Brunei

Join the Hipporoller Challenge

Help the Travel Guide reach 20,000,000 characters and we'll donate 63 hipporollers worth over $6000. Read more.

Quick Facts

[edit]

Capital

Bandar Seri Begawan

Government

Constitutional Sultanate

Nationality

Bruneian

Population

344,000

Languages

Malay, English, Chinese

Religions

Islam, Buddhism, Christianity

Currency

Brunei Ringgit (BND) B$

Calling Code

+673

Time Zone

UTC+8

Contributors

• Peter (45%)
  from My Shout
• Utrecht (20%)
  from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com
• Hien (17%)
  from World Adrenaline

as well as dr.pepper (14%), agc_cwm (4%)

Help contribute to this article to share the ad revenue.

Introduction

Mosque In Bandar Seri Begawan

© All Rights Reserved moonboots

A thriving oil trade has brought Brunei great wealth, and today the country's population are like spoiled children: free health care, tax-free income, low loan rates and free education are all handed to the populous on a silver platter. The people seem pretty content with their strict Muslim Sultanate ruling family, as dissent for the increasing fundamentalism of national laws is slight.

What is interesting about Brunei is that despite the relative wealth afforded to Bruneians, many still live in very traditional ways. In Bandar Seri Begawan, some 30,000 Bruneians still live in water villages, built entirely on stilts over the Brunei river. The apparent contradiction between a nation as wealthy as Brunei and a population living in water villages is what makes Brunei a fascinating place.

Brief History

The Sultanate of Brunei was a very powerful from the 14th to the 16th century AD. All of Borneo was under its control, as well as the southwestern Philippines. The current ruling dynasty dates back to the middle of the 15th century, a period when Brunei had a close relationship with the Muslim kingdom of Malacca.

In the 16th century, Brunei lost Manila to Spanish forces and at one stage, the Spanish took Brunei itself before being defeated in what is known as the Castille War. Brunei's regional power continued to gradually fade as European influence increased in Southeast Asia. The final blow for the Bruneian Empire was in the 19th century when they lost much of their territory to the White Rajahs of Sarawak. From 1888 to 1984, Brunei was a British protectorate. A rebellion against the monarchy, known as the Brunei Revolt, was suppressed in the 1960's by the United Kingdom. The rebellion was partly responsible for a failure to create a North Borneo Federation and affected Brunei's decision to opt out of the Malaysian Federation.

In 1984, Brunei Darussalam became an independent state.

Geography

Brunei occupies 5,270 km² of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is made up of two unconnected parts; the western section home to 97% of the population, while only 10,000 or so call the mountainous eastern exclave of Temburong home. Brunei borders Malaysia and the South China Sea.

Districts

Brunei is organised into 4 districts (daerah):

• Belait
• Brunei and Muara
• Temburong
• Tutong

Cities

• Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city, once known as Bandar Brunei.
• Bangar, the small district capital of Temburong.
• Muara, the country's main port, just north of the capital
• Tutong
• Kuala Belait, an oil producing town in the country's south west.
• Sukang, right next to Kuala Belait.

Sights and Activities

Kampong Ayer

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 4200 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.

Ulu Temburong National Park

The Ulu Temburong National Park, one of the natural highlights of Brunei, is comparable to Borneo's many other parks, including those in Malaysia. It is located in the remote part of the Batu Apoi Forest Reserve and can be accessed only by long boat. The main feature of the Ulu Temburong National Park is the canopy walkway, suspended from the treetops, 50 metres above the forest floor. From the canopy walkway there are tremendous views of the virgin forest and you can see wildlife including birds, butterflies and monkeys. Most people visit on tours which can be arranged in Bandar Seri Begawan or the administrative centre of the Temburong District, Bangar.

