“What is there to do in Brunei?” people usually ask when it comes up in conversation that I’ve visited the country. Well, there isn’t a great deal to do in Brunei to be frank! Still, that doesn’t mean the country has nothing to offer and I actually had a really enjoyable five nights there. I think part of this was because I had spent the previous three months in popular, touristy, parts of SE Asia, so to spend a few days in a country so unique felt refreshing. Oh, and I also got to meet the Sultan of Brunei…
BRUNEI IN BRIEF
By far the least visited of the ten countries that make up ASEAN (South East Asia’s version of the EU), Brunei is estimated to have received just 213k visitors in 2019, compared to 3.4m in second bottom Laos and almost 40m in first placed Thailand. Evidently, not many people think it’s worth visiting!
Brunei is a tiny country situated on the island of Borneo, along with parts of Malaysia and Indonesia, and has a population of less than 500,000. Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital and you can see everything this city has to offer in a day.
Due to Brunei’s large oil and gas reserves, the country is extremely rich however much of this wealth belongs to the Sultan of Brunei, who is both the monarch and Prime Minister of the country. I didn’t see any signs of poverty in the country and, among things, the government provides free education and (almost) free healthcare to citizens. Having said that, there is clearly a very wide income gap between the average citizen and a wealthy individual.
ACCOMMODATION
Given the lack of visitors, there aren’t many hostels in Brunei. I stayed at AE Backpackers Hostel and it was pretty good. It wasn’t anything special but I have fond memories of it. Hostel facilities were fine, breakfast was basic (toast) and the staff were very kind. There was one night where they provided food for all of the guests for free because it was the end of Ramadan. The hostel’s common area was small with just one table for people to gather around but, as there is barely anything to do in Brunei at night, me and most of the guests would hang around here in the evenings and we had a good time.
The one slight drawback with the hostel was the location outside the city centre but it only took about 20 minutes to walk there. Also, once you arrive in the centre, the place is so small that you don’t have to walk around much to see everything. If you’re feeling lazy, there is a bus stop just outside AE Backpackers where you can catch a bus (every 30 minutes I think – I didn’t wait around to find out) into the city.
If you’re looking for something more upmarket, there are a number of hotels around the capital. At the very top end of the scale, The Empire Brunei is a luxury hotel with vast private grounds which you might want to stay in if you’re looking to splash out.
MY ITINERARY AND THINGS TO DO IN BRUNEI
Day 1 – Arrival
Simply a travel day, I flew from Kuala Lumpur to Brunei International Airport and arrived late afternoon. Getting from the airport to my hostel was straightforward – I took a bus to Bandar Seri Begawan Bus Station in the city centre, then another bus to a stop a couple of minutes away from my hostel. Later on, I went out for a dinner at a nearby restaurant with a Polish guy, Chris, who had also just arrived at the hostel.
Day 2 – Exploring Bandar Seri Begawan
Prior to visiting, I read that you only needed a day to see everything the capital had to offer and this turned out to be accurate. In fact, you don’t even need a full day – I had a late start, leaving the hostel around 11am, took my time around the sights in the city centre, and was back by 4pm. Later, I went out that evening to see a couple of other attractions outside the centre.
The walk to the city centre was bizarre. For the entire twenty minutes I didn’t see a single pedestrian, despite the fact that I was walking into the centre of their capital city. Everyone drives in Brunei (fuel is heavily subsidised by the government) and, while the roads were fairly busy, I didn’t see a single person until I got into the Royal Regalia Museum, which was my first stop of the day.
There isn’t much to do in Bandar Seri Begawan, but there are some points of interest. I’ve listed the places below in an order that minimises travel time. I suggest doing 1-4, which are all in the city centre, over the morning/afternoon then, in the evening, doing 5-6, which are near(ish) each other and a number of accommodation options, including AE Backpackers where I stayed.
Morning/Afternoon
1. The Royal Regalia Museum
Free to enter, this is one the strangest museums I have visited. It is home to a large number of gifts that the Sultan has received from heads of state around the world – some are extravagant, some are odd and some are… just a bit crap really.
The museum also covers some Bruneian history and the life of the Sultan so you can learn a little about the country’s history while here.
Note that you need to leave your shoes and belongings (including phone/camera) in one of the lockers near reception.
2. Brunei History Centre
Just a couple of minutes away from the Royal Regalia Museum, this was actually closed when I walked past the first time (it closes between 11.45am-2pm) and also later that day around 3pm when I tried again, despite the sign saying it would be open 2-4pm. Based on what I’ve read online, I don’t think I missed much here but, considering the lack of things to do in Bandar Sari Begawan, you may as well make the most of the city and pay a visit.
