory, the hudud penal code could mean people convicted of adulterous or homosexual acts being stoned to death, and thieves having a hand amputated. However, at the time of writing none of these punishments had been carried out; check online for the latest situation before visiting.

Some of the more minor sharia laws have, however, already impacted the country’s minority peoples and foreign residents, with celebrating Christmas or Chinese festivals banned in public (a Muslim could get five years in prison if they appear in public in a Santa outfit), and in 2017 an Australian expat faced twelve months in prison for “containment” (being in the same house as a non-related member of the opposite sex), though he was eventually allowed to leave the country after a costly legal case. One injunction it’s as well to adhere to is the ban on consuming food and drink (even water) in public during daylight hours throughout Ramadan – you could be fined B$300 for not adhering to it. Blasphemy is also a serious crime, so exercise caution over anything you might say about religion in public.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: Brunei

By plane Bandar’s airport has flights from Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Singapore, and reasonable connections with cities elsewhere in the region and further afield. A departure tax (B$5 to Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines and B$12 for everywhere else) is payable at the check-in desk on departure.

By bus Reaching Brunei by bus is easy. A couple of daily services run to Bandar from Miri in Sarawak, via the coastal towns of Kuala Belait and Seria, and from Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. Daily buses also run all the way from Pontianak in western Kalimantan.

By boat Muara, Bandar’s port, is served by boats from Labuan and from Lawas in Sarawak.

Getting around

By car Brunei is small enough that you can visit most towns as day-trips from the capital. However, the bus system is indifferent, so renting a car is the ideal way to explore. It’s not overly expensive, at B$70–130/day, and fuel is cheap, though you may not be allowed to go to Temburong district as you have to leave the country to do so.

Essentials

Alcohol, tobacco and drugs Brunei is famously dry, though tourists are permitted to bring two bottles of liquor and twelve cans of beer into the country for private consumption, but this must be declared to customs. The sultan is also very anti-smoking (although he himself smokes cigars); you are only permitted to bring one packet of nineteen cigarettes through customs; smoking is not permitted in any public space and doing so carries a fine of B$300. You will also see many signs in customs making it clear that being found with drugs is an executable offence.

Money The Brunei dollar (B$; also called the ringgit in Malay) has the same value as the Singapore dollar, widely used in Brunei.

Opening hours Brunei has a split weekend as far as government bodies are concerned: Fridays and Sundays are days off. Some private businesses follow government hours, others work Monday to Friday with a half-day on Saturday.

Entry visas Most Western nationalities are allowed to enter visa-free for thirty to ninety days, although for some reason Canadians can only get fourteen days.

< Back to Brunei

Bandar Seri Begawan

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (known locally as Bandar or BSB) feels more like a provincial town than a capital. It is also a newish, largely postwar city, dominated by drab concrete – until comparatively recently, the seat of power and main settlement was Kampong Ayer, the picturesque water village visible from all along Bandar’s river bank. The commercial centre, built on reclaimed land after the British Resident arrived in 1906, comprises a mere handful of riverside streets and is surprisingly tranquil, not to say dull; recent development has been concentrated in the suburbs.

Despite its underwhelming air, Bandar packs in a surprising amount for visitors. Kampong Ayer is the obvious sight, but perhaps even more memorable are the proboscis monkeys that live in a mangrove forest just a twenty-minute boat ride upriver from the centre. Not many tourists glimpse them, though, whereas virtually everyone heads to the Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque – an iconic building that turns out not to be all that spectacular up close. At their best, the city’s museums, whether glorifying the sultanate or documenting local history and culture, are genuinely enlightening.

The waterfront

Following the middle-class flight to the suburbs, efforts to bring life back to the centre (thus far not entirely successful) have culminated in the revamp of the city’s waterfront along Jalan McArthur. The 0.5km esplanade is a good place to get your bearings – from here you can see Kampong Ayer; a golden onion dome and white saddle-roofed building that forms part of the sultan’s palace; and the tower of the Arts and Handicraft Centre.

At the heart of the esplanade, the simple Old Custom House contains a small museum of the city’s development (Mon–Thurs & Sun 8.30am–5pm, Fri 8.30–11.30am & 2–5pm, Sat 9.45am–5pm; free), though labelling is entirely in Malay. Nearby, a couple of smaller buildings with pointed white tent-shaped roofs are home to several attempts at smart cafés, but they’ve still not really become part of the city’s fabric and are frequented mainly by foreigners – a charge that could equally be levelled at the waterfront as a whole. At night families arrive for a quick stroll, admiring the myriad lights of Kampong Ayer across the dark river, before scooting off elsewhere for refreshments.

Proboscis monkeys

For many visitors, a trip to Borneo would not be complete without an encounter with a proboscis monkey, found only in riverine forests and coastal mangrove swamps. The reddish-brown monkey derives its name from the adult male’s enlarged, drooping nose; females and young animals are snub-nosed. The role of the male’s oversized member, which seems to straighten out when the animal is issuing its curious honking call, is likely to do with establishing dominance within a group and, by doing so, attracting a mate.

The monkeys specialize in eating hard-to-digest mangrove leaves, an adaptation that has enlarged their stomachs and left them with distinctive pot-bellies – and limited their distribution. Entirely arboreal, they’re capable of making spectacular leaps across the river channels that cut through mangrove forests, arms thrown wide to catch foliage on the far side – though, in case they miss, they’re also proficient swimmers, with webbed toes.

As well as the Brunei River near Bandar Seri Begawan, good places to spot proboscis monkeys include the Kinabatangan and Labuk Bay sanctuaries of Sabah, and Bako National Park in Sarawak.

Kampong Ayer Tourism and Culture Gallery

Across the water from the esplanade • Mon–Thurs & Sun 9am–5pm, Fri 9–11.30am & 2.30–5pm, Sat 9.45am–5pm • Free • 220 0874 • Water taxi from main waterfront (B$1)

The Kampong Ayer Tourism and Culture Gallery is the obvious place to start exploring Kampong Ayer. It houses the tourist office, though its small museum is sadly not as interesting as the 600-year-old history of Kampong Ayer it charts, though there are English captions. A little observation tower offers good views over the colourful wooden houses and back towards downtown. From here you can simply head off into the water village via assorted meandering walkways, though the maze-like character of the place and lack of signage make it difficult to identify specific sights. A few homes may have crafts for sale, and you may be lucky enough to chance upon, say, cottage industries involving rattan-weaving.

