Brunei Darussalam

General Information

Brunei Darussalam is just 443 km north of the equator and located in Borneo Island, the third largest island in the world which is bordered by the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak to the east and west respectively and Kalimantan (Indonesia) to the south. It has a total area of approximately 5765 sq km. The weather is hot and wet season with equatorial climate which its temperature averaging between 28°C to 32°C through out the year.

Brunei is comprised of four districts namely Brunei Muara, Temburong, Tutong and Belait. The capital city of Brunei is Bandar Seri Begawan. About 80% of Brunei discovered unspoiled rainforest.

Population
About two–thirds of the population is Malay and the rest are Chinese or members of indigenous tribes. Bahasa Melayu is the official language although English is widely spoken and understood.

Attractions in Brunei Darussalam

Brunei by Night Tour- DAY 1

In this tour, we will drive you through the city of Bandar Seri Begawan. We will have photo stop at Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, have a view of the Istana Nurul Iman Palace (The largest Residential Palace in the World) from the main entrance. Then we will proceed to have a view of the largest mosque in Brunei, Jame Ars’ Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque and our last stop over will be at the Night Market at Gadong.

Istana Nurul Iman

The Istana Nurul Iman palace is the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. The palace is located on a leafy, riverside sprawl of hills on the banks of the Brunei River directly south of Brunei’s capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. It is largest residential palace in the world and the world’s largest residence of any type. It was designed by the National Artists of the Philippines for Architecture, Leandro V. Locsin and built by the Filipino firm, Ayala International.

Istana Nurul Iman contains 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and a floor area of 2,152,782 square feet (200,000 m²). Amenities include 5 swimming pools, and an air conditioned stable for the Sultan’s 200 polo ponies, a 110 car garage, a banquet hall that can be expanded to accommodate up to 4,000 guests, and a mosque accommodating 1,500 people.

Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque is located in Kampong Kiarong which lies close to the capital of Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan. Built to celebrate and mark the 25th anniversary of the reign of the sultan of the country, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah the 29^th Sultan of Brunei.

The shining gold domes of the mosque overlook a landscape of attractive gardens and fountains. Along with them are the ornamented towers that can be seen from the main road. The interiors of the mosque combine the profoundness of art and the religious significance of Islam.

Night Market at Gadong

For a taste of authentic Malay delicacies, the night market hawker food stalls, a daily or weekly event found at several sites in and around Bandar Seri Begawan, offers a gastronomic treat for the taste buds.

The `Tamu Pasar Besar Gadong' located next to the fish market in the capital opens around 3pm or 4pm every day and it is a cooked food and fresh vegetables market.

The 'Pasar Malam' or night stalls has an assorted Malay cakes and biscuits and variety of hawker foods, such as pulut panggang, kueh cincin, penyaram, kueh Malaya, nasi lemak, cakoi, roti john, kebabs and also dishes such as pais, which can be found in the fish or beef variety, grilled and barbecued in banana leaves. Satay of all sorts can be also found at the markets.

DAY 2

Kampong Ayer

Early European visitors to Brunei described Kampong Ayer, or water village, as the Venice of the East. Today, visitors continue to be fascinated by these traditional and historic houses built on stilts over the water, spanning the greater part of the Brunei River.

Kampong Ayer is home to about 30 000 people and is accessible by boat or by wooden bridges from Bandar Seri Begawan. The houses in Kampong Ayer are joined be a maze of interconnecting timber walkways, and visitors are free to roam at their leisure. The government has provided every modern facility for the residents, including schools, clinics, police station and mosques. A visit to Brunei would not be completing without a trip to the unique and intriguing place.

The Royal Regalia Building

The Royal Regalia Building is located in the heart of Bandar Seri Begawan. It was built to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of the Sultan’s accession to the throne in 1992. The museum is home to a collection of royal regalia, including the royal chariot, gold and silver ceremonial armoury, the jewel encrusted crowns used during the coronation and a replica of the throne, which is used by the Sultan on state occasions.

There is also an exhibition which fully documents the history of the constitution of Brunei.The building is open to the public every day of the week (on Friday the opening hours are shorter than the rest of the week). Shoes should be removed prior to entering the building.