Other sights and activities

• Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque in Kampong Kiaron.
• Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
• Arkib Negara, or the Brunei National Archives, contains the country's public records and archives. Popular with researchers.^[1]
• Muzium Teknologi Melayu, or The Malay Technology Museum, provides insights into Brunei's traditional and technological innovations.^[1]
• Galeri Seni, or Art Gallery, serves to educate visitors about art heritage.^[1]
• Muzium Brunei, or Brunei Museum, displays a variety of historical items, including several gilded Holy Qurans and other Islamic artifacts.^[1]
• 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.^[1]
• Bubungan Dua Belas, one of the oldest surviving buildings in Brunei; also offers a beautiful view of Kampong Ayer.^[1]
• 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.^[1]
• Taman Warisan Tasek Merimbun, or Tasek Merimbun Heritage Park, where visitors can enjoy trekking around Brunei's largest lake. There is also an exhibition hall displaying the flora and fauna of the area.^[1]

Events and Festivals

Weather

Brunei has a tropical climate with hot and humid conditions year round. It doesn't have specific wet or dry seasons, although rain falls the heaviest between September and November. January to March is the driest and sunniest time of the year, a good time for a visit. The country has a mean average temperature of around 28 °C and high humidity. Day temperatures are around 31, while nights are a sticky 25 degrees Celsius.

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 Departure Tax of B$12 is payable for most departing passengers. This is payable at the airport check-in desk, in cash.

By Car

The Pan-Borneo Highway, a joint project with Malaysia connects Brunei to the Malaysian part of the island, both Sabah and Sarawak. You can travel quite easily across the borders with a rental car or your own car, but have the right documentation and insurance and driver's licence and you will be fine.

By Bus

The main overland route to the west is between Kuala Belait in Brunei and Miri in Sarawak, which is a straightforward journey by bus or taxi. It is also possible to travel between Bandar Seri Begawan and Limbang and Lawas in Sarawak and onward to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, but it is a long and tougher journey compared to taking the boat.

By Boat

Daily ferry connections operate out of the Serasa Ferry Terminal in the port town of Muara, connecting Brunei to the Malaysian island of Labuan. The journey takes about an hour and a half. Water taxis run regularly to the Temburong district as well as the Malaysian towns of Limbang, Lawas, Sundar and Labuan.

Getting Around

By Plane

There are no domestic flights in Brunei.

By Car

The best developed road network is in the Brunei-Muara district, including a coastal highway which runs from Muara to Jerudong and then on to Tutong. You can rent cars at the international airport or Bandar, either driving yourself or hiring a car with a driver that can double as a guide. Traffic drives on the right and you need an international driving permit. You will get a temporary Brunei driver's license when showing your national driver's license as well.

By Bus

There are bus services Seria, Tutong and Muara from Bandar Seri Begawan and to Kuala Belait from Seria.

By Boat

Water taxis are the most common way of getting to the water village of Kampong Ayer, with stations at Jalan Kianggeh and Jalan McArthur. Regular water taxi and boat services also ply the waters between Bandar Seri Begawan and Bangar (in Temburong).

Red Tape

Visits under 30 days are exempt from visa requirements for Germans, Malaysians, Singaporeans and British nationals with right of abode in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Americans can enter Brunei for 3 months without needing a visa.

Citizens of the following countries have their visas waived for stays up to 14 days; Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Republic of Maldives, The Netherlands, Norway, Oman, The Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and The Principality of Liechtenstein.

Australians are issued 14-day visas on arrival.

All other visitors entering Brunei must have visas obtained overseas. The visas are normally issued for 2 week stays, but can be renewed in Brunei. Visitors must have an onward ticket and sufficient funds to support themselves while they are in Brunei.

Money

See also: Money Matters

Brunei's currency is the Brunei ringgit. It is sometimes referred to as Brunei dollar and normally abbreviated with a dollar symbol and the letter B (B$). It is pegged to the Singapore Dollar at a 1:1 ratio, which is particularly convenient because Singapore is Brunei's largest trading partner. One ringgit is divided into 100 sen (cents). Coins exists in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 sen. Banknotes are in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 10 000 ringgit.

Work

Study

Language

See also: Malay Phrasebook, Chinese Phrasebook

Malay is the country's official language. Other languages commonly spoken are English and Chinese (Mandarin & other dialects).

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Public alcohol consumption is banned in Brunei and the sale of alcohol is prohibited. Non-Muslims over 17 years old can however import up to two bottles of wine or spirits and twelve cans of beer. These must be declared at customs. It is advisable to keep the customs slip in case of inspection and you should of course be careful to only consume the alcohol in private.^[2]

Health

See also: Travel Health

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés are very easy to find throughout Brunei.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Brunei has a modern telecommunications infrastructure. To dial overseas from Brunei, dial 00 and then the country code of the country you are trying to reach.

Area codes to the major towns in Brunei are listed below.

• 2 - Bandar Seri Begawan
• 3 - Kuala Belait and Seria
• 4 - Tutong
• 5 - Temburong

Post