Kampong Ayer

While neighbouring Malaysia still holds a few water villages, notably in Kota Kinabalu, none can match Bandar’s Kampong Ayer for size. Practically a small town by itself, it snakes downriver for 2km beyond the city centre and upriver for another 1km or so, as well as up the Kedayan tributary of the river to the Edinburgh Bridge. Timber houses built on stilts and piles have occupied this stretch of the Brunei River for hundreds of years, and Kampong Ayer’s historical significance cannot be underestimated. A census in 1911 showed that nearly half Brunei’s population lived here, including the sultan, whose long-vanished palace was a suitably souped-up wooden affair.

Today the area is home to more than 39,000 inhabitants (almost ten percent of the country’s population) in 42 villages with their own shops, clinics, mosques, schools and fire services, minus fire engines, of course. They also have electricity and mains water, but many houses remain unconnected to the sewerage system, which seems not to deter the boys who swim in the river. While residents are content with their lot, insofar as they have stayed put rather than move to dry land, the authorities are intent on tinkering with Kampong Ayer. They have embarked on a project to build several dozen non-timber homes in the area, boasting solar panels and billed as eco-friendly, and they continue to extend sanitation to the villages. There’s also talk of action to arrest the decline in village traditions, notably crafts; one plan is to market Kampong Ayer as an “artisanal village” to showcase what trades linger, for example silversmithing and boat-building, though it’s not clear when this might be put into effect. Most tour operators offer half-day boat trips that include the water village.

Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

Jalan Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien • Mon–Wed, Sat & Sun 8.30am–noon, 1.30–3pm & 4.30–5.30pm, Thurs open to Muslims only, Fri 4.30–5pm

Though modest in size, the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque must have been a marvellous sight when completed in 1958. Topped by a 52m-high dome, it would have dominated what was then very much a small town, and is beautifully located on the edge of a circular lagoon. The decision to plonk the modern Yayasan Complex of shops just southeast has done it no favours, however, and the mosque is now at that awkward in-between age where it looks neither gleaming new nor venerable, merely a bit grimy in places. Still, commissioned by and named after the father of the present sultan, it makes tasteful use of opulent fittings – Italian marble, granite from Shanghai, Arabian and Belgian carpets, and English chandeliers and stained glass. The lagoon holds a replica of a sixteenth-century royal barge, or mahligai, used on special religious occasions.

Royal Regalia Building

Jalan Sultan • Mon–Thurs, Sat & Sun 9am–5pm, Fri 9–11.30am & 2.30–5pm • Free • 224 4545

In addition to a handful of uninteresting museums, downtown Bandar holds one that is simply essential – the Royal Regalia Building, easy to pick out as its roof is shaped like a strange domed helmet. While the name might lead you to expect a dry costume collection, it’s actually a hilarious collection of regal paraphernalia whose subtext is to serve as a massive paean to the sultan. Perhaps the most significant objects are those used during his coronation, including the tongkat aja – a model of a human arm in gold, used to support the royal chin during the ceremony, which took place just across the road in the grand-looking Lapau Diraja building. Most visitors get an even bigger kick out of two massive chariots, one used for the coronation, the other for his highness’s silver jubilee in 1992, the throng on the day recreated by dozens of mannequins in aristocratic Malay dress. Elsewhere there’s an eccentric display of gifts the Brunei royals have been lumbered with, courtesy of blue-blooded intimates and world statesmen – replica temples made of crystal, and the like. Note that outdoor shoes must be removed at the entrance.

Tamu Kianggeh

Jalan Sungai Kianggeh • Daily dawn–dusk • Free • 224 1909 • Bus #37

The central produce market, Tamu Kianggeh, alongside the canalized Kianggeh creek sells everything from machetes to midin – nothing you can’t see in markets in Sarawak or Sabah, but entertaining all the same. Friday morning is the busiest, and thus the best, time to turn up.

Arts and Handicrafts Centre

Jalan Residency, just over 5min walk east of Tamu Kianggeh • Mon–Thurs, Sat & Sun 8am–5pm, Fri 8–11.30am & 2.30–5pm • Free • 224 1909 • Bus #39

Bandar’s Arts and Handicrafts Centre is a substantial complex where young Bruneians are taught traditional skills such as weaving, brass-casting and the crafting of the kris, the traditional Malay dagger. Unfortunately classes are not generally open to public view without prior arrangement, so you’ll have to make do with browsing the overly pricey gift shop (note that it doesn’t accept credit cards). The other reason to visit is to enjoy classic Bruneian food at their restaurant, Tarindak d’Seni.

Kota Batu

It’s fitting that Brunei’s main museums should be a little way east of the centre at Kota Batu, the site of the capital when the Brunei sultanate was at its height. The area was excavated in the early 1950s by Tom Harrisson, who was instrumental in uncovering so many aspects of Sarawak’s history and culture. A few old walls aside, however, this largely wooded area, close to the river, holds scant signs of former habitation.

Malay Technology Museum

Jalan Kota Batu, 4km east of the centre • Mon–Thurs & Sun 9am–5pm, Fri 9–11.30am & 2.30–5pm, Sat 9.45am–5pm; Ramadan daily 9am–3pm (Fri until noon); closed religious holidays • Free • 224 4545 • Bus #39

Right by the Brunei River, the endearingly misnamed but surprisingly good Malay Technology Museum focuses not on kampung-built MP3 players but on traditional lifestyles and architecture, with – despite Brunei’s tiny population of indigenous tribes – some creditable ethnographic exhibits that are sorely lacking in northern Sarawak. The first hall has a thought-provoking display on different styles of kampung house and their bewildering roof shapes; another is devoted to activities such as fishing using traditional traps. Best of all is the third hall, with scaled-down replicas of a Lun Bawang longhouse, a Penan shelter and a hut for trampling sago pith to make flour, among other tribal structures. If you’re interested in ships, you may also want to visit the nearby Maritime Museum (same hours), whose badly lit interior displays the recovered contents, mostly ceramics, of a sixteenth-century Chinese trade ship discovered in Brunei waters, as well as models of other historic craft that sailed in the region.

