Brunei is a seldom discussed Asian tourist destination. For this reason it intrigued us during our December-January trip in the area. Its an easy stop over served by most of Asia's budget airlines and we think its definitely worth checking out if you've got 3-4 days to spare.
Arriving at the airport its not hard to tell that this is a developed and well off nation. The small sultanate struck oil decades ago and it has been a great source of wealth for the kingdom. Yes, we said, kingdom. Brunei is one of the worlds only remaining kingdoms with a Sultan that controls the countries wealth. That however, is a story for Walkthrough World History. Here we will cover what is available for the humble tourist:
Accommodation & Transportation:
Brunei has a range of accommodation that is more expensive than most of Southeast Asia. We didn't see any properties from the major hotel chains like Marriott or Hilton, but there was a Radisson and plenty of local options. We went with Capital Residence Suites. For about $80/night we had a nice clean modern room with free buffet breakfast. However, the best part about this place was that it offers a free shuttle service to most of Brunei's attractions. This is essential for the region as there isn't much for public transportation, it is very very hot, and using Grab can add up quick. They also provided an airport shuttle, which is useful as the airport is about 30 minutes from the city.
For those looking for some luxury in their life check out the five star Empire Hotel & Country Club.
Currency:
Arriving at the airport there were plenty of ATMs to take out Bruneian Ringgit. The currency is about the equivalent of the Canadian dollar, but can buy you quite a bit from a food perspective. One interesting fact that we learned is decades ago Brunei signed an agreement with Singapore to have par value currency exchange. This means that the currencies can be changed at a 1:1 ratio in both countries, even the airport currency kiosks have to honour this without taking a cut (we've just confirmed this upon landing in Singapore).
Attractions:
The area offers both beautiful cultural and landscape aspects much of which is available free of charge. Here is what we enjoyed in the city:
Omar Ali Saifuddien & Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosques
There are a few mosques in the city but these two stand out as architectural marvels. They were constructed with stunning attention to detail and are worth seeing at both day and night to fully appreciate their charm. We've always found that being around them during prayer time is most interesting, and best of all its free to visit.
Kampong Ayer
A floating village in the middle of the river off the downtown boardwalk. $1-$2 will get you a boat over there, where you can walk amongst the large stilt community. Interestingly there are fully modern houses built upon it, and facilities that include schools, hospitals, mosques, etc. This one was a very unique experience.
Brunei River Mangroves
The same boats that take you over to Kampong Ayer also offer cash tours out to the mangroves. This gives you a different view of the city and a fun time for much cheaper than the official tours. They know where the monkeys are and can show you the outside of the Sultan's palace that faces the river. We talked our guy from $35 down to $20 though I'm sure you could get it for cheaper. No complaints, we thought it was pretty good value.
Brunei History Centre
A free exhibit that takes you through Brunei's history from its early beginnings straight through to modern times. A great starting point to learning more about the country.
Royal Regalia Museum
A free exhibit on the royal family including all of the ceremonial attire and gifts from the international community.
Muara Beach
The coastline has some nice beaches with very warm water. There are a few others but we selected this one as it was along our shuttle bus route. Borneo has some breathtaking sunsets and we grabbed the opportunity here to enjoy it. Though, the northern coastline by Jerudong would be best for this.
Gadong Night Market
A bustling night market filled primarily with locals and offering plenty of local delicacies.
Some other areas to note include the downtown shopping mall, waterfront area, Jerudong Park, and Ulu Temburong National Park which is set amongst a preserved jungle.
One thing to note, is that Friday afternoon is reserved for prayer time and most of the city shuts down between 12-2pm (including the Capital Residence shuttle). You can observe the mosques from behind the gated areas but visitors are not permitted on the grounds during prayer and other ceremonies.
Food
For the most part the food is similar with their Malay neighbors and have some middle eastern influence. This includes dishes like Rendang, Nasi Lemak, lamb skewers, and one interesting dish called Ambuyat. Ambuyat is a sticky ball of flavourless sago starch wrapped in a bamboo fork and dipped in sour fruit sauce. To be frank, its weird, but worth a try if you're interested in something with a very unique texture.
We enjoyed the Rice N Grill Pakistani restaurant and Mei Kong.
There are also plenty of coffee shops spread throughout the city all with their own unique vibe. Two of our favourite stops were Kofe Bar and Piccolo Café.
Laws (Including Alcohol, LGBT + Clothing)
It is a Muslim country, and does follow a form of Sharia though the laws aren't strictly imposed on visitors. No alcohol is sold in the country, but visitors are permitted to bring in two litres of wine and spirits and 12 cans of beer. Women don't need to be covered from head to toe, but should err on the side of modesty. Out of respect we tried to dress conservatively. Lorelaine wore pants and always had a scarf with her in her backpack. I wore knee length shorts and t-shirts. The mosques have robes for foreigners to wear on their limited viewings, but short shorts around town aren't going to be appreciated.
At the time of our visit we viewed the country as not overly conservative. People did not seem to be overly concerned with a religious police like they are in other countries. It seemed as though they had Sharia law on the books, but weren't actively enforcing it. They do have some strict laws surrounding abortion, sodomy, freedom of speech, and enforce it with medieval punishments like stoning and lashing. Though according to the UN the death penalty has not been used since 1957. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be changing anytime soon. As at the time of this writing the Sultan has enacted laws to punish gay sex with whipping and stoning to death. It has sparked a global outrage, and whether instances of this will be enforced remains to be seen.
It is a moral dilemma on whether one should travel to a country with such strict barbaric laws imposed by its leadership. We don't believe that being a tourist equates to condoning these actions, and think that it is important for our reconciliation of the east and west to start to understand each other a little more. Travel certainly facilitates that. Though at the same we don't want our spending going to a man that believe and enact such regressive values. Its miniscule to a Sultan living in a 1,778 room palace with thousands of cars, and private jets, but that's beside the point. We're also not sure what opinions are held by the local shop keepers and guides that benefit from visitors, or what boycotting will do to them. Undoubtedly, they would suffer more than the king from his castle.
Overall, we leave this debate for each individual to decide. We enjoyed our time here, and would recommend a stay of about three full days with one extra if you are doing a day trip into the national park (though to us this seemed overpriced).