Travel in Brunei: mosques, a water village and a rainforest by bridge

How visitors reach Brunei

Brunei has one land neighbour, and most visitors cross from it. Wikipedia's article on tourism in Brunei records that in 2014, 95% of foreign tourists arrived by land, 4% by air and 1% by sea. The same article notes that the strength of the Brunei dollar makes package tours dear for travellers from the rest of ASEAN, and that tourists from outside ASEAN are more drawn to Brunei than those from within it.

Brunei Tourism lists four land crossings. Sungai Tujoh, in Belait, faces the Sarawak city of Miri; Kuala Lurah, in Brunei-Muara, faces the Sarawak town of Limbang; and Labu and Ujong Jalan, in Temburong, serve traffic from the Malaysian state of Sabah. The British Foreign Office's travel advice warns that the border posts are not open around the clock and that travellers should check their entry and exit stamps before leaving a post.

By sea, ferries run from the terminal at Muara to the Malaysian island of Labuan, and boats from the capital also serve Limbang and Lawas in Sarawak. By air, Brunei International Airport, about 11 kilometres from the city centre, is the base of Royal Brunei Airlines, which Brunei Tourism describes as flying to 22 destinations across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia. AirAsia, Singapore Airlines and Cebu Pacific also fly in, from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, Singapore and Manila.

What entry requires

Visa rules depend on nationality. Brunei Tourism states that citizens of certain countries may enter without a visa for up to 90, 30 or 14 days, and that others must apply in advance through a Bruneian mission abroad. The British Foreign Office records that holders of a full British passport may stay as visitors for up to 90 days without a visa, that the passport must be valid for at least six months after arrival, and that penalties for overstaying include detention and caning. It also tells travellers to make sure the passport is stamped on entry.

Every foreign national arriving or leaving through any immigration post must complete the electronic arrival card, which replaced the paper form known as Form 19; Brunei Tourism and the Foreign Office both advise doing so before travel. A health declaration is also required. Brunei does not recognise dual nationality for its own citizens, and the Foreign Office warns dual British and Bruneian nationals that entering on a Bruneian passport means being treated as a Bruneian.

Customs rules are strict on alcohol and on anything prohibited. Wikipedia's tourism article records that non-Muslims over 17 may bring in two bottles of spirits or wine and 12 cans of beer, with 48 hours between imports, and the Foreign Office adds that the alcohol must be declared on arrival and drunk in private.

What the capital offers on foot and by water

Bandar Seri Begawan is small, and most of what visitors come for lies along the Brunei River. The Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, completed in 1958, stands by a lagoon with a replica royal barge, and Brunei Tourism describes its golden dome, Italian marble columns and stained glass. The Jame' 'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, built in 1994, has 29 golden domes. Non-Muslim visitors in suitable dress may enter mosques outside prayer times; Wikipedia's tourism article advises women to cover the head as well as shoulders and knees.

Beside the city centre, over the river itself, is Kampong Ayer, the water village, its houses on stilts linked by wooden walkways and stretching about 8 kilometres along the river. Antonio Pigafetta, who visited with Magellan's survivors in 1521, is credited with calling it the Venice of the East, and Wikipedia's article on the capital gives it about 30,000 residents. Water taxis, the penambang, cross to it from landing points along the riverbank; fares are agreed with the boatman. A Cultural and Tourism Gallery in the village explains its history, and Teratak Setiawan, a lodge in Kampong Bolkiah, serves ambuyat to visitors who book.

Istana Nurul Iman, the palace that is the sultan's official residence, appears on the tourism article's list of attractions. The capital's museums follow the state's own priorities. The Royal Regalia Museum shows the sultanate's regalia and the golden chariot of the silver jubilee of 1992. The Balai Khazanah Islam holds Qur'an manuscripts and relics in nine galleries. The Brunei History Centre shows antique cannon and daggers beside finds from shipwrecks, and the Malay Technology Museum near Kampong Ayer reconstructs the houses and tools of the Murut, Dusun, Kedayan and Penan.

Food is easiest to find at the markets. Wikipedia's article on the capital names the Gadong night market for local dishes such as roti john, ambuyat and satay, and for fruit such as durian and jackfruit, and the Kianggeh market for local food and seafood. What the cuisine is built on is described in Brunei: culture.

How to reach Temburong and the rainforest

Temburong, the eastern piece of the country, was until 2020 reached by speedboat from the capital or by road through Malaysian territory at Limbang. The road and bridge across Brunei Bay that opened on 17 March 2020 now link it to the Muara district directly, and the boats still run. The geography behind the split is in Brunei: geography.

