Brunei Darussalam Travel Guide

Brunei Darussalam Travel: General Information

Brunei (officially known as the State of Brunei Darussalam) may be a tiny nation but the Southeast Asian country that boasts of huge underground riches also promises more-than-just-enough on the tourism-front with its above-the-ground treasures. There is Brunei’s lush rainforest cover, picturesque water villages, architectural treasures and the nation’s long royal heritage to attract world-wide tourists. Brunei also brings to you unique gourmand experiences and entertainment opportunities. In Brunei, you will have access to the best of amenities. In addition, Brunei is one of the safest and healthiest places on Earth – crime-free, pollution-free; the people are peace-loving and very sociable. In short, a short-holiday in Brunei is not just a good idea, it is rather a desirable one.

Brunei Darussalam Travel: Key Facts

Capital City: Bandar Seri Begawan

Area: 5765 sq km

Population: 400,000

Monetary Unit: Brunei Dollar (BND)

Official Language: Malay

International Dialing Code: 673

Brunei Darussalam Travel: Popular Tourist Destinations

• Bandar Seri Begawan: Bandar Seri Begawan or BSB (as the capital city is locally-known) is a pleasant town with sundry attractions like the largest palace in the world, Istana Nurul Iman, splendid mosques like the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and Jame’Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque and a host of museums and galleries. BSB also has its green-zones like Taman Peranginan Tasek. Kampung Ayer, the world’s largest stilt-habitation, is just around and you must make it a point to visit this Brunei heritage site. Known as the Venice of the East, the self-contained water-villages of Kampung Ayer are not only historically rich, they also give you a feel of the changing times. The malls and gourmet restaurants are other attractions of BSB travel.

• Kuala Beliat: Kuala Beliat, the second-largest city of Brunei, is not just famous for its beach but also for its other attractions like the Silver Jubilee Park, the Kuala Belait Boat Club, etc.

• Seria: Seria, Brunei’s oil-capital, is not just famous for its oil and gas fields, it also boasts of some of the best golf-courses and other recreational facilities like fishing-spots and windsurfing venues, etc. Seria is also a birding-heaven – you will get to see different migratory birds in the Sungei Seria estuary and the Panaga area has Hornbill habitats.

• Muara: Muara is famous for its white-sand beach.

There are also Brunei’s many National Parks and Forest Reserves like Peradayan Forest Reserve, Batang Duri, Batu Apoi Forest Reserve and the very famous Ulu Temburong National Park.

Brunei Darussalam Travel: Economy and Infrastructure

Brunei Darussalam is one of the wealthiest nations of the world and is categorized among the ‘developed’ nations of the world that promises high standards of living to its people by way of providing medical services and subsidizing food and housing. (The Sultan of Brunei is one of the richest people in the world). This has largely been the outcome of Brunei’s crude oil and natural gas reserves. Attempts are on to lessen Brunei’s reliance on oil and gas, but the petroleum sector continues to account for more than half of GDP.

Brunei has sound infrastructure with a national airline, strong network of roadways, ports and harbors that support both trade and tourism. Bus, boat, private-cars and taxis are available for getting around in Brunei. Railway-services are also available.

Brunei Darussalam Travel: Culture

Brunei has a large population of Malays (about 67%), but you will also come across people of Chinese lineage and native tribal groups; Brunei also has a sizeable population of expatriates (who came here from different foreign soils in search of a livelihood). The official religion of Brunei is Islam (though the Chinese population is allowed to follow Buddhism and the others their own faiths). Consumption and sale of alcohol is prohibited in Brunei as per Sharia rules and hence there are no bars and nightclubs here. (Of course, this ruling does not apply on people of foreign-origin and Non-Muslims).