BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

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Green Jewel!

Brunei is located in Southeast Asia, on the island of Borneo with a South China Sea coastline and surrounded by the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, making Brunei the ideal staging post to visiting this side of Borneo.

Brunei is mostly flat with mountains to the east. The government is a constitutional sultanate; with the head of state being the sultan. Brunei is noted for ecotourism and cultural, heritage and Islamic tourism.

Islam is the state religion and visitors need to observe the correct etiquette, with ladies dressing modestly. During the month of Ramadan, visitors are not permitted to drink or eat during the day in public areas. Although the sale of alcohol is prohibited, non-Muslim adults may bring in a duty free allowance for private consumption.

Brunei’s food culture is extremely interesting, offering a unique blend of Malaysian, Singapore and Indonesian cuisines.

Tranquil Brunei offers activities like bird watching and scuba diving, as well as spectacular virgin rainforests, some of Asia’s most beautiful mosques and a scarcity of tourists – as sadly this tiny Sultanate rarely registers on a travellers’ radar.

What To See and Do

• Explore TasekMerrimbun ‘Black Water’ lake and wildlife sanctuary.
• Walk the sprawling Kambong Ayer water village trail.
• Experience the 500 square kilometre Ulu Temburong National Park – ‘Green Jewel of Brunei’.
• Discover the coastal town if Muara in Brunei’s northeast, for fun at the beach.
• Make time for capital Bandar Seri Begawan’s Heritage Walking Trail and River Heritage Trail.
• Complete your stay with a visit to vibrant Gadong Night Market and try the street food.

When To Go

Brunei has a tropical rainforest climate with an average annual temperature of 27.1 degrees Celsius. Almost every month there is rain – on average around three thousand millimetres over the year. Brunei does not have really dry periods, but does have two monsoon periods when rainfall can be heavier – the northeast monsoon from December – February and the southwest monsoon from June – November. The wettest month is November, driest month March and hottest month, July.