3. See the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
There’s a myth that the streets of Brunei are paved in gold. While untrue, the dome of this mosque is paved in gold at least! By far the most iconic landmark in Brunei, the building’s exterior was certainly impressive. As a non-Muslim visiting during Ramadan, it wasn’t possible for me to go inside the building but it was nice to walk around the sight. Normally, tourists are allowed into an area of the mosque at set times. Make sure to dress appropriately and check entrance times.
While in Brunei, I suggest coming back here one night as well to see the mosque lit up. It’s a beautiful sight and it’s not like there is much else to do at night in Brunei!
4. Visit Kampong Ayer and take a boat ride
Probably the second most famous attraction in the city, Kampong Ayer is a floating village that is said to be the largest in the world. While it has the appearance of a ramshackle wooden village on stilts, many locals like to live there and the houses have modern amenities – power cables are everywhere here and are ugly but necessary.
To get here, head to the city’s downtown waterfront (a short walk from Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque) where you can catch a water taxi, which gets you to Kampong Ayer in a few minutes.
There isn’t a lot to do in the village beyond having a wander around and, aside from a visitor centre, there didn’t seem to be anything aimed at tourists. Still, it was a nice change to be able to walk around an attraction in SE Asia and not get harassed by people trying to make money off me.
After walking around for a bit, I went back to the water taxis and a guy asked if I was interested in having a ride around the village by boat then heading down a river to try and catch a sight of one of the country’s elusive proboscis monkeys. After agreeing on a price, we set off – going around the village by boat was nice and it gave a different perspective, even if the ride was a bit bumpy at times! After a while, he drove down a river in search of wildlife. This area was almost deserted, with just one or two other boats going up and down the river. At various points he stopped near the trees in hope of spotting a proboscis monkey. Eventually, he found a spot off the main river waterway where something was jumping around, out of sight, in the trees. We waited and caught a couple of glimpses of the monkey before it disappeared out of sight, then went back to the city. I wouldn’t say this river excursion was amazing, but it was a nice extra.
Late Afternoon/Evening
Once back in the city, I made my second failed attempt to visit the Brunei History Centre then went back towards the hostel. With me being out all day and the whole country observing Ramadan, I hadn’t been able to eat anything since breakfast and was bloody hungry by this point! I bought some takeaway food in a Thai restaurant near my hostel. The Filipina girls working there were presumably bored out of their mind with no customers (because Ramadan) and nothing to do, so started chatting to me while the food was being prepared. One of them even asked if I would take her colleague to the Sultan’s Palace in a couple of days’ time. After declining (because girlfriend) I went back to AE Backpackers with the food and stayed there for a couple of hours before finishing off my list of things to see that evening.
5. Visit the Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
Only 15 minutes away from AE Backpackers, but in the opposite direction to the city centre, I came here in the evening to see the mosque at night. While I though Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque was better, this was another impressive sight.
Again, I couldn’t enter the mosque since it was during Ramadan but non-Muslim visitors are permitted during the rest of the year. Make sure to dress appropriately and check entrance times.
6. Eat at Gadong Night Market
Probably the worst night market I’ve been to in Asia (I’m really selling this well!), I’d still suggest a visit for some food and to see what a local market is like. In fairness, I think there may have been fewer food stalls open when I visited due to Ramadan. Some other blogs I’ve read describe this as a vibrant place with all sorts of foods on offer, which wasn’t really the case in my experience, but I don’t think their visits were during Ramadan.
Summary of Bandar Seri Bagawan
Overall, I thought the two mosques looked very impressive, the Regalia Museum was strange but amusing for a while and the floating village was interesting. There isn’t anything in the capital to get that excited about, but I had an enjoyable and unique day.
Extra: Take a look at Istana Nurul Iman, the Sultan’s Palace
With the exception of three days a year at the end of Ramadan, the palace is closed to visitors so you can only look from outside the gates. I went here on a separate day, since that was one of those three days that the palace is open (more on that to come). For the other 362 days of the year, you can easily come for a quick look outside after exploring the city centre – it is 5km away so taking a taxi is the most convenient option.
Day 3 – Day trip to Ulu Temburong National Park
Brunei’s only national park, this was an enjoyable day out. I have written a separate post on this with details.
Day 4 – Work
As I work remotely while travelling, I scheduled a day for this so I could keep on top of my professional responsibilities. Aside from trips out to get food and having a workout at a nearby gym, I stayed in the hostel all day on my laptop. It goes without saying but, if you don’t work remotely, you can of course spend a day less in the country without missing out on anything covered in this itinerary.
Day 5 – Meeting the Sultan of Brunei at his Palace
The main reason I decided to visit Brunei, this has been one of my most unique travel experiences to date. Check out my separate post on this experience for more details.
Day 6 – Departure
I took a flight back to Kuala Lumpur the next morning to continue my travels around Malaysia. In hindsight I could have booked a flight for the night before, but I wasn’t sure how much time was needed at the Sultan’s Palace and I wasn’t missing out on that! Using a local transport app call Dart (basically a crap version of Uber/Grab), I shared a taxi with three other people from the hostel to get to the airport.