Istana Nurul Iman

By the Brunei River 4km west of the centre, off Jalan Tutong • Open two days a year during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festival marking the end of Ramadan • Bus #42, #44, #46, #48 or #56

Unless you are in town at the right time of year, the closest you’re likely to get to the sultan’s palace, the Istana Nurul Iman, is on a river trip to spot Bandar’s proboscis monkeys. Even viewed from afar, the palace impresses with its scale: it’s bigger than London’s Buckingham Palace, the main buildings stretching for nearly 0.5km. Needless to say, it’s also a monument to sheer self-indulgence (it cost over US$1.5 billion), with nearly eighteen hundred rooms – including 257 toilets – and at least five hundred chandeliers. The design, by Filipino architect Leandro Locsin, tries to incorporate Islamic motifs such as arches and domes, plus a traditional saddle-shaped roof, though many might say it fails on all counts. There’s said to be a secret passage connecting the palace with the sultan’s former home, the considerably more modest Istana Darul Hana, also by the river about 1km closer to the centre of town.

Jame ‘Asr Hassanal Bolkiah

3km northwest of the centre, on the northern edge of Kiarong suburb • Mon–Wed, Sat & Sun 8am–noon, 2–3pm & 5–6pm, Thurs & Fri open to Muslims only • Free • Bus #1 or #22

With sky-blue roofs, six golden domes and pleasant grounds with fountains, the Jame ‘Asr Hassanal Bolkiah is a grander sibling to the Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque downtown. Built in the 1990s to mark the sultan’s silver jubilee, it’s also the largest mosque in Brunei, though some of the neat mosaic decoration has a slightly plastic appearance. The mosque is conveniently close to the malls and restaurants of the suburb of Gadong, 1km north, but getting there on foot means traversing some fearsome highways. If you happen to pass this way at night, look out for the evocative lighting, which gives the building an air of serenity despite the fast-moving traffic.

Gadong

5km northwest of the centre • Bus #1 or #20 runs along the main drag, right past the Abdul Razak Complex; a taxi from downtown costs B$8–10 (B$12–15 after sunset)

If you spend much time outside the centre while in Bandar, it’s likely to be in the most thriving suburb of Gadong. The place isn’t much to look at: a collection of mundane concrete blocks and traffic-clogged streets surrounding the multiple blocks of the Abdul Razak Complex, which includes two hotels and the Gadong Mall, where despite the grandiose exterior the shopping is unmemorable. Gadong is, however, a good spot for eating, with decent restaurants and a terrific pasar malam where they sell all manner of Bruneian Malay goodies.

Arrival and departure: Bandar Seri Begawan

By plane Brunei International Airport (233 1747) is 8km north of the city; it now has a decent range of facilities following its recent refurbishment. A taxi into town takes 20min and costs around B$25 from the prepaid taxi counter; during daylight hours, buses #11, #23, #24, #36, #38 and #57 (B$2) run to the bus station. Royal Brunei Airlines is in the RBA Plaza on Jalan Sultan (221 2222); Haji Ahmad Laksamana Othman Building, the building that holds the DeRoy@lle C@fe, houses Malaysia Airlines (222 3074) and Singapore Airlines (224 4901).

Destinations Kota Kinabalu (14 weekly; 40min); Kuala Lumpur (3–5 daily; 2hr 30min); Singapore (2–3 daily; 2hr).

By bus All domestic buses use the bus station on Jalan Cator, while international services park on Jalan Sungai Kianggeh by a conspicuous modern glass tower. Buses to Malaysia, operated by PHLS (277 1668 or 718 3838, phls38.com), run to Miri at 7am and 1pm (4hr) while the Jesselton/Sipitang Express(714 5734, sipitangexpress.com.my) heads to Kota Kinabalu (8hr 30min) via Limbang (1hr 30min), Lawas (3hr), Sipitang (4hr 30min) and Beaufort (5hr 30min) daily at 8am. You seldom need to buy tickets in advance, but can do so either from bus conductors before departure, or from the DeRoy@lle C@fe. Indonesian buses run by Damri (book through Tenaga Travels at the main bus station; 222 3927) and SJS (Bumi Putera Commercial Centre, 7 Jalan Cato; 713 0686) make the massive haul to Pontianak at 3pm (daily) and 2.30pm (Tues, Thurs & Sun) respectively (24–28hr). Both pass through Sarawak’s main cities, but can’t set passengers down in Malaysia, for which you will have to catch a bus to Miri and change if you want to continue west. Ticket agents can be found above the bus station and, across the elevated concrete link, on the same level in the building on the north side of Jalan Cator.

Intertown buses Public buses no longer serve Tutong, Seria or Kuala Belait so your only option is the PHLS “express” bus to Miri (7am & 1pm) which can drop you off along the way.

By boat The only boats that serve Bandar itself, to and from Bangar in the Temburong district, use a jetty on Jalan Residency close to the Kianggeh food court (around hourly 6am–4.30pm; 45min; B$7). All international ferries use the terminal in Muara.

Brunei River TRIPS

Most Bandar tour operators offer guided half-day trips on the Brunei River that take in Kampong Ayer. Unfortunately the tours tend to be pricey, starting at B$85/person, and, in Kampong Ayer at least, they show you little that you can’t see on your own, though most include tea and cakes at one of the houses. Where such trips come in handy is in combining Kampong Ayer with the chance to see proboscis monkeys. If you were in Kuching or Kota Kinabalu, the nearest groups of the monkeys would be a long excursion away in Bako or the Garama River, so it’s incredible that here in Bandar they can be found a mere twenty minutes’ boat ride upriver from the centre, beyond the royal palace in a sliver of woodland and mangrove hemmed in between a residential neighbourhood and the river. The best time of day to see them is around 8am or 5pm, when it’s cooler and the monkeys come out to forage.

It’s perfectly possible to arrange a river trip independently: village boatmen hang around at the jetty area at the western end of Jalan McArthur, close to Kaizan Sushi restaurant, which is also where the tour boats leave from. The boatmen won’t proffer life jackets or slick commentary (and may not speak that much English), but they charge much less than a tour company: with some bargaining, reckon on around B$20–30 per hour for one person, and B$5 per person after that for up to eight. Note that it will take at least an hour to have a reasonable go at spotting the monkeys (depending if there’s a queue to enter the mangroves) and enjoy a quick spin around Kampong Ayer. Another advantage of arranging your own trip is that you can ask to be let off elsewhere along the river later – after monkey-spotting first thing in the morning, possible places to visit include the Handicrafts Centre.

Getting around

Nowhere in Bandar’s compact centre is more than a 20min walk from anywhere else, but you’ll probably use the city’s modest bus system to reach outlying attractions and the suburbs.

