Bandar Seri Begawan


About 60,000 people lived in the capital city of Brunei. Bandar Seri Begawan is the only town of any size. The city is neat, clean, and modern with wide roads and extravagant public buildings. Tourists will feel awed with the Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, one of the most impressive and modern mosques in the East. This giant golden-domed mosque was originally built in 1958 near to the Brunei River in its own artificial lagoon. It was built with pure luxury in mind - the interior is covered with Italian marble walls, plush carpeting and an elevator


At the Brunei River is Kampung Ayer, a centuries-old collection of 28 water villages built on stilts. 30,000 people inhabit the place and a visit to this place would be a real highlight to any tourists. Kampung Ayer is a strange mix of modern and ancient. Do not miss out on this place!

The capital city also sports some excellent museums. There is the traditional Brunei Museum and the lavish Malay Technology Museum. Here, you will get to see exhibits on water village architecture and the various technologies used by the people who lived in them. Should you wish to visit the Sultan's magnificent palace, you must plan your visit towards the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The Istana Nurul Iman is open to the public then.

If you are looking for a happening nightlife, this is not the place for you. The streets are almost deserted at 9 pm. Overall, the people are friendly and easy to get along with.

In Brunei,they offers a wide variety of attractive places to be visited and experienced. The rainforest and National Parks are rich in flora and fauna. Its most magnificent mosques, water village (traditional and historic houses on stilts), rich culture and Jerudong Theme Park are among the uniqueness of Brunei Darussalam.

The government is now actively promoting tourism as an important part of its economic diversification. It would like to see a target of 1 million-visitor arrival by the year 2000. From January to August 1999, the statistic recorded 405,532 visitors visited Brunei Darussalam.