Bandar Seri Begawan Travel Guide

 
by colin_bramso
 
  •   Things to Do
    by colin_bramso
  • Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque
      Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque
    by colin_bramso
  • Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddein Mosque & Kampong Ayer
      Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddein Mosque &...
    by DSwede
  • Food Markets of Bandar
      Food Markets of Bandar
    by DSwede
  • Kampong Ayer
      Kampong Ayer
    by bwk_michael
 

Pro

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 Beautiful architecture, friendly people, good food 


Con

Kindberg37 profile photo

 It's a dry country. 


In a nutshell

DSwede profile photo

 Rather compact city center, a highlight being the food which is an excellent mix of middle and far-east. 

 

Explore Bandar Seri Begawan

Things to Do  

MAGNIFICENT STRUCTURE

MAGNIFICENT STRUCTURE, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque is the largest in the country and was built with the Sultan's cash, so nobody knows the cost of the construction. He built it for his silver jubilee and narrates the story of the Royal Dynasty. The golden domed mosque is surrounded by gardens... 

THE SHOE DEPOSIT WALKWAY

THE SHOE DEPOSIT WALKWAY, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  At the Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque you will find the shoe deposit walkway, a covered entrance way towards the mosque where worshipers deposit their shoes. There are shelves each side which allow the storage of thousand's of pairs of shoes to be retrieved by the owners... 

THE SULTAN'S PRIVATE ESCALATOR

THE SULTAN'S PRIVATE ESCALATOR, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  Two staircases are to be found at the entrance of the Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque but in between them you will see an escalator for the Sultan's private use. Why not---he financed the construction. 

THE GARDENS OF JAME'ASR HASSANIL BOLKIAH MOSQUE

THE GARDENS OF JAME'ASR HASSANIL BOLKIAH MOSQUE, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  You can easily spend 30 minutes wandering through the gardens of the mosque as they have been landscaped and tended with loving care. Enjoy the fountains, the man made pool and the trees and flowers that you will find growing in abundance here. 

SULTAN OMAR ALI SAIFUDDIN MOSQUE

SULTAN OMAR ALI SAIFUDDIN MOSQUE, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  Unfortunately it was prayer time when we wanted to visit this mosque so we were unable to enter, but it is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in the Asia Pacific and a top tourist destination. My photographs does not do the place justice as it is built by the river... 

TAMOI MOSQUE

TAMOI MOSQUE, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  This mosque, built in 1999, overlooks Kampong Ayer, the water village and serves as the main place of worship for the surrounding inhabitants. Good views of the mosque can be seen from the river. Prayers are conducted 5 times and also offers Islamic services. 

KAMPONG AYER---activity on the river.

KAMPONG AYER---activity on the river., Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  Wherever you decide to go on Kampong Ayer speedboats will roar passed you in every directions. From the river bank to the village is around 200 metres, a short ride away. Many of the residents park their cars by the side of the river and catch a river taxi home. 

TOURING KAMPUNG AYER

TOURING KAMPUNG AYER, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  We arranged a taxi to take us to visit a house on the water where we were treated to a tasty snack from the owner. Tasty cakes and a cup of tea were provided. In this particular house the owners rolled up their sleeping mats during the day as they accepted guests like us for... 

KAMPONG AYER

KAMPONG AYER, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  Kampong Ayer is the village built on stilts in the Brunei River that houses 39,000 people. There are actually 42 villages all connected by wooden walkways, with electrical lines dangling from many posts. The 29 kms of footbridges link the 4,200 structures, mostly of which... 

THO TENG YUN

THO TENG YUN, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  The Chinese Temple is surrounded by higher buildings but is colourfully painted and has magnificent murals inside as well as three deities. Although it is not high on the list of places to visit it is still worth seeing. 

THE LAPAU BUILDING

THE LAPAU BUILDING, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  This large building with a huge interior golden dome is where the royal ceremonies are traditionally held. The present Sultan was crowned there in August 1968 but unfortunately special permission is required to enter. Adjoining the building is the old Parliament building but... 

Hotels  

Brunei Hotel

 3 Reviews and 124 Opinions  brunei hotel has completed a facelift and has come-up with some innovative ideas and re-positioned... 

Radisson Hotel Brunei Darussalam

 5 Reviews and 188 Opinions  Radisson has taken over management of hotel..... 

Restaurants  

KAIZEN SUSHI or NEXT DOOR: RELAX, ENJOY SUSHI or a COFFEE BY THE RIVER

KAIZEN SUSHI or NEXT DOOR: RELAX, ENJOY SUSHI or a COFFEE BY THE RIVER, Bandar Seri Begawan

 davidjo Says:  I did not try the sushi on offer at the Japanese Restaurant (Kaizen Sushi) or the Coffee Shop Next door but the two identical buildings are ideally located by the river where the water taxis leave for Kampong Ayer. One can sit and watch the many activities on the river while... 