By BUS

Bus station On the ground floor of Kompleks Darussalam on Jalan Cator.

Routes Most domestic buses are compact, purple 22-seater vehicles, but there are several other liveries and they all only run between 6am and 6.30pm. There is a bus map in the tourist office’s guide, though it’s only slightly useful – a coloured “line” gives a general idea where each bus might be heading, but you must note the route number for your destination and ask around in the bus station. On average there are two buses an hour on each route (popular services such as #1A to Gadong and #39 to Muara via the Kota Batu museums might run every 15–20min).

Fares and stops A standard fare of B$1 covers any journey within and even quite far out of Bandar. Outside the city centre, designated stops may be thin on the ground (and some are actually only marked on the ground), but drivers usually halt anywhere convenient.

By taxi

Ranks and companies Taxis come into their own at night, when the bus network has shut down, but are relatively rare – most people can afford cars so there are only around forty taxis in the whole country, though Uber and Grab are making inroads. While there are a couple of taxi cooperatives (222 2214 or 222 6853), most drivers work independently and can only be summoned by mobile phone; hotels keep lists of favourites. In downtown Bandar, there’s a taxi rank outside the Jalan Cator bus station. Taxis show up sporadically at suburban malls too, though they can be so scarce in Gadong that you may have to ask a hotel there to book one.

Fares Taxis aren’t always metered, so get an idea of current fares from your hotel; reckon on B$8–25 between the centre and anywhere else within the city. Hourly rates can be negotiated (typically B$40/hr), and prices rise by fifty percent after dark.

By water-taxi

Routes and access Little speedboats plying the Brunei River, known as water-taxis, are fun for whizzing around the river, but of limited use since most of the few waterside attractions are perfectly walkable. You can attract the attention of a boatman at numerous jetties and steps leading down to the river and Kianggeh canal (by Tamu Kianggeh).

Fares The fare for any journey across the central stretch of the river is B$1.

By car

Car rental Avis, at the Radisson hotel (222 7100); Hertz, at the airport (233 2983); Qawi in Gadong on Jalan Penghubung Berakas Lambak Kanan (265 5550).

Information

Tourist offices Brunei Tourism (bruneitourism.travel) run offices at the airport and the Kampong Ayer Tourism and Culture Gallery (both Mon–Thurs & Sat 9am–5pm, Fri 9–11.30am & 2–5pm; closed public holidays and in the afternoon during Ramadan; 220 0874). Both supply maps and brochures, but little else. Tourism Malaysia (Mon–Thurs & Sun 9am–5pm, Fri 9–11.30am & 2–5pm, Sat 10am–5pm; 238 1575) is on the first floor of the Rizqun International in Gadong.

Newspapers Since the closing of Brunei Times in 2016, the only English-language newspaper is the Borneo Bulletin (borneobulletin.com.bn), inevitably filled with news about the royal family, though it offers useful leads on events and new venues.

Tour operators

Although Bandar’s expensive tour operators major in rather predictable city tours (B$40–80), Ulu Temburong trips and river excursions to see the monkeys and floating village, they also offer a few destinations that are awkward to visit independently, notably Selirong Island in Brunei Bay – a great spot for birding – and the Bukit Peradayan Forest Reserve on the eastern edge of Temburong (the latter is also sometimes included in Temburong packages). Brunei is also a good spot for diving –although much more expensive than in Malaysia, there are several worthwhile wreck dives in Brunei waters.

Borneo Guide Unit 5, second floor, Plaza Al-Abrar, Simpang 424a, Gadong 242 6923, borneoguide.com. Fairly standard offerings, with two notable exceptions: the Countryside Tour is a day-trip out to Mukim Amo (3hr; US$55) for a slice of rural Brunei, including a visit to the rice paddies and a bee farm. The other is a longhouse visit near Labi that includes a walk into primary rainforest (7hr; US$165).

Freme Travel 403b Wisma Jaya, Jalan Pemancha 223 4280, freme.com. The usual destinations, plus two-night dedicated bird-watching trips (B$540) and another two-night trip that includes the Seria oil field.

Intrepid Tours First floor, Brunei Malay Teachers’ Federation Building, Jalan Sungai Kianggeh 222 1685, bruneibay.net. An array of more interesting trips include educational packages and the chance to scuba dive, snorkel and fish in Brunei Bay.

Sunshine Borneo 2 Simpang 146, Jalan Kiarong 244 1791, exploreborneo.com. This veteran company has a comprehensive portfolio of packages, though they can do tailor-made trips such as to Bukit Peradayan Forest Reserve, combined with visits to nearby modern longhouses.

Accommodation

Brunei not being backpacker territory, Bandar holds few great budget options, though the city has an adequate array of hotels, and higher-end Airbnb rooms are also available. Some visitors prefer to stay outside Bandar, commuting in for the sights – certainly feasible, though it won’t save you any money and you’ll have to head out well before sunset if you’re using public transport. The obvious out-of-town place to stay is the lavish Empire, though it’s possible to base yourself in Seria or even Bangar in Temburong if you have your own transport. A few Air B&B properties are available in Kumpung Ayer.

Downtown

Brunei 95 Jalan Pemancha 224 4828, thebruneihotel.com; map. The nicest and best-value place in the centre, transformed from a dowdy lump of 1960s concrete into a well-run business-oriented hotel. All rooms have beautiful timber flooring and stylish modern fittings, though there’s no discount for singles. Free shuttle transport to and from Gadong for the shops and night market. Rates include breakfast. B$164

Jubilee Jalan Kampung Kianggeh 222 8070, jubileehotelbrunei.com; map. A dull concrete tower with somewhat cramped rooms and dated, slightly worn furniture. Weirdly, many of the supposedly en-suite bathrooms are actually just outside the rooms they belong to, though some do have bathtubs. Still, with rates including breakfast, it is inexpensive. B$78

K.H. Soon Rest House Third floor, 140 Jalan Pemanacha 222 2052; map. Archetypal Chinese-run flophouse, of a kind that’s vanishing elsewhere. Rooms are large and have a/c, but are a bit tatty and bare, with rough cement floors, though some are en suite. At least the prices are good. They do actually have a six-bed dorm room, though they don’t seem to like telling people. Dorm B$20, doubles B$39

MSS Mega Rest House (Budget Inn) 27 Jalan Sultan 222 2384; map. This new place is probably the best budget option in the country. It’s located right at the heart of the city, with clean and bare but comfortable rooms. Reception closes at 10pm. Price includes breakfast. Dorm $20, doubles B$38

