Brunei is a small, oil-rich country located on the north coast island of Borneo. Even though it’s located in SE Asia, it’s not on the traditional backpacker’s trail and is often overlooked by tourists.
It’s partly due to its remote location making it more difficult and expensive to reach than other SE Asian countries (like Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia). But it also doesn’t do a lot of marketing to attract tourists as its economy doesn’t rely on tourism. Brunei is a Muslim country with one of the strictest Sharia Laws in place outside of the Middle East. This can be off-putting to some tourists.
Honestly, because of all of these factors plus the allure of a new country and unique destination, I was super drawn to explore Brunei. Brunei is a safe and welcoming country with a lot to offer from its stunning mosques and lush rainforests. If you’re looking for a unique destination to explore, keep reading this guide to visiting Brunei’s capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan.
Things to Know Before You Go
Climate: Brunei has an equatorial climate influenced by the monsoon systems known as northeast monsoon and southwest monsoon. The northeast monsoon season occurs from December to March and the southwest monsoon season occurs from June to September. The two seasons are separated by two transitional periods known as inter-monsoon periods. The first occurs in April and May, while the second period occurs in October and November. The country generally experiences wet conditions throughout the year with temperatures ranging from 82°F – 89°F (28°C – 32°C).
Best time to go: April, May, and October are the best months to visit. It’s the dry season and there are no public holidays.
Language: Malay is the official country language but most people also speak English.
Money: The Brunei Dollar (BND) is accepted as well as the Singapore Dollar (SGD) at a 1:1 exchange. A lot of businesses only accept cash. I’d exchange money prior to arriving at the airport in Brunei or find an ATM upon arrival. There are so many shopping malls in Brunei, so you won’t have a problem finding an ATM here.
A quick conversion for you to remember:
$1 USD = $1.33 BND
$5 USD = $6.67 BND
$10 USD = $13.34 BND
$20 USD = $26.68 BND
(round up or down for easy conversion while on the go)
Travel Insurance
SafetyWing is truly an insurance company for Nomads, by Nomads. It’s designed to meet the medical and travel needs faced by Digital Nomads and other remote workers while they are outside of their home country. Coverage is mainly intended for long-term travelers which makes it ideal for Digital Nomads!
In terms of payment, SafetyWing uses a subscription-based payment system on a monthly basis instead of all up front and the rates can be as low as $42/month. Therefore, it’s truly a budget-friendly option!
Get a quick quote for your travel dates 👇
One of my favorite features is that SafetyWing may even offer you some medical coverage in your home country which is extremely rare in travel insurance and makes SafetyWing stand out from the rest.
Pros of SafetyWing Travel Insurance
- The monthly subscription model
- Can cover medical expenses when overseas
- Up to 2 children under 10 per family (1 per adult) can be included on your insurance free of charge
- Limited medical coverage in your home country
Cons of SafetyWing Travel Insurance
- Not as many travel insurance perks as other companies
- No coverage for personal electronics
Read this post The Best Travel Insurance for Every Type of Traveler for an in-depth review of the top 3 travel insurances.
How to Get to Brunei
✈️ Airport: The Brunei International Airport is the only airport to fly directly into. There are cheap and direct flights from Kota Kinabalu, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Bangkok.
Getting Around
Brunei is safe to walk around day and night, especially if you’re staying in the city center of Bandar Seri Begawan. However, if you’re visiting something a bit further out of town or it’s scorching hot, here are some other options:
🚙 Dart: Dart is similar to Grab or Uber. It’s a great way to get around as there are no taxis in Brunei.
🚗 Car Rental: Rent a car upon arriving at the Brunei International Airport, so that you can easily get around.
🏨 Hotel Shuttle Bus: the Capital Residence Suites offers a FREE hotel shuttle. It goes to the main tourist attractions as well as airport pickup and drop-off.
