Bandar Seri Begawan
At first glance on a map, Brunei is no more than a dot, a tear-shaped drop of
land falling between the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.
For most visitors, the capital Bandar Seri Begawan serves as no more than a
pitstop, a place to refuel, or a staging point from which to explore the
thickly-clad interior jungles of Borneo, or the pristine coral reefs that form a
cocoon around the northern beaches.
But to pass through in such a fleeting, transitory moment is to do the city –
and the 600-year-old sultanate – a serious injustice.
Like the bright crimson rambutan fruit that’s piled high at every market stall
in summer, the city has a skin that needs to be pulled back to be best savoured.
A whistle-stop tour would see you miss the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, a
stunning tribute to the nation’s deep-rooted Islamic faith – built on an
artificial lake, the gold-domed landmark dominates daily life. Rush through and
you’d also miss its ceremonial halls, royal palace and the “floating” water
village, or Kampong Ayer, a cluster of more than 40 connected hamlets built on
an 8km-long stretch of the Brunei river.
Home to more than 39,000 locals, and with houses, schools, shops, mosques, a
hospital – even a police station on stilts – it has to be seen to be believed.
It definitely pays to stay longer here than you think.
Things to do in Bandar Seri Begawan
■ Taxi boat tours to Kampong Ayer
■ Join locals at their national pastime - shopping
■ Visit Royal Regalia Museum
■ Visit Billionth Barrel Monument
■ Gadong Night Market
Stay in Bandar Seri Begawan
■ Empire Hotel and Country Club
■ Star Lodge
■ Radisson Hotel
■ The Brunei Hotel
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