Pusat Belia (Youth Centre) Jalan Sultan Kianggeh 222 2900; map. Used for student conferences, Bandar’s youth centre features various dorms – single-sex, in line with local values – that take travellers. Facilities include a small pool (B$1) but no wi-fi, and cleanliness can be an issue. Awkwardly, reception keeps standard office hours (Mon–Thurs & Sat 8am–noon & 2–4pm); at other times, call the manager using the number on display or hope to bump into a staff member. Dorms B$10

Radisson Jalan Tasek Lama 224 4272, radisson.com; map. Brunei’s first top-notch hotel, with a pool, spa, fitness centre and other amenities, and the rooms are modern and clean and the service excellent. Free shuttle-bus service to the shopping malls. B$165

Terrace Jalan Tasek Lama 224 3554, terracebrunei.com; map. Ageing, like the Jubilee, but a slightly better deal, with larger rooms, an outdoor pool, and a fairly cheap multicuisine restaurant (mains B$4.50–7). Their advertising slogan, “Brunei’s best value in hospitality”, isn’t far off. B$65

Gadong

Rizqun International Southeastern end of Abdul Razak Complex 242 3000, rizquninternational.com; map. The priciest hotel in town, adjoining the Gadong Mall, with an ostentatious lobby featuring lots of marble and gaudy stained glass. Facilities include a pool and gym, and forty percent discount is sometimes available at weekends, including breakfast. B$320

empire hotel & country club

Eating

In a country where eating and shopping count as the main pastimes, Bandar has a good sprinkling of venues catering to both. There are inexpensive stalls downtown at Tamu Kianggeh and a stone’s throw away at the so-called Kianggeh food court on Jalan Residency, the latter good for river views at dusk – however, both pale in comparison to those at Taman Selera and at Gadong’s pasar malam. If Brunei has a national dish, it’s nasi katok. Widely sold for as little as B$1 at stalls and in a few cheap diners, it’s a more substantial answer to nasi lemak – featuring plain rather than coconut rice, topped with a large joint of chicken or sometimes a helping of beef. Various tales explain the name (meaning “knock rice”), the most common being that hawkers devised it as a breakfast for people working night shifts, and used to knock on workplace doors in the morning to announce its arrival. Malay food doesn’t dominate the culinary scene, however – there are plenty of Chinese and a few Indian options as well, plus a smattering serving Japanese and other international cuisines.

Downtown

Choices Brunei Hotel, 95 Jalan Pemancha 224 4828, thebruneihotel.com; map. The Brunei Hotel’s coffee house is great for a Western-style breakfast – B$14.95 buys a buffet of chicken sausage, beans, hash browns, cereals and so forth, with eggs and pancakes cooked to order, plus the usual local rice or noodle options. At other times they serve up a mixture of Western and Malaysian food. Daily 6.30–10am, 11.30am–2.30pm & 6–10pm.

DeRoy@lle C@fe Jalan Sultan 223 2519; map. This stands out among several cafés in the area as Bandar’s most established hangout, with an extensive menu of so-so food: sub-style sandwiches, burgers and the like, free wi-fi and newspapers, plus two screens with BBC news, HBO movies and international sport. Most dishes B$5.90–15.90. Not a bad place for breakfast – egg on French bread plus juice and coffee or tea, for example, only costs B$6.50. Daily 24hr.

Fratini’s 44 Jalan Sultan 223 1467, fratinis.com; map. Highly popular, Fratini’s is an upmarket Italian chain with branches around the country. The food tends to be average rather than great, but the breadth of the menu compensates: the best option is their wide range of pizzas (B$15.75–20.75), but they also have similarly-priced pasta options and more expensive mains such as sea bass with ratatouille in a lemon sauce (B$31). Daily 10am–11pm.

Phongmun Second floor, Teck Guan Plaza, Jalan Sultan 222 9561; map. Downtown’s best Chinese restaurant, overlooking the river and predictably done out with temple-style red arches and dragons. Cantonese food is the order of the day, including dim sum in the mornings; otherwise the house specialities are braised pork leg eaten with buns (from B$20), and claypot chicken (B$14). The full menu runs to several pages, but you’ll probably be given a cut-down version; most dishes cost over B$10. Daily 7am–10.30pm.

Syazwan Café 30a Jalan Sultan 233 0727; map. A cut above the area’s other Indian Muslim kedai kopis, frying a full range of rice or noodle dishes to order (RM3 buys an ample portion), plus a good nasi campur spread, thosai, murtabak, very good roti and nan bread and even Chinese-style stir-fries. Daily 7.30am–9pm or so.

Taman Selera Off Jalan Tutong, close to the Terrace hotel; map. The most atmospheric downtown place for dinner, bar none, is this open-air food court, where dozens of stalls sell Malay food. Ayam penyet – tender barbecued chicken – is especially popular (try stall #7) and a couple of vendors sell satay and nasi katok too (around B$2–3.50). For something a little pricier, head to the Mizu Seafood Village, where they have live lobster in tubs and other seafood, all sold by weight and cooked to order. Cheaper seafood stir-fries, fried rice and noodles are also available for around B$3.50–6. Sit close to the stall you’re ordering from. Daily 5pm–3am.

Tarindak d’Seni Eastern end of the Arts and Handicrafts Centre complex, Jalan Residency 224 0422; map. Despite the bland modern decor, this buffet restaurant serves a very impressive Malay spread; lunch costs B$15, dinner B$25; on Sundays, breakfast is B$8 and high tea B$12. Tables groan with dishes such as beef rendang, stir-fried keladi (yam greens) and ikan kicap (fish stewed in soy sauce), all eaten with plain or biriyani rice. They also serve a classic Bruneian staple, ambuyat – sago starch, looking and smelling like congealed glue; tease it out of the bowl with chopsticks and eat it with sauces such as tempoyak (fermented durian). More palatably, they have Western salads and oodles of local and European cakes. Mon–Sat noon–2.30pm & 7–10pm, Sun 8–11am & 3–5pm.

Gadong

Excapade Sushi First floor, Block C, Abdul Razak Complex, north of the main drag 244 3012; map. Highly popular sushi chain with many branches in Bandar and around the country, thanks to reasonable prices and a menu that also includes a range of Japanese staples, such as sashimi and bento sets. Look at about B$10–20 and book ahead, especially at weekends. Daily 10am–2.30pm & 6–10.30pm.

