Two days in Brunei

A cruise throughout Kampong Ayer was very interesting as over 30,000 inhabitants are living in homes built in stilts in the water.

Quick Tips:

I suggest that all tourists who wish to sightsee stay away from Brunei on a Friday. Everything shuts down during midday prayer and the government offices are closed which include the musuem.

Best Way To Get Around:

Speedboats and buses are all over the place and run very efficiently. Cities and villages are not big so one can do some walking around.

This hotel was small and clean with a very friendly staff. The bed was nice and comfortable and the bathroom had basic amenities. Each room was equipped with cable television. Hotel is centrally located within the city and around the corner from the bus depot. The resturant is on the ground floor and serves a variety of dishes both Eastern and Western and the staff there is also nice. I would stay at this property again.

There are few resturants in Bandar Seri but food is everywhere. I ate at the food court as there were many local dishes being offered all for less than $2 USD. I tried Indian Foods to Bruneian Foods (ambuyant and ulam ulam). Chicken is everywhere as it is in Malaysia. It was a bit difficult to find vegeterian meals yet rice was always available. Food is so cheap that if not enjoyed, nothing is lost.

It is an interesting tour to see how the Bruneians live on the water, seeing some shops, schools, petrol stations, and boat stops along the river.

I had no idea of what Brunei was like or what it had to offer other than oil so I decided to go earlier this month as part of my trip to Malaysia. I flew in from Kuching and took the bus to Bandar Seri as the bus system is very efficient and realtively cheap. The bus dropped me off right across the street from the Brunei Hotel. Very good! A lot is within walking distance of the hotel including the wet market and mosque. The one thing that I didn't know before going is that buses stop running by 6:45pm. And there is no nightlife.I took the bus to Jerudong Park but had no way of getting back. I paid someone 15 BND to drive me back to Bandar Seri. A taxi would have cost 60 BND. Not much to see or do there but I met really nice locals who told me a lot about thier country.

Friday was a mess! It is a holy day so all govermnent offices are closed including the museum so there was nothing to do. Prayer takes place between 11:45-1:30, so many things are shut down including buses. One cannot dine at an eating establishment until after 1:30 due to this. It is strange to see all exit from the mosque after prayer. It seemed as though the flow was never ending. Bruneians are very friendly people and quiet as no one discusses politics or the Royal Family. It is like an open communist country.

I am glad that I was able to travel to Brunei to see what it actually looked like. It is not one my list of favorites but it is a strange yet very interesting country to visit.