The island of Borneo can be divided into three parts; an Indonesian segment (Kalimantan), a Malaysian segment (Sarawak and Sabah) and the sultanate of Brunei. This small country in the north of Borneo is famous for two reasons: money and oil. Even though it’s a rich country don’t expect some sort of mini-Dubai. Brunei is ruled by a very generous Sultan; everybody loves him. Healthcare and education is completely free of charge for the entire nation! Well that’s a good deal!
Facts
- Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
- Language: Malay
- Currency: Brunei Dollar (1 € ≅ 1.5 B$)
- Population: 430.000
- Size: 5.765 km² (1/40 of Amsterdam)
- Daylight saving time: No
- Visas: Not required for most European citizens, others visa on arrival or visa required before entry
- Best time to visit: March – Oct (dry season)
- Visited: 2011 (part of SE Asia trip)
Bandar Seri Begawan
So, I entered Brunei with a minivan from Miri, Sarawak with a close friend from back home. The border crossing went pretty smooth. The first thing I noticed when I walked around the capital of Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan is how clean the city is. I thought Singapore was clean, but you can definitely add Bandar to the list! If you just came from Malaysia then Brunei can feel a bit expensive.
The stunning Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Beautiful architecture.
There are not so many sites in the capital or around Bandar so you will only need a few days in Brunei. The most famous mosque with its iconic boat ‘floating’ around in the pool is the Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque (see also top banner).
Shoes off please!
Smile!
The biggest mosque in Brunei is the Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque and it’s definitely a beauty! It’s a few kilometers out of town so take a bus to get here.
The Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque is astonishing!
Let’s have a look inside the mosque!
Brunei is a strict Muslim country, so you will not find any alcohol here. It’s not allowed to sell; so stock up in Malaysia before you move on to Brunei. I think 2 bottles and 12 cans of beer is the limit of what is allowed to bring in the country. The days in Bandar are short as there is absolutely no nightlife. The only ‘nightlife’ there is, are the shopping malls which close at 10pm. If you walk around the city at 11pm it can feel like a ghost town.
Left: Inside the mosque – Right: Waiting for my boat
A fun thing to do here is to hire a watertaxi / speedboat to take you down the river (Kampung Ayer). It’s not hard to find a speedboat at the waterfront, they probably spotted you before you spotted them. And like everywhere in Asia: bargain for a better price. You will see during the boat ride the wobbly wooden stilt villages which houses approx. 20.000 people. It’s like Asia’s version of Venice.
Let’s take a ride!
The army was here too.
He will also take you to a viewing point where you can see the Sultan’s Palace. The site is massive and probably the biggest residential palace in the world. Visit Brunei in September during Ramadan and the Sultan will open up his doors / gates for your viewing pleasure for 3 days! It was a fun boat ride!
Wobbly wooden stilt villages just out of Bandar Seri Begawan.
You can only reach the houses by boat.
From Brunei we wanted to travel onwards to Sabah (Malaysia). You can do this by land, which cost you like 6 stamps in your passport (check out Google Maps and you will see why 😉 ) or by boat. As my passport was already pretty full we opted for going there by boat. Take a bus from Bandar to the harbor and a boat to the island of Pulau Labuan (Sabah). When you drive to the harbor you will pass through a luxurious residential area. I thought for a moment that I was back in Beverly Hills, but the sound of the nearby mosque brought me back to reality.
Off to Sabah!
Wanna see more travel pics? Check out my Photo Gallery