Ulu Temburong National Park is the reason most visitors make the trip. Brunei Tourism describes 50,000 hectares of lowland and mountain rainforest across much of the south of the district, with gibbons foraging along the river at daybreak. The British Foreign Office's advice is practical: police advise against hiking alone in the forest, even at well-known recreation areas, because it is easy to get lost, and visitors should use recognised guides and stay on the trails.

The western districts have their own forest and lakes. Tasek Merimbun in Tutong, a blackwater lake in a heritage park of 2,500 hectares, has walking trails, boardwalks and displays on Dusun heritage. In Belait, the Iban longhouses at Mendaram Besar and Teraja receive visitors, by advance booking at Teraja; residents show woven crafts, perform the ngajat dance and lead walks to waterfalls. Wikipedia's tourism article also lists the Oil and Gas Discovery Centre at Seria, and Jerudong Park, an amusement park.

What the tourism authorities want visitors to see

Tourism comes under the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, which Wikipedia's tourism article describes as planning to widen the offer into adventure tourism, ecotourism and Islamic tourism. The article notes that most of the major attractions are mosques and names Ulu Temburong as the main site for ecotourism, and the official site groups its recommendations under mosques, historical sites, museums, beaches, rainforest and waterfalls.

The districts outside the capital have been promoted one at a time. The Tutong Destination Programme, a pilot begun in 2013 by the district government with travel agents and voluntary groups, has brought more than 2,000 visitors to a district with more than 30 potential sites, by the tourism article's count. Birdwatching is named in the tourism masterplan, and the department sponsored a three-day birdwatching workshop in 2015.

The sea is a smaller draw. Brunei Tourism lists beaches including Muara, Meragang, Serasa and Tanjong Batu. Offshore, Wikipedia's article on the culture records about 4,500 hectares of undeveloped coral reef, with sunken oil rigs and shipwrecks below, and describes a growing number of local and foreign divers.

The record of arrivals has one long gap. All land and sea borders closed in March 2020, with exceptions for essential travel, and reopened on 1 August 2022, according to the tourism article.

What rules visitors must follow

Islam is the state religion, and the law applies its rules to visitors in public. The British Foreign Office records that during Ramadan it is against the law to be seen eating or drinking in public during fasting hours, or to smoke in public, that shops, offices and restaurants close from midday to 2 pm every Friday for prayers, and that visitors should dress modestly, with no shorts in government buildings such as health centres.

The sale of alcohol and tobacco is illegal. Public criticism of the sultan and the royal family can lead to legal action. Adultery and private closeness between an unmarried man and woman are illegal where one of them is Muslim, and public displays of affection may cause offence. Same-sex sexual activity is criminalised, with penalties that on paper include death by stoning; the Foreign Office reports a moratorium on the death penalty and limited evidence of these laws being enforced in recent years. Drug offences can carry the death penalty, and some crimes are punished by caning.

Smoking is banned in many public places, including shopping and eating areas, bus stops and car parks. Firearms and ammunition may not be brought in, nor fireworks or replicas of weapons.

When the weather suits a visit

There is no dry season in the strict sense. Britannica gives daily temperatures of about 23 to 32 °C all year and annual rainfall of about 2,900 millimetres on the coast. Rain is heavier from October to January and lighter from March to August, so the months from March to August are the drier choice.

The northeast monsoon blows from December to March and the southwest monsoon from May to September, with April, October and November as transitional months. Wikipedia's geography article notes that Brunei lies outside the typhoon belt and is mostly free of earthquakes, and lists seasonal haze from forest fires in Indonesia as the main environmental hazard.

Wildlife is part of the risk near water. The Foreign Office reports that saltwater crocodiles have attacked and killed people fishing on riverbanks around the capital, and that there are venomous snakes in the country; it advises keeping away from the water's edge and keeping hands inside river boats.

How to get around without a car

Brunei is built for the car. Wikipedia's country article puts high car ownership down to the lack of a comprehensive public transport system, low import duty and cheap petrol, and Brunei Tourism notes that the main highway joins three of the four districts. Traffic drives on the left, and the Foreign Office states that a British licence is valid for 90 days.

Without a car the options are limited. Grab and Uber do not operate; Brunei Tourism recommends Dart, a local ride-hailing app, alongside metered taxis, which wait at the airport and at hotels. Public buses run on six routes around the capital and on to Tutong, Seria and Kuala Belait, all starting from the main terminal in the city, and they stop in the evening. Cross-border buses go to Miri, Kota Kinabalu and Pontianak.

Cars registered outside Brunei may buy fuel only at 14 designated filling stations, and only the premium grade, the Foreign Office notes. Driving standards differ from Britain's: vehicles do not always stop at red lights, seat belts are often ignored and monitor lizards, snakes and monkeys may be on the road.