Look beneath the surface of this well-ordered and tightly regulated sultanate and you will note the hidden warmth of Brunei’s people and the wildness of its natural environment.
It’s quiet Darussalam (Arabic for “abode of peace”) has the biggest oil fields in Southeast Asia, and because of the cash they generate, Brunei has not turned its rainforests into oil palm plantations. Old-growth forests abound, especially within the green Ulu Temburong National Park.
Residents of the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan BSB), are crazy about food and shopping (alcohol consumption is prohibited). Here, magnificent mosques contrast with the delightfully chaotic water village, and the nearby mangrove forest is home to proboscis monkeys and crocodiles.
This peaceful (sometimes sleepy) nation is the conclusion of a selected vision: a strict, socially controlled religious state where happiness is present in pious worship and mass consumption. Visit and evaluate the outcomes yourself.
1. Kampong Ayer
Home to roughly 30,000 people, Kampong Ayer consists of 42 contiguous stilt villages built along the banks of the Sungai Brunei River (Brunei River). 100 years ago, half of Brunei’s population lived here, and even today, many Bruneians still prefer the life-style of water villages to living on dry land. The village has its own schools, mosques, police stations and fire brigade. To get to the opposite side of the river, simply stand where the water taxi can dock and flag it down (the fee is B$1).
If you have a look at the foremost roads on the banks opposite the village, you will note luxury cars lined up on the side of the road; lots of these cars belong to the inhabitants of water villages. That said, Kampong Ayer can also be home to a large population of illegal immigrants who constitute the Brunei underclass.
2. Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
Completed in 1958, Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien – named after the twenty eighth Sultan of Brunei (the present sultan’s late father) – is surrounded by a man-made lagoon that serves as a reflecting pool. This being Brunei, the inside is kind of lavish. The floor and partitions are fabricated from the perfect Italian marble, the chandeliers were made in England, and the luxurious carpets were flown in from Saudi Arabia. The foremost dome is roofed with a 3.5-million-year-old glass mosaic covered with real gold leaf.
3. Brunei Museum
The Brunei National Museum, with its Islamic art gallery, exhibits depicting Brunei’s role in Southeast Asian history because the arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese within the sixteenth century, and a natural history gallery, is an honest place to spend an hour. It is situated 4.5 km east of the BSB center, along the coastal road, in Kota Batu; to get here, take bus 39. At the time of research, the museum was closed for ongoing renovations.
4. Jame’Asra Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
Built in 1992 to rejoice the twenty fifth yr of the present Sultan’s reign, Brunei’s largest mosque and its 4 terrazzo minarets dominate the environment. You cannot miss it as you drive towards Gadong, about 3 km from town center. Bus no 1 arrives here.
It’s actually a formidable constructing; since the sultan is the twenty ninth ruler of his dynasty, the complex is decorated with 29 golden domes. At night, the mosque lights up like a golden flame.
5. Museum of Royal Regalia
When you’re called to provide a present to the Sultan of Brunei, you inevitably face the query: what to provide to a person who has all the pieces? In this fun museum, you will see how heads of state solved this mystery (hint: you’ll be able to never go flawed with gold and gems). Family photos and explanatory texts give a superb overview of the lifetime of the Sultan, who’s himself depicted in countless forms (including a hologram) in a series of portraits.
6. Pulau Selirong Recreation Park
On the northern tip of Temburong District lies this 25 square kilometer mangrove island, accessible only by boat (45 minutes from BSB). Interpid Tours runs half-day guided tours for around B$80-100 per person, depending on group size. Two kilometers of elevated walkways lead through the mangroves, an untamed habitat for proboscis monkeys and flying lemurs – if you happen to’re lucky, you may see one swooping down from the trees. Pulau Selirong can also be often called Mosquito Island; take repellent with you.
7. Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum
A gleaming constructing, paying homage to a ship in each style and proportions, houses this interesting museum that opened in 2015 in Kota Batu, 4.5 km east of town center (take bus no. 39). The exhibition includes a number of the greater than 13,000 artifacts recovered from the shipwreck discovered by divers in 1997. The ship is believed to have sailed from China within the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century before being hit by a storm because it approached Brunei.
In the well-presented shipwreck gallery you’ll be able to see ceramics and glass from China, Vietnam and Thailand, which might have been delivered to Brunei in exchange for local products, including spices, rattan, sago and camphor.
8. House of Twelve Roofs
The former residence of British colonial high commissioners, believed to be the oldest surviving constructing within the sultanate, is now a museum dedicated to the long “special relationship” between Brunei and Britain. Evocative photographs show Brunei because it was a century ago. It is 1.5km southeast of town centre, on a hill overlooking the river. When we stopped by in mid-2015, the museum was closed for extensive construction work (the constructing was near collapse).
9. Forestry Museum
The Forest Museum is situated at Simpang Exit 50. It is a small, easy place with very detailed information for visitors in regards to the local forest. Exhibits detail the history of logging and conservation in the world, with labeled examples of over 50 kinds of wood found here, in addition to taxidermy specimens of the wildlife that inhabits it. Unfortunately, this might be the closest you will get to seeing a clouded leopard in Borneo.
Source : Lonely planet