Gadong Pasar Malam Just east across the canal from the Rizqun hotel; map. Many tourists trek out to Gadong for this entertaining night market. Besides a section selling fruit and vegetables, it has a few dozen stalls selling all manner of local snacks for B$1–3, including grilled chicken and fish, kelupis (glutinous rice, often stuffed with minced beef or prawns and steamed in the leaves of the irik plant) and the sweet crêpe apam balik. As ever with night markets, though, there’s nowhere to sit. Daily 6.30–11pm.

Thiam Hock 5 Yong Siong Hai Building 244 1679; map. Clean and stylish, and revered by locals for its excellent fish head dishes – curried, cooked in a spicy tamarind sauce, or chopped up with noodles. There’s also a wide range of other seafood, plus the usual pork, veg and tofu; mornings are dominated by noodles (B$6), while most other non-seafood dishes start at B$8. To find the building, head south out of the Gadong Mall, for example using the exit by the Guardian pharmacy. Daily 8.30am–10pm.

TT Blues Café 12 Yong Siong Hai Building 242 4527; map. This informal café-restaurant has big-screen soccer and is good for a cholesterol-raising mixed grill (B$12) and Western snacks, though they also have Malay options ranging from rojak to cendol, all around B$5–7. Especially busy at lunch and weekends. Tues–Sun 9am–2pm & 5–10pm, Fri 9am–noon & 2–10pm.

Shopping

Despite the population’s healthy disposable incomes and attachment to shopping, Brunei’s malls are disappointingly devoid of glitz – plenty of people drive across the border to Miri to shop, while the genuinely rich jet off to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur on a regular basis. Opening hours are curtailed during Ramadan, and individual shops in shopping centres keep their own hours.

Arts and Handicrafts Centre Jalan Residency 224 0676; map. The gift shop here is a great place to browse a wide selection of crafts, though anything really worth having – notably silverware and brocade – is priced in the hundreds of Brunei dollars. Mon–Thurs, Sat & Sun 9am–4.30pm, Fri 9–11.30am & 2.30–4.30pm.

Gadong Mall Abdul Razak development; map. While the sheer size of the Gadong Mall is impressive, its shops, mostly selling trinkets, phone accessories, cheap clothes and so on, are nothing special; the big name, such as it is, is the Utama Grand department store. Otherwise, it’s more of a place where young people turn out to see and be seen. The paltry selection of English-language books in the ground-floor magazine shop is the best you can get anywhere close to central Bandar. Daily 10am–10pm.

Yayasan Complex South of Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque; map. A much earlier attempt to revive downtown Bandar than the revamped waterfront, this multi-building mall is rapidly losing ground to its out-of-town rivals and the top floors are deserted. The only outlet worth much of a look is the Hua Ho supermarket, but you can make use of 30 min free wi-fi and there are a few cafés.Daily 10am–9.30pm.

directory

Cinemas Your best bet is the The Mall Cineplex at Gadong Mall (242 2455, mall-ticket.com).

Embassies, consulates and high commissions (Note that all embassies are shut from Fri lunchtime or afternoon till Mon morning) Australia, 6F DAR Takaful IBB Utama, Jalan Pemancha (222 9435, hbruneidarussalam.embassy.gov.au); Canada, 5F, McArthur Building, 1 Jalan McArthur (222 0043); Indonesia, Lot 4498, Simpang 528, Sungai Hanching Baru, Jalan Muara (233 0180); Malaysia, 61 Simpang 336, Kampong Sungai Akar, Jalan Kebangsaan (238 1095); Philippines, Simpang 336, Diplomatic Enclave, Jalan Kebangsaan (224 1465); Singapore, 8 Simpang 74, Jalan Subok (226 2741); Thailand, 2 Simpang 682, Kampung Bunut, Jalan Tutong (265 3108); UK, Unit 2.01, Block D, Kompleks Yayasan Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (222 2231, hukinbrunei.fco.gov.uk); US, Simpang 336-52-16-9, Jalan Kebangsaan (238 4616, brunei.usembassy.gov).

Hospital The RIPAS Hospital is near the centre on Jalan Tutong (224 2424). For an ambulance, call 991.

Pharmacies Guardian Pharmacy has outlets on Jalan Sultan and on the ground floor of Gadong Mall.

Police Central Police Station, Jalan Stoney (222 2333), or call 993.

Visa extensions The Immigration Office is out towards the airport on Jalan Menteri Besar (Mon–Thurs & Sat 7.45am–12.15pm & 1.30–4.30pm; 238 3106, immigration.gov.bn; bus #1 or #24).

< Back to Brunei

Muara district

As most of Brunei’s natural attractions are in Temburong and Tutong, there’s little to detain you in the capital’s district, Muara. However, no visit to Brunei would be complete without checking out two eccentric attractions in Jerudong – the Empire Hotel & Country Club and the Jerudong Park Playground. Also worth a visit is Muara Beach and the Bukit Shahbandar Forest Recreation Park, a nature reserve with only the most basic facilities for visitors.

Muara

MUARA, Brunei’s main port, 25km northeast of Bandar, has nothing else to recommend it other than Muara Beach 3km north, which boasts an adequate stretch of sand and a small food court; it’s a long hot walk out here unless you want to wait for the erratic local minibus. You can wear your bikini on the beach, so long as it’s under all your other clothes – everybody in the sea is fully clothed.

Arrival and departure: Muara

By ferry Brunei’s international Serasa Ferry Terminal, a couple of kilometres south of what passes for the town centre, is served by bus #39 (hourly; 1hr), which stops on the main road at the green mosque, just under 1km from the terminal. The #33 minibus runs from Maura Beach via Maura town centre to the port, but it’s request-only for the ferry terminal and so only really useful when departing. The latest boat departure schedules appear daily in the local English press. Ferries only run to Labuan (daily 8am, 8.30am, 9.30am, 1pm, 2.30pm & 4.40pm; at least 1hr 30min, depending on weather; foot passengers B$17, cars B$58–78), and you should arrive at least an hour before your departure. From Labuan, boats run to both Lawas in Sarawak, and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah.

By bus From Bandar, the most reliable buses for Muara are #38, which heads north to the airport and then east to Muara, and #39, which goes east to the Kota Batu museums and then north to Muara. The only bus to the beach is the #33 from Maura town centre. All go round the houses and take around an hour.