WORKING REMOTELY IN BRUNEI
As you can imagine, there isn’t much of a digital nomad scene in Brunei. In fact, to my knowledge there is no scene whatsoever although there are a few coworking spaces in Bandar Seri Begawan, which I suspect are used predominantly by locals.
AE Backpackers Hostel was absolutely fine for the day I spent working while in Brunei. The common area is small, with just one table but there are power sockets nearby and the Wi-Fi was solid.
SAFETY AND LAWS IN BRUNEI
With extremely low crime rates, Brunei may be the safest country to visit in South East Asia. Having said that, this is probably in part due to the severe punishments that can be handed out for breaking the strict Sharia law that’s in place.
Some of the laws in Brunei and its restrictions on freedom of speech are very different to what many of us are used to. If you choose to visit, it’s best to keep negative opinions about their laws to yourself while there to avoid any issues.
Some of the notable laws you should be aware of include:
Drugs & Alcohol – Brunei is a dry country. You cannot legally buy alcohol anywhere in the country. Non-Muslim visitors are allowed to bring in up to two litres of alcohol (wine or spirits), plus up to twelve 330ml cans of beer, lager or cider but you must drink them in your accommodation or in private residences and you cannot be drunk in public.
Possession of drugs usually means a death sentence – just don’t.
There is an underground bar/party scene in Brunei but you’ll need to have or make the right local connections to join in.
Eating during Ramadan – During the month of Ramadan, it is illegal for anyone, including non-Muslim visitors, to eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours. While it’s easy and perfectly acceptable for non-Muslims to get food during the day, make sure you don’t start eating until you’re back at your accommodation. Strangely, many restaurants stay open during the day at this time of year just to offer takeaways. Walking past restaurant after restaurant full of empty tables and bored looking staff was a bit surreal.
Adultery – Avoid it, nobody wants to get stoned to death.
The ‘close proximity’ law – This is an unusual one, it is against the law for a man and woman who aren’t blood relatives or married to be alone together. This means that a whole host of completely trivial things, like a man and woman being alone in a car together, or sitting in a park together, are illegal. It’s unlikely that a foreign couple visiting will get in trouble for this but it’s worth being aware of. For solo visitors, hitting up the locals could get you in hot water.
More importantly, this law means that an unmarried couple cannot legally share a hotel room. In practice, I understand foreign tourists can sometimes get away with it but it may depend on the hotel – I visited alone and stayed in a (mixed) hostel dorm so can’t comment.
LGBTQ Visitors – Homosexuality is illegal in Brunei and they even introduced a death penalty for sex between men in 2019. Following international outrage, they backtracked on this but it’s still something to be very wary of if you are LGBTQ and choose to visit. I’ve met a few gay men that have visited Brunei so it should be fine, but don’t advertise the fact while there.
Criticising the Sultan – The locals I spoke to only had positive things to say about him. I don’t know whether all of these opinions were honest or not (most of them seemed sincere) but it’s against the law to criticise the Sultan so you won’t hear anything negative, unless it’s from your fellow travellers.
Christmas is Illegal – Ok, not really important unless you’re visiting at that time of year, but it made me laugh. If you happen to pick Brunei for a Christmas holiday (why would you?) then you can celebrate, but only in private and with prior approval from the authorities. Putting Christmas decorations up in public is also illegal.
THE VISA SITUATION
At the time of writing, citizens of 56 countries can visit Brunei for the purposes of tourism or business without obtaining a visa for stays up to 14, 30 or 90 days. Citizens of a further 7 countries (including Australia and Taiwan) need to get a visa on arrival. Always check the requirements before going. The punishment for overstaying your visa in Brunei can also be severe, although I’m not sure anyone would want to stay long enough!
SO, SHOULD YOU VISIT BRUNEI?
Before answering, there’s a couple more things I want to say:
1. Only consider a short trip. Had I spent a day longer in Brunei, I don’t know what else I could have done (aside from more work). For every other country that I’ve visited, I can think of reasons to go back – I can’t think of any for Brunei.
2. As a backpacker, Brunei felt like a refreshing change but I wouldn’t recommend it as a standalone holiday. If you’re living in Asia and are short on ideas, then maybe come here for a short break but there are many better destinations around the continent. I certainly wouldn’t buy a return ticket to Brunei from the other side of the world!
Finally, to answer the question in the title, I do think Brunei is worth visiting but only if you are already living or backpacking in Asia and want to go somewhere unusual. I really enjoyed my short stay here – part of this enjoyment came from how unusual it felt and it stands out as a truly unique, memorable experience from my travels around Asia.
[…] and Chris wondered if our questions were becoming sensitive (the law in Brunei is very strict – see my post on visiting Brunei) and we weren’t sure if anything we were asking would be considered taboo here. By western […]