Brunei - Bandar Seri Begawan

August 26, 2014

Sultan Omar Ali Saiffudien Mosque

This is my lengthy narrative of my 12 hour tour of Brunei Darussalam's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan

15:00 Touch down Serasa Ferry Terminal. After the usual screening by Immigration Department we then formally entered Brunei! Then comes the hard part of looking for the bus that will take us to BSB (Brunei’s capital). At the arrival area we met Rhea and Asumi, 2 backpackers that were also looking for the bus and we decided to join our forces to make it easier for all of us.

Waiting area of Serasa Terminal, Rhea is the girl reading a print out

Serasa Terminal

15:15 The mini bus was actually waiting at the highway just outside the terminal. There were only 2 ferry rides arriving from Labuan every day (1100H and 1500H), after 15 minutes the bus left for Muara, the fare was 1 BND.

15:30 Short stop over at Muara, we waited for the bus that will take us to BSB (Bus No. 27, 28 & 29). And I was just sitting at a corner chilling with a fruit soda from a convenience store while waiting under the heat of the sun.

A masjid we passed by along the highway

Things I observed while on the mini bus:

-          Masjid in Brunei were majestic

-          There were subdivisions along the highway were houses have 3-4 cars

-          Roads were wide and smooth

-          Very few residents along the road even though we were near the capital

16:30 Arrival at Bandar Seri Begawan (herein after will be known as BSB) Bus Terminal. From the terminal, our group walked to Pusat Belia Youth Hostel, commissioned by the government for all youth related activities. The facility is complete with recreational areas such as swimming pool, a gymnasium, lounge with drinking fountains and wifi. The hostel is divided into 2 dormitories, for male and female since Brunei strictly follows the teachings in Islam. Cost for a night in Pusat Belia is 10 BND, the room is good for 4 people and it has aircon and clean sheets. There’s a common bath and toilet for each dorm.

Pusat Belia Youth Hostel

Gymnasium at Pusat Belia

4 bedroom dormitory

NOTE: ALWAYS bring a universal travel adaptor because countries just want to mess up with our gadgets.

16:45 Our group just dropped our luggage and then took a walking tour around the city. It was somewhat deserted and there were very few people we met even in the plaza, I don’t know if it’s abnormal or Manila is just so cluttered. Good thing about Brunei is their people respect the rules, anyone can walk a pedestrian lane without fear of being hit by fast moving cars. The moment we step in the lane cars were slowing down and come to full stop when they were near us. Hope this practice can be implemented in the Philippines, I still believe my nation can change. Oh and if you’re planning to go around Brunei I suggest you take the buses going around the country (the country since it’s small you can get to the other side by land and back in a day) because there are only a handful of taxis in Brunei and they’re very expensive (25 BND per ride).

One of the main intersections in BSB

16:50 First stop was the plaza and Royal Ceremonial Hall where just yesterday Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah celebrated his 68^th birthday (and I cursed Air Asia for moving my flight a day after), and by the looks of the roads and establishments the people of Brunei love their leader. A German couple we met told us the Sultan allowed anyone to have a picture of him at the plaza and food is free. Got depressed all the way down to my toes after hearing this miracle of which I was tragic enough to arrive a day too late.

The plaza where the Sultan allowed anyone to take a photo with him

16:55 The Regalia Museum was just around the block but it was closed already when we arrived. The next time I visit I’ll definitely arrive during operating hours.

The Regalia Museum

The National Library

17:00 We went on to visit the landmark of the city center, Sultan Omar Ali Saiffudien Mosque. The mosque was built by the 30^th Sultan of Brunei and completed on 1958, it is situated along the banks of Brunei River. After touring around the mosque I prayed inside and was amazed by the intricate decors of the ceiling. Sorry, picture taking is prohibited inside but I highly recommend you visit the place to experience its magnificence firsthand.

Sultan Omar Ali SAiffudien Mosque

Sultan Omar Ali SAiffudien Mosque

Sultan Omar Ali SAiffudien Mosque

17:45 We passed by Yayasan Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (a large mall) before going to the dockyard to board a water taxi that will tour us around Kampung Ayer, it’s a water village in BSB. The Malays are known to live along the coastlines and rivers, this village is a testament to their heritage. Kampung Ayer is complete with their own school, museum, mosque, police station, fire station, etc. We even had a glimpse of Istana Nurul Iman, the royal residence of Sultan Bolkiah. The royal residence is off limits to tourists, you can just take a photo at the gate and that's your war trophy. The water taxi can be rented to go around the village for 20.00 BND (This is tourist price because the fare for the taxi is just 1 BND from the dock to any point in the village according to the driver). There were dark clouds looming just beyond the village and our tour was cut short, but our driver was kind enough to speed up the boat to get to all the good spots of the village (jacking up the speed made the boat merrier). He even passed by his home, I could have stayed there for the night.