Jerudong and around

The fishing village at JERUDONG, 15km northwest of Bandar, is a simple place where you can see the fishing boats pulled up on the beach, and sample smoked fresh fish in the wet market. Walking west along the beaches and through the car park will bring you to the Empire Hotel & Country Club, the big sight around here, while the Bukit Shahbandar Park is across the highway, and the Jerudong Park Playground is just 4km southwest.

Empire Hotel & Country Club

Close to Jerudong, 15km northwest of Bandar, off the Muara–Tutong Highway • 241 8888, theempirehotel.com • Bus #57 from Bandar may on request call at the hotel itself; if the driver refuses, get off on the highway and walk in (around 10min), or take a #55 to the fish market at Jerudong and walk in through the back entrance; a taxi from Bandar costs B$30

It might seem odd to traipse out of Bandar just to see a hotel, but then the Empire Hotel & Country Club is no ordinary hotel. A personal project in the 1990s of Prince Jefri, the wayward and discredited former finance minister, the complex cost US$1 billion to build and put such a drain on the state’s coffers that the government had to take a stake in what had been intended as a private development.

The result, benefiting from the skills of thousands of craftsmen from assorted artistic traditions, is jaw-dropping. Just to stroll through the lofty central atrium with its 25m-high marble columns, is striking enough. Then there’s the gold-plated balusters of the lobby staircase, laden with 370 tiger’s eye gemstones, and the handrails coated with mother-of-pearl. While the hotel doesn’t really throw open its doors as a tourist attraction, it’s vast enough that no one minds neatly dressed visitors who come to gawp and then, more often than not, eat at one of the restaurants.

Bukit Shahbandar Forest Recreation Park

Along the Muara–Tutong highway, directly south of the Empire Hotel & Country Club • Free • Bus #57

The Bukit Shahbandar Forest Recreation Park, a compact area of acacia, pine and heath forest equipped with trails, carpets a hilly area with lookout points over the Empire Hotel complex, Bandar and the South China Sea. Marking the entrance to the park is an information centre with displays on the surrounding terrain. The trails are well signposted and popular with joggers, and there are a few rest huts for shade and shelter.

Jerudong Park Playground

Jerudong, south off the Muara–Tutong highway, 4km southwest of the Empire Hotel & Country Club • Thurs & Fri 4–11pm, Sat & Sun 5-11.30pmt • B$20, family pass B$50, foreigners must bring ID • 261 2044, jerudongpark.com • Bus #57

In its 1990s heyday, the Jerudong Park Playground was the wonder of Brunei, almost like the country’s answer to the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. Built by the government as an amusement park for the sultan’s subjects, it was an essential stopover for visitors, the rides all totally free; famously, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston played the park’s theatre. Like all extravagances the place inevitably became uneconomic to maintain, even with Brunei’s oil revenues, and it slowly descended into moribundity. Relaunched in 2014, albeit on a diminished scale, the park is worth a visit if you’re in the area – but even the kids might think it a bit dated. It’s most atmospheric in the evening; if using public transport, be sure to arrange a taxi in advance to collect you after the buses stop at sunset. Note that all rides close for thirty minutes during prayer times.

Accommodation and eating: jerudong and around

Empire Hotel & Country Club Near Jerudong 241 8888, theempirehotel.com. The great thing about staying here is that while the high-ceilinged rooms, unlike the public areas, aren’t exceptional for a five-star-type resort, rates can be very reasonable. Amenities include a golf course, spa, cinema, swimming pools and a private lagoon. B$297

Li Gong Empire Hotel & Country Club 241 7783, theempirehotel.com. Housed in a separate building – look for the red lanterns outside – this is the best known of the Empire’s restaurants, serving halal Cantonese food, with dim sum available at lunchtime over the weekend. From B$20. Tues–Thurs 6–10pm, Fri & Sat 11am–3pm & 6–10pm, Sun 10.30am–2.30pm & 6–10pm.

< Back to Brunei

Temburong district

With a population of just ten thousand, including some Iban and Lun Bawang (Murut), Temburong district is the wilds of Brunei. Forested and hilly, it contains Brunei’s best-known attraction, the 500-square-kilometre Ulu Temburong National Park, with its entrancing canopy walkway. The park has limited possibilities for walks, though, so some people visit on a short day-trip from Bandar, while most opt for two-day packages.

Bangar

The starting point for all Ulu Temburong trips is the district’s only town, BANGAR, normally reached by speedboat from Bandar. The boats head downriver through narrow mangrove estuaries before shooting off into the open expanse of Brunei Bay and then curling back south to head up the Temburong River. It’s also possible to drive here via Limbang in Sarawak, or catch the Kota Kinabalu bus from Bandar, which passes through at about 10am. The town itself is nothing to write home about; its main street, running east from the jetty to the town mosque, holds a handful of kedai kopis and general stores. However, it is the nearest town to the Ulu Temburong National Park, with much cheaper accommodation, and tour operators that charge around half of what you’ll pay in Bandar to visit it.

Accommodation: Bangar

Bangar Government Resthouse Just off Jalan Puni on the road to Batang Duri 522 1239. A pretty, well-laid-out place two blocks behind the harbour across the main road, the Resthouse has just six en-suite singles and doubles as well as more expensive and comfortable chalets (B$80); they give priority to bookings by public-sector staff. B$30

Ulu Temburong National Park

Park HQ daily 8am–6.30pm • Prebooked tours compulsory, park fees included in package price

Contained within the Batu Apoi Forest Reserve, which constitutes a tenth of the area of Brunei, the Ulu Temburong National Park undoubtedly impresses as a pristine nature area. There isn’t that much to do – the only trails are simple and short – but there are some activities on offer and the park is great for peace and quiet.

Canopy walkway

The park’s main attraction, the canopy walkway, is reached by an hour-long trek (or longboat ride) taking in two hanging bridges and a plankway, followed by a giddying climb up the stairs around a near-vertical, 60m-high aluminium structure. The view from the top, of Brunei Bay to the north and Sarawak’s Gunung Mulu National Park to the south, is breathtaking. At this height (on a good day) you can see hornbills and gibbons in the trees, as well as numerous squirrels and small birds. Fifty species of birds have been sighted on the netting around the walkway, while flying lizards, frogs and snakes feed regularly at ground level.

arrival and information: Ulu Temburong National Park

From Bandar On a standard two-day package (around B$280–330), the first day is spent reaching your accommodation from Bandar, and much of the second day given over to the park before you zip back to Bandar in the late afternoon. Tour operators also offer somewhat rushed day-trips at around B$130–150/person.

