• MUARA PORT

Brunei Darussalam

Brunei Darussalam (the Abode of Peace) is a small, prosperous, safe, stable and peaceful oil rich kingdom located on the northern shores of the Island of Borneo, which it shares with Malaysia and Indonesia. With plenty of greenery and pollution-free air quality, a healthy environment free of tropical diseases, no traffic jams and one of the lowest crime rates in the world, Brunei is a welcoming and rejuvenating experience.

Covered in luxuriant and pristine tropical rainforests rich in exotic flora and fauna, Brunei is a paradise for nature lovers and ecotourism. Because of its small size and excellent road and tourist infrastructures, its well preserved rainforests can be easily and safely discovered in day long trips, making the experience of ecotourism a much more enriching.

This little slice of paradise is packed with a variety of easy to reach attractions, most of which can be visited on half day or day long excursions, such as the capital of Bandar Seri Begawan.

Bandar Seri Begawan, often simply referred to as Bandar or BSB, boasts of the world’s largest water village, Kampong Ayer, where some 30,000 people still live in wooden houses on stilts. Overlooking this remarkable sight is the Majestic Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque and the Sultan’s palace, or Istana as it is known locally, is the largest palace in the world with 1,788 rooms.

Not far from Bandar are a number of interesting natural and cultural attractions which can be easily visited on day trips, such as the hauntingly beautiful Merimbun Lake. It is a remote jungle surrounded by a distinctive black water lake, or the Ulu Temburong National Park, which is a well preserved rainforest with a challenging canopy walkway.

The odd looking proboscis monkey, prevalent in Borneo, can be spotted easily minutes away by boat from downtown Bandar, and Pulau Selirong, one of the best preserved mangrove islands.

But Brunei is not just about rainforests. There are a number of activities to keep visitors busy, such as water sports, wreck and reef diving, world class golfing, horse riding and surprisingly good shopping opportunities.

The jewel in the crown of Brunei’s man made attractions is the Empire Hotel and Country Club, an opulent and exquisite “7 Stars” property, complete with private beach, golf course, children’s playground, theatre, cineplex, bowling alley, food and beverage outlets, shopping gallery and an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus designed championship course.

With so much to see in such a compact country, one should not miss exploring this aptly named Kingdom of Unexpected Treasures, located in the heart of the green mythical island of Borneo.