Nightlife  

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque at night: All there is to do at night

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque at night: All there is to do at night, Bandar Seri Begawan

 Willettsworld Says:  Altogether we spent three nights in BSB and, well, we were a little bored as to what to do in the evenings. We ate at the same food court place called Taman Selera, which was very good, and tried to make a night of it by drinking our juices very slowly. We did hit the... 

Transportation  

Serasa ferry to Labuan

Serasa ferry to Labuan, Bandar Seri Begawan

 Sevsa Says:  Earliest ferry to Labuan in Malaysia is scheduled to leave at 8:30am but they seem to wait until 9am. The ticket price is B$15 (B$10 for senoirs/children) plus a B$2 departure tax. You will get there in plenty of time to take the ferry to Kota Kinabalu but you need to... 

Bus from BSB to Serasa Ferry Terminal

Bus from BSB to Serasa Ferry Terminal, Bandar Seri Begawan

 Sevsa Says:  Contrary to information I have read online there was no direct bus from the terminal in BSB to the Serasa Ferry Terminal to catch the ferry to Labuan. Instead take the first bus from the terminal (#37, 38 or 39) at about 6:30am to Maura. From the Maura bus lot take the #33... 

Local Customs  

Bruneian do speaks English

Bruneian do speaks English, Bandar Seri Begawan

 jeffLim Says:  I'm Bruneian so i know about my country, the customs and others. We shake hands not bowing. Brunei is a Muslim and peaceful country ever... For tourists you don't have to worry about having a holiday here.... NO WORRIES.. Bruneian do speak english, it has been a practice... 

Warnings and Dangers  

ALWAYS CARRY ADEQUATE TRAVEL INSURANCE

ALWAYS CARRY ADEQUATE TRAVEL INSURANCE, Bandar Seri Begawan

 DennyP Says:  BRUNEII Whenever travelling through Asia make sure that you are carrying adeqate travel Insurance..Not to be covered by the appropriate type of travel insurance can be a disaster. I know it's hard to think about accidents and hospitals but unfortuneately the simplest of... 

What to Pack  

ALWAYS CARRY A GOOD MOSQUITO REPELLANT
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3.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

DennyP 792 reviews
A GOOD INSECT AND MOSQUITO REPELLANT IS A MUST
4 more images

Luggage and bags: I always carried a small back pack while travelling here in the tropics to carry daily essentials.
ALWAYS CARRY PLENTY OF FRESH BOTTLED WATER:
A RELIABLE MOSQUITO AND INSECT REPELLANT..A MUST EVERYDAY ITEM..

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: BECAUSE OF SUCH EXTREME HEAT ..CARRY OR WEAR:
A GOOD HAT
A PAIR OF SUNGLASSES
GOOD WALKING /HIKING BOOTS

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: A GOOD SUNSCREEN AT LEAST 30 +
A SMALL TUBE MOISTURISER:
A SMALL TUBE OF LIP BALM:
A PACKET OF HANDY WET WIPES: GOOD FOR THE HEAT ALSO WIPING SMALL INJURIES.
AND THE HANDY SMALL PACK OF TISSUES..(JUST IN CASE THE ROLL IS EMPTY)
a COUPLE OF BAND AID STRIPS.

Photo Equipment: I ALWAYS CARRY IN MY PACK:
ALL MY CAMERA GEAR AND LENSES (OUT OF SIGHT)
A DIGITAL CAMERA BATTERY CHARGER:
A SPARE MEMORY CARD:
AN INTERNATIONAL POWER POINT CONVERTER:

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: A SMALL ROLLED UP POCHO FOR HEAVY TROPICAL RAIN:THIS COVERS ME AND MY BACK/PACK

Miscellaneous: ALWAYS CARRY A TORCH..SELF CHARGING IF POSSIBLE: SO MANY PLACES BADLY LIT AT NIGHT.

Updated Dec 26, 2011

Related to:
 Budget Travel
 Backpacking
 Photography

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Off The Beaten Path  

backstreet shops opposite yayasan

backstreet shops opposite yayasan, Bandar Seri Begawan

 SangAji Says:  some of the shops around bandarare located in unlikely placesfrontage facing a dead-end backstreethowever they survive due to pedestrian trafficcatering to the daily needs of kg ayer folks on their way home. 

above-street walkways in bsb

above-street walkways in bsb, Bandar Seri Begawan

 SangAji Says:  some of the buildings in bandar are connected by above-street-level walkwaysgiving occupants and office workers easy and convenient access to the foodcourts in the buildings and access to the multistorey carpark and bus terminal.useful especially during heavy downpours 

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Map of Bandar Seri Begawan