Brunei Travel Guide, Brunei Darussalam

The Sultanate of Brunei is small country with population of 300,000 souls only. Situated at the northern coast of Borneo, this country is famous for its rich deposits of oil and gas. Due to this factor, the country stands as a major economic power in the world. As a matter of fact, the buildings over here boast of wealth with mosques domes being covered by the 22-carat gold leaves.

 The country became independent in 1984 after a long rule of the British Company. The current sultan His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah was crowned in 1968. He comes from a family that has a history expanding 600 years of leadership.   

Arriving in Brunei 

The Royal Brunei Airlines is the national airline of Brunei. The main airports are Bandar Seri Begawan which is located 11 km south of the city. There are several taxi services available from there to the city. You can even get there by sea route and the main entry points are Muara Port and Kuala Belait Port. The state is accessible via road from Sarawak.

 Getting around 

You can get around the city by road. The traffic is on the left and the city boasts of one of the best developed network of roads. There are bus services, which extensively cover the entire city. You can also rent a car which is either self-driven or chauffeur driven. Various taxis are available within the city to get to your choicest location.

 Major attractions 

The Sultan and the present leader of state lives in a palace called Istana Nurul Iman. It is a beautiful and glittering palace.

Yet another popular site is that of the ‘singing admiral’ - the Tomb of Sultan Bolkiah who was the fifth ruler of Brunei.

If you want to enjoy nature then you must visit the Temburong district. This place has a vast area under forest that has been untouched by the modern civilization.

 There are numerous traditional longhouses in the Temburong district. However, there are more longhouses in the Belait district.  

 Things to do 

In case you want to dig the history and crafts of the country then you must visit the Brunei Museum and the Malay Technology Museum.  

 The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is yet another piece of fantastic architecture. Its dome is covered with gold and its surrounding is scenic. When you reach the top of the mosque, you can view the Bandar Seri Gegawan also.   

The Jerudong Theme Park is an amusement park which has free entrance and is located on the outskirts of the capital city.

The Pulau Selirong is a mangrove island about 45 minutes from Muara. It has a variety of wildlife including kingfishers and proboscis monkeys. Other places to visit are Tasek Merimbun and Ulu Temburong National Park.