Where to Stay
The Capital Residence Suites are located in central Bandar Seri Begawan. It’s in a little hidden private area but is still a convenient walk to many of the main attractions. Including the Royal Regalia Museum, the Brunei History Centre, Teng Yun Temple, and the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque.
There is a FREE air-conditioned comfortable shuttle bus that offers pickup and dropoff from the airport. They also have a set route to most of the tourist destinations. If you want to go a little further to the famous Empire Hotel & Country Club you can pay extra.
Wake up each morning to a FREE breakfast with Asian fusion and Western comfort food. The breakfast buffet is offered from 7 am-10 am and offers cereal, an omelet station, variety of fresh fruits, alongside some traditional Asian noodle and veggie options.
At just $50 USD per night, with lots of free additions, this 3-star hotel felt like a steal for a budget-friendly traveler like myself.
Day 1
Teng Yun Temple
Teng Yun Temple is the oldest existing Chinese temple in Brunei. It’s easy to find the Taoist temple with bright red and green colors compared to the commercial area surrounding it. It’s a sanctuary for the Chinese community which make up 10% of the population. The most popular time of the year is during the Lunar New Year celebrations. Visitors can watch the display of lion dances, incense burning, and prayers to deities for blessings in the year ahead.
It’s free to enter but the hours were not super clear. It’s within walking distance of the Capital Residence Suites and close to downtown, so it makes for a quick stop on the way.
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
Considered one of the most beautiful mosques in SE Asia and definitely one of the most popular attractions in Brunei, the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque is named after the 28th Sultan of Brunei, the current Sultan’s father. The architecture is a blend of Malay and Islamic with intricate carvings and chandeliers. It’s said to be inspired by the Taj Mahal. The main golden dome is made of 24-carat gold and costs over 1 million dollars to build. It’s built on a man-made lagoon surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Visitors are not allowed inside the mosque but there are rare occasions where you’re allowed inside the entryway. It’s important to be mindful when taking photos from outside during call-to-prayer times and dress modestly.
I visited Brunei during Hari Raya and arrived at Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque during Friday prayers. As I was walking around outside, taking photos after prayers ended a Muslim woman invited me to walk inside and take photos. I stood in the entryway and took photos and videos and then was invited further in by multiple Muslim families. They wanted to share their religion and culture and for me to experience it. Please note, I was wearing a long dress that covered my shoulders and was invited inside. Otherwise, it would be inappropriate to enter.
Kampong Ayer Water Village Mangroves Tour 90 minutes
Kampong Ayer is a unique self-sufficient settlement of over 3000 houses built on stilts above the Brunei River. The village has been inhabited for over 600 years and is home to around 30,000 people making it the world’s largest water village. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site that can be explored by boat to get a glimpse of traditional life.
There are many tours you can pre-book to visit the Kampong Ayer Water Village, however, I ended up on a spontaneous boat ride that I really enjoyed! After recommending it to another solo traveler, who booked a boat with 30 other tourists, she decided to go on both to compare. The verdict? The intimate boat tour I recommended was the best and better yet, the same price!
Here’s how you can have the same experience:
Walk along the waterfront of Bandar Seri Begawan’s Brunei River near the Mural Wall (across from Piccolo Cafe) and you’ll see tons of boats slowly floating along near the shoreline. Just take one glance in their direction and you’ll surely be offered a tour through the mangroves and water village. The average cost is $20 Brunei dollars ($14.80 USD) per person for a 90-minute boat tour.
My boat driver and self-appointed tour guide, Saidi, was super friendly and knowledgeable. He took us through the mangroves where we spotted the endangered Proboscis monkeys, also known as the big nose monkey. They are only found on the island of Borneo (shared by Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia). While they are the largest monkeys in Borneo, they are also some of the most shy, so it can often be hard to see them – you’ll likely hear their loud calls from several miles away though. We also got insanely close to multiple Estuarine crocodiles which are the largest species in SE Asia. Another notable sight along the boat ride is the Istana Nurul Iman Palace which you can see from the river.