Yayasan Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah

A water taxi with  Kampung Ayer as backdrop

The ladies enjoying their ride

One of the many jetties around the village

Istana Nurul Iman

Amazing silhouette of a mosque at dusk

Yayasan Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah

Storm clouds creeping in

18:20 After getting back to the dock we entered the mall to look for Malay food to try out, funny I saw the happy red Jollibee in the mall. The prices of Jollibee branch at BSB were expensive compared to branches in the Philippines, I think because of the freight for the goods. Prices of meals at the mall’s food court range from 3.00 BND to 6.00 BND, prices for the seafood meals are much more expensive. Asumi-san and I exchanged coins while waiting for our meal, and we shared our experiences during our trip to KK and BSB. I learned from her that coins with square holes in the center are lucky charms for the Japanese. We went to the night market 2 blocks from the plaza to try local street foods, prices range from 1.00 BND to 3.00 BND and they have generous servings. Meals in Brunei were rich in milk and herbs, though it lacks the distinctive spiciness one can taste in Indian food.

Yayasan Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah

Chicken in milk and lemon iced tea for dinner 

Jolliebee - Brunei Branch

19:00 After making rounds at the night market our group went back to the hostel to rest, my girls were tired from the trip and they opted to wash up and go to sleep. As for me I won’t settle on not visiting the other famous mosque in BSB, Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah. The mosque was built to commemorate the 25^th year Sultanate of Hassanal Bolkiah. This is where my adventure started, final trips of buses in the city stops at 19:00 and I’ll not shell out 25.00 BND for a taxi even if I see one (and I never saw a taxi during my stay at BSB). For this expedition I took a screenshot of the city map beforehand at North Borneo Cabin, and did some “Son Goku” stretching before walking out to explore the outskirts of the city.

19:30 First stop in the map is the Taman Jubli Perak, sad thing Engle borrowed my adaptor and my camera ran out of battery so I was only equipped with my camera phone for this voyage. In BSB this hour in the night it’s like midnight already, few people in the park and no vendors. BSB was just like what a local told me, nothing to do at night. This feature is good for people like me who doesn’t want bars, clubs, and party noise at night. I also noticed no one smokes in the city and people really have discipline here, no litters and vandals around. Oh I need to mention that during my night crawling tour no one approached me to get my valuables, I think thieves here get their hands chopped off when caught. Another thing I noticed was the pavements along the sides of the road, the grass  were slowly creeping into them because almost all the residents of the city have cars and don't use the shoulders (Pretty amazing).

Taman Jubli Perak

Grass conquering the pavement

20:00  I finally had a glimpse of the monumental mosque. Anyone will not miss Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah at night because of its golden lights and nothing comparable is near the colossal landmark. When I arrived at the entrance of the mosque the gate was actually open, I mean literally the iron gate was open. The mosque was off limits at night and I don’t want to “live dangerously” in this part of Borneo so I just entered a few meters before I went back outside. Good thing there were no guards patrolling the perimeter, after taking some photos (which didn't gave any justice for the amazing landmark) I went on to return to the city center through another high way where hopefully I’ll end back right to the start. I got lost somewhere in a residential area because I deviated from the highway (cause there were no more shoulder on the road!). There was a convenience store strategically located in the area and quenched my thirst with a milk tea.

First glimpse of Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah

The main entrance of Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah

Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah

A typical convenience store in Brunei

21:00 Spotted Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital or the National Hospital of Brunei, had a mini heart attack moments before because the road was getting darker and I was entering woodlands. From the hospital I went back to the highway and walk at the side even though I know pedestrians are prohibited to do so (Hope I haven't violated any laws of Brunei by walking along the high way).

Passed by the hospital

Walking along the highway

21:30 Passed by The Law Building and Mahkamah Besar (Supreme Court) before getting a spectacular view of Sultan Omar Ali Saiffudien Mosque from accross the river. Finally I’m back to the center! Took a short detour to visit St. Andrews C, glad to know different religions live harmoniously this side of the world. I also pass through Tamu Selera, it’s an open food court that specializes on seafood (there were aquariums with lots of sea creatures swimming around).

 The Law Building

 Mahkamah Besar

St. Andrew's Church

Back at the intersection near Regalia Museum

22:00 Back to Pusat Belia to call it a night…

05:00 Woke up early to catch the 0700H bus going to Muara. The 1st ferry will be leaving at 0900H, and if we miss that the next one will be on 1300H and by that time we will miss the ferry going back to KK.

At the bus stop

07:30 Took some shots of buildings that I don't know and I lost track of our position because I dozed off during the trip.

Some random building along the road

Muara Stop Over

08:00 Touchdown Serasa Ferry Terminal, I was approached by a German couple who didn't have enough BND for the ferry. I lent them 10.00 BND and they gave me 30.00 RM in return. Had some ForEx gain on that transaction. Haha

Total Expenses Summary: (1.00 USD = 1.30 BND) 

• Mini Bus (Serasa to Muara)               USD       0.77
• Fruit Soda                                         0.50
• Mini Bus (Muara to BSB)                            0.77
• Pusat Belia                                        7.70
• Water Taxi (Kampung Ayer Tour)                     3.85
• Rice w/ Chicken in Coco Milk                       2.70
• Teh - C                                            1.15
• Milk Tea                                           1.15
• Mini Bus (BSB to Muara)                            0.77
• Mini Bus (Muara to Serasa)                         0.77 
• Ferry (Serasa to Labuan)                          13.07

                    TOTAL                    USD      33.20

*Rates Used:

1.00 USD =   1.30 BND
1.00 BND = 35.00 PHP
1.00 USD = 44.00 PHP

Thanks for reading!!! Feel free to leave some comments.