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Bandar Seri Begawan

Travel Guide Asia Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan

Introduction

Kampung Ayer

Bandar Seri Begawan, or BSB, is the capital of the small Sultanate of Brunei's. When Antonio Pigafetta visited Brunei in the mid-16th century, he described a water village made up of 25,000 homes on stilts with a palace in the middle. The water village, Kampong Ayer, exists to this day, albeit significantly modernized with electricity, televisions and even internet access.

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Neighbourhoods

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Sights and Activities

Arkib Negara - or the Brunei National Archives, contains the country's public records and archives. Popular with researchers.
Bangunan Alat Kebesaran Diraja - or The Royal Regalia Museum, housing collections of items used for the Sultan's Silver Jubilee festivities, as well as a multitude of gifts from foreign governments
Jerudong Playground, a theme park.
Kampong Ayer (English: Water Village) is a district of Bandar Seri Begawan and home to 30,000 people. All of the buildings in the Water Village are constructed on stilts above the Brunei River and roughly one out of ten people in Brunei live here. Kampong Ayer contains many small villages that are linked together by almost 30 kilometres of foot-bridges, although speed boats nowadays are a more important mode of transport, especially on some longer distances. There are over 4,200 structures including homes, mosques, restaurants, shops, schools, and a hospital and on top of the foot-bridges there are 36 kilometres of boardwalks connect the buildings.
Muzium Brunei - or Brunei Museum, displays a variety of historical items, including several gilded Holy Qurans and other Islamic artifacts.
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
Pusat Latihan Kesenian dan Pertukangan - or Brunei Art's and Handicrafts Training Centre, also houses a handicraft shop where silver goods and sarongs, among other items, are available for purchase.
The Royal Regalia Building houses a collection of the sultan's treasures. Entrance is free.
Taman Warisan Tasek Merimbun - or Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park, where visitors can enjoy trekking around Brunei's largest lake. It is a forest reserve in the middle of the city. It features a natural waterfall. There is also an exhibition hall displaying the flora and fauna of the area.

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

Bandar Seri Begawan has a tropical climate with hot and humid conditions year round. There is not a specific dry and wet season, though the wettest time is between September and January at around 300 mm a month. February to April is the driest and sunniest time of the year, a good time for a visit with only around 120 mm of rain in March. February and March have some more sunshine as well, so this is a good time to visit. Temperatures are around 31 °C during the day and 23 °C at night, with very little variation throughout the year (average highs: 30.4 °C in January versus 32.6 °C in May, average lows: 23.0 °C in July versus 23.7 °C in April and May).

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Getting There

By Plane

Brunei International Airport (BWN) is served by several international airlines and is the base of the Royal Brunei Airlines. There are daily flights to and from London, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Kota Kinabalu.

A taxi from the airport to BSB costs roughly B$25 and takes 20 minutes. The airport is also a stop on several of the city's bus routes, providing a much cheaper alternative at B$1.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

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Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

Buses are a comfortable and cheap mode of transport. Six bus routes operate in the city; the Central, Circle, Eastern, Southern, Western and Northern Lines.

By Foot

By Bike

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Eat

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Drink

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Sleep

Budget

Property	Address	Type	Popularity
Brunei Hotel	95, Jalan Pemancha BSB BS8811	Hotel	78
Jubilee Hotel	Jubilee Plaza Jalan Kg Kianggeh	Hotel	73
Sumbiling Eco Village	Kg Sumbiling Lama, Jalan Batang Duri, Temburong, Brunei Darussalam, Borneo	Hostel	-
Terrace Hotel	Jalan Tasek Lama	Hotel	79
Traders Inn	Blk. D, Lot 11620, Jalan Gadong,	Hotel	71
Goodview Hotel	Block A, Lot 13725 Jerudong BG3122	Hotel	-