After 45 minutes in the mangroves, we rode through the water village as Saidi pointed out the school, hospitals, markets, firehouse, and even a suspicious area that was burned down and not rebuilt. Years ago, while everyone was out at a festival, they came back to one of the neighborhoods on stilts completely burnt down, cause unknown. It was very interesting to hear about how the Kampong Ayer Water Village is self-sufficient but still part of the community.
Gadong Night Market
The most popular and largest night market in Brunei, Gadong Night Market is open from 4 pm to 10 pm daily. It’s filled with tourists and locals that come together with friends and family for a meal. There’s a variety of local favorites as well as Western dishes like pizza and pasta. Vendors love a good haggle but don’t forget to bring your cash!
Day 2
Ulu Temburong National Park
Ulu Temburong National Park, also known as the Green Jewel of Brunei, is the largest national park in Brunei. Out of the 123,553 acres, only about 250 acres are accessible to visitors while the rest of the rainforest remains untouched and protected. It’s home to a variety of wildlife including over 200 species of birds, gibbons, monkeys, hornbills, the Proboscis monkey, and endangered species including the Sunda clouded leopard and the orangutan.
Due to the fact that such a small portion is accessible to visitors, it’s best to visit with a private or group tour like this Temburong + Canopy Tower Visit. Hotel pick-up starts around 6 am in Bandar Seri Begawan before driving an hour to Freme Rainforest Lodge for breakfast and a safety briefing with your guide (shout-out to mine, Erica!). From here, the adventure starts!
Things to Pack
- Sunblock
- Insect Repellant for the rainforest
- Hat
- Hiking pack with water bladder
- Hiking poles if you have trouble with your knees
- Poncho like this in case of the rain
- Waterproof bag like this one to keep everything dry
- Waterproof phone pouch like this one to snap pics while tubing
- Waterbottle (refill station at the lodge)
A longboat will take you to the Ulu Temburong National Park. I visited at the beginning of April and it’d be days of no rain in Brunei. The river was quite low, so there were many sections that our boat drivers had to get out to push and pull us through the shallow rock sections. The slim boat is also very movement sensitive and can rock back and forth going through shallow water. After 45 minutes into our 20-minute boat ride, the 3 other girls in my boat and I couldn’t control our laughter. It was such a Gilligains Island boat adventure moment and we weren’t sure we were ever going to make it but our boat drivers were so great!
Check out my Instagram Highlights of Brunei here for some videos of our boat adventures!
There are multiple trails through the national park and this one had A LOT of steps (850 to be exact)! But it was so worth it when we arrived at the suspension bridge crossing the Temburong River. The views were stunning and our guide, Erica made sure each of us got a moment for a photo shoot. Once she found out I have a blog and TikTok, she made sure to get some great video clips for me. She gave 110% as a videographer! (Video clips can be seen here!)
But the real highlight of the trek is the Canopy Walk. It consists of multiple towers that are connected by varying heights of bridges. The structure is built on top of a 3,100-foot hill and the structure itself is 160 feet high. You are literally walking at the same height as the tallest rainforest trees with 360° views!
The views are insane but I’ll be honest, as someone who isn’t necessarily fearful of heights it was still a bit of an adrenaline rush. Climbing up the narrow towers was intense. Even though you are completely secure as the towers are enclosed, they sway a little bit as you’re walking up.
I would not advise this activity for someone who is fearful of heights. A few people in our group stayed at the bottom to wait and our guide helped us manage from the bottom because there is a limit of people. Once a group of 5 makes it up the tower and across the first section of the bridge, the next group can start.
Don’t forget to pack sunblock and extra clothes if you choose to go tubing.
After getting our heart rates up, we hiked back down and head to a waterfall. However, due to the lack of rainfall, it was a very small waterfall.
During our safety briefing, we had the choice to either zipline at the lodge when we returned or tube down the river to the lodge. Our entire group chose to tube down, so once we finished up at the waterfalls, our boat drivers met up with us to provide lifejackets and intertubes.
