Unique Places in Brunei

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During a boat ride along the Sungai River, the “pilot” declared that interesting structure tucked away between two hills above it all a museum. Naturally, one is intrigued to see a museum especially after paying a visit to the one in the Kampong Ayer in search of more authenticity and self-assertiveness Bruneian style. Braving the oppressive humidity and some construction on the only road up the hill I ended up in the bosom of this place but to my surprise the museum had nothing to do with the building I was lusting after – it was a shack of sorts in the base of what moments later became the Foreign Affairs of Brunei. On closer inspection and armed with my Canadian naiveté I approached the building and asked about the museum and there would have been nothing strange about my question if there were no barbed wire fences and military personnel only to look at. The unfriendly check point usher in military fatigues mumbled something about the museum that was in the direction I had come from and made it clear that he was not in the mood to entertain any other questions. But the question that still lingers is: why somebody’s central trading body would be so well fenced off from the very world it is supposed to engage with wholeheartedly?

Proboscis monkeys are confined to the island of Borneo; Indonesia , Malaysia. and Brunei. They prefer coastal regions to inland areas.

Proboscis monkeys inhabit mangrove forest along rivers and estuaries, swamp-land, and lowland rainforest

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Iban tourist trap
The Iban were formerly head hunters, and they are still hunters. Here is a photograph of a lace trap on the side of a small forest trail (the second picture is an enlargment).; so unattentive tourist can be trapped there; certainly somebody will come but; . . . for delivering? Hahaha.

The Nepenthes plant, commonly known as the tropical pitcher plant also captures its prey by means of the pitfall method. Nepenthes are strikingly different in appearance than the other passive varieties of Carnivorous Plants. Pitchers are located growing from the ends of some leaves by what could appear to be an umbilical cord, called a tendril. Nepenthes pitchers also contain water and digestive enzymes . The prey is attracted to the pitcher in much the same manner, by color and odor. Downward pointing hairs inside the pitcher also make it very difficult for the visitor to escape. Some species of Nepenthes can grow pitchers large enough to capture small animals such as frogs, etc.
They are protected by law. If you want to see, just slow down on the Tutong-brunei highway or for closer look, you just go Berakas Forest Reserve.

Spending maybe 3-4 days may be plentiful in Brunei. If you're not interested in exploring the jungle, caves, and etc..then you might get a bit bored. There are trips you can take from Brunei to Sarawak, Malaysia. A nice place to visit is Kuching...south of Brunei. Will add more soon. Thanks for being so patient. :)

The tranquil site of the Temburong's Peradayan Rainforest is gorgeous. The sounds of the waterfalls, the birds...it's just a nice getaway from the city.

It is about 15 kilometers from Bangar on the road to Labu. A visit to the park can include a 1.6 km forest trail that winds up and down a mountain side to the peak. The full trek requires about 2 hours.

Do not miss some of the dishes sold by some of the hawkers around the city. In Kuala Belait, there once was this area built for hawkers (not sure if it's still there anymore) where you can get the yummiest dishes.

If your stomach can handle the spices, give 'Nasi Lemak' a whirl (see left pic). Or try 'Rojak' which is a concoction with squid, cucumber, pineapple, turnip, beansprouts, and mixed with balachan sauce. It's an acquired paste but it's quite good.

< River Cruise >
A one and a half hour cruise on the Brunei river at sunset affords the traveller a glimpse of Brunei Darussalam's culture and history.

The river trips starts at the Bandar Marine Department at 6:30 in the evening when the Tanjung Bakarang lifts anchor to sail into the sunset.

The most striking landmark is the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, an edifice of classical Islamic architecture, with a golden dome.

A colourful sights when it lit up at night on festival days is an elegant concrete boat that resembles a 16th century royal barge built in the middle of a lagoon and linked to the mosque.

On the outside of the lagoon is the water village, the famous Kampong Ayer, home to the 30,000 people in huddled wooden houses raised on stilts.

The centuries-old settlement includes schools and medical clinics and houses with modern amenities. Raised walkways meander between the packed houses where underneath zoom wooden boats with powerful engines.