From Bangar You may find you pay slightly less if you make your own way to Bangar and join a tour there, though you still need to book in advance. From Bangar, van transport is laid on to the jetty at Batang Duri, 15km south. The final leg is via longboat, with dense jungle cloaking the hills on either side and birds and monkeys bustling around in the trees. Though lasting less than an hour, the journey sets the tone for the park itself. You can also take day-trips from Bangar for around B$75.

Activities Besides the climb up to the canopy walkway, activities in and around the park include night walks, rafting or tubing down the river and treks to a nearby waterfall, each costing B$10–30/person.

Accommodation

Freme Lodge Batang Duri, 30min by longboat from Temburong National Park 223 4277, freme.com. A substantial, comfortable place (though pretty basic considering the price) with a/c dorms and a large open-air communal dining area. Rates include one night’s stay, meals and transfers from Bandar. Two-day package per person BS$240

Sumbiling Eco Village Sumbiling Lama, the penultimate village before Batang Duri 242 6923, borneoguide.com/ecovillage. Run as a joint venture with local Iban, this is a fairly simple jungle encampment with tents and three basic huts (B$20 extra/person), though proper toilets are provided. In keeping with the eco theme, meals are eaten off leaves rather than plastic plates. Packages include a night walk in the vicinity. Rates include one night’s stay, meals and transfers. Two-day per person US$138

Ulu-Ulu Resort Beside Ulu Temburong National Park HQ uluuluresort.com. The resort is run by tour operator Sunshine Borneo and is the only accommodation within the park. It’s quite an upmarket affair, with seventeen en-suite rooms with sleek modern decor, five of which are four-bed dorms (called “standard” rooms). The advantage of staying here, comfort aside, is that only resort guests can get to the canopy walkway at sunrise. Rates include one night’s stay, meals and transfers. Two-day package per person, dorm B$275, rooms (minimum two people) B$330

< Back to Brunei

Belait district

West of Muara, beyond the noticeably agricultural Tutong district, is Belait district, whose coastal section is oil and gas country, and has been the economic heart of the sultanate ever since the Seria oil field was established in 1931. The oil boom led directly to the rise of the region’s two main towns, Seria and Kuala Belait, both still fairly sleepy, with generally ugly concrete centres that contrast with suburbs that have quite a rural feel. Inland, though, it’s a much more rural story: down the 50km-long road to Labi are a few modern Iban longhouses and forest reserves to visit.

The Labi Road

No public transport, though Bandar tour operators such as Borneo Guide and Sunshine Borneo in Bandar offer trips here

More or less midway between Tutong and Seria, a turning south off the highway marks the start of the Labi Road. Just 500m on, the thick lowland forest of the Sungai Liang Forest Reserve can be explored by following various walking trails from the lakes. Twenty kilometres further along, at the Luagan Lalak Forest Recreation Park, a freshwater swamp swells into a lake with the onset of the monsoon rains. A little further on and you reach LABI itself, a small agricultural settlement where durian and rambutan are cultivated.

The road beyond turns into a laterite track; around 300m along, a trail off to the east leads, after two hours’ walk, to Wasai Rampayoh, a large waterfall. Continue south on the track to reach Mendaram Longhouse, the first of four Iban communities here, and home to a few dozen people. Like most Iban architecture in Brunei, it’s a modern structure, with electricity and running water, though it does have an informal homestay programme. From here a well-marked path leads past Teraja Longhouse to Wasai Mendaram, a tiny waterfall thirty or so minutes’ walk away with a rock pool perfect for swimming.

Seria

SERIA, 65km southwest of Bandar, stands at the epicentre of Brunei’s oil and gas wealth. Before oil was discovered here at the start of the twentieth century, this was nothing more than a malarial swamp, known locally as Padang Berawa, or “Wild Pigeon’s Field”. Once S1, the sultanate’s first oil well, began to deliver commercially in 1931, Seria expanded rapidly, with offshore drilling following in the 1950s. As you approach from Tutong, you may see small oil wells called “nodding donkeys” because of their rocking motion. Around the town are numerous bungalows, constructed by petroleum companies for their employees, while on the seafront nearly 2km west of the centre the interlocking arches of the Billionth Barrel Monument celebrate the huge productivity of the first well. Bandar’s tour operators can organize trips to oil-related sights, including the Oil and Gas Discovery Centre. However, if you have no great interest in oil production, you’ll probably want to avoid this soulless town.

Oil and Gas Discovery Centre

750m northwest of the bus station • Tues–Thurs & Sat 8.30am–noon & 1.30-5pm, Fri 8.30–11.30am & 2.30–5pm, Sun 9am-noon & 1.30–6pm • B$16 • ogdcbrunei.com • From the bus station, head 500m north up Jalan Sultan Omar Ali, the road running west of the Plaza Seria mall, then 250m west; taxi B$15

Seria’s only specific sight is the Oil and Gas Discovery Centre, a museum created by Brunei Shell to bolster understanding of technology in general and the petroleum industry in particular. With its hi-tech interactive exhibits, it’s marginally more entertaining than the similar museum not far away in Miri, though you still need more than a passing interest in oil extraction to get much out of it. It’s somewhere that all Brunei school kids are forced to visit at least once. There is also a small “town” where kids can zoom around in pedal cars, though it would be more apt (and fun) if the cars were petrol-driven.

Arrival and Information: Seria

By bus Seria’s bus terminus is diagonally across from the bank, south of the mall.

Destinations Kuala Belait (every 30min–1hr; 45min); Miri (daily, around 9am & 3pm; 2hr).

Services There’s a bank, HSBC, at the southern end of the drab Plaza Seria shopping mall, which dominates Seria’s small centre.

accommodation and eating

Hotel Koperasi Jalan Sherif Ali 322 7589, hotel_seria@brunet.bn. A dark green building just a couple of minutes walk up Jalan Bunga Kemantin from the bus terminal, the Koperasi is old-fashioned in a somehow restful way, its simple rooms equipped with a/c, TV, fridge and bathroom. B$61

My Booney Below the Koperasi hotel, Jalan Sherif Ali 322 7061. Seria’s community hangout offers something for everyone – indeed, the menu runs to eighty pages. With dishes from Chinese to Malay to Western to Indian, there’s no shortage of choice, and the seafood is great value – meals B$3–5. Daily 6am–2am.

< Back to Brunei