Upon returning to the Freme Rainforest Lodge we were met with a delicious local lunch. It was a feast and much-needed after a day of adventure!
Day 3
Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
As a way to show their devotion to Islam and their people, many of the Sultans of Brunei build a new mosque. The Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque is the largest mosque in Brunei. It is named after the current Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah.
There are 29 golden domes to honor the 29th Sultan of Brunei. The palace is decked out in marble and carpets imported from Italy making this mosque cost $200 million USD. As one of the few mosques open to visitors, I highly recommend visiting. (The Capital Residence Suites shuttle bus offers a free ride here.) It’s open from 9 am to 4 pm daily for visitors except during prayer times which vary throughout the year. It’s important to dress modestly even though you’ll be given a black robe to cover (women do not need to cover their heads) and asked to remove your shoes before entering.
Set aside an hour to explore the beauty inside and around the grounds of the mosque. There is no official tour but the staff is extremely open and friendly to answer any respectful questions you have!
Royal Regalia Museum 1-2 hours
The Royal Regalia Museum is open from 9 am to 4 pm daily and costs $5 Brunei Dollars ($3.72 USD) to enter. I recommend setting aside at least an hour to visit and arrive in the morning when they first open and it’s less crowded. It’s within walking distance from the Capital Residence Suites but on a hot day, you might want to utilize the free airport drop-off and/or pickup. There are no shoes allowed inside but slippers are provided and please remember to dress modestly upon entering.
Inside the museum, you’ll find the ceremonial regalia of the current Sultan of Brunei and his family, as well as exhibits related to the history and culture of Brunei. A few important pieces you’ll find inside are the current Sultan’s ceremonial throne which is made of solid gold and encrusted in jewels and stones, his dagger, and the gilded boat that is used by the Sultan for ceremonial processions.
Istana Nurul Iman Palace
Istana Nurul Iman Palace is the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah. The Sultan is the head of state, the prime minister, and the minister of defense. It is the largest palace in the world by floor area. The 2 million square foot palace contains 1,800 rooms, 257 restrooms, a 5,000-person banquet room, and 1,500 person prayer hall. All this is connected by 18 elevators and 44 marble staircases. The palace has 5 swimming pools, a helipad, a garage with hundreds of the royal family’s luxury vehicles (the Sultan is the world’s biggest car collector with a car collection of over 7,000 cars), and an air-conditioned stable for their horses.
The palace is a stunning example of Islamic architecture and well worth the visit. However, the palace is only open to the public 3 days out of the year for Hari Raya (Aidil Fitri). This annual holiday is the conclusion of Ramadan.
During these 3 days, Istana Nurul Iman Palace is open to everyone, regardless of nationality or religion. About 100,000 people per day flow through the palace to shake hands with the Sultan (men-only), while women meet the Queen. Afterward, you’ll enjoy traditional dishes and desserts in the banquet hall before leaving with a departure gift which is usually a gift box dessert with the Sultan’s picture on it.
Outside of these 3 days, you can visit the palace by peaking through the gates or taking the Kampong Ayer Water Village Mangroves River Tour which provides stunning views of the palace.
Day 4
Head out to The Empire Brunei Hotel & Country Club for a day relaxing on the South China Sea. You can visit this luxury hotel in Brunei and save $200 USD. Grab a day pass to use all their amenities for just $25 Brunei dollars ($18.75 USD)!
The staff keeps you hydrated with ice-cold water & fresh fruit all day and everything on their menu is reasonably priced! You also get access to the pool, golf course, kayaks, paddleboards, cinema, and spa.
Grab a day pass for The Empire Brunei Hotel & Country Club by heading to the Guest Services desk to the right upon entering the front entrance. Check out my experience below 👇🏼
Is Brunei on your travel list now? Check out more of my posts below about traveling around SE Asia!
