Brunei

The first question I always get asked is… “Where is that?”

Picture taken from here

So here we go! This is Brunei Darussalam, my ‘home’. For a time, I copped out of telling people that I was from Brunei because explaining its location became such a laborious task that I just said I was from Malaysia and people were content with that.

Like many Middle Eastern countries, Brunei doesn’t offer citizenship by birth. Despite being born in Brunei and having spent my whole childhood there, the only official tie I will ever have to this place is that it will forever be my place of birth. I’m not Bruneian, and I probably will never be, even though my parents have made a living for themselves in Brunei for decades and it is the only place I used to be able to call home. Yet despite this, if I were ever to be exiled from a country, it would not be Brunei who would welcome me home, but Malaysia. I am Malaysian by nationality, by passport, by heritage.

So, strange relationship with Brunei aside, let’s talk about this place most people have heard nothing about except its wealthy Sultan and his gold-marble toilet seat. (I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of this toilet.)

Food

So much of it, and so cheap. Our culture is formed much around food. Gatherings involving food and drink are a common occurrence. Plus, who doesn’t need to eat?! Food is painfully cheap in Brunei. Expect to pay maybe $5 for a full meal of mains and a drink inclusive. Ugh, it hurts me (and my wallet) to make this statement.

In terms of cuisine, we tend to be fairly similar to Malaysia’s and Singapore’s  cuisine. Pictured on the left is what would form a typical breakfast for home. I know for a fact my parents eat half-boiled eggs every morning with their cup of coffee! The half-eaten toast is courtesy of me, and it has kaya (which is a coconut-based flavor) and butter spread.

Nasi katok, nasi lemak, char kuey teow, mee goreng, fried beehoon, etc. are just a few of our favorite things. Most restaurants tend to cook it much about the same but with maybe with their own twist, but I feel like it remains fairly consistent throughout the different stores, so walking into almost any place would be a safe bet.

It’s difficult for me to explain Brunei in the way I would for any other country because I’m not a fresh set of eyes in the country, so food that appeals to me tends to be foods with sentimental value rather than popular flavors or those that appeal to a variety of people!

Entertainment

Growing up in Brunei, things that we used to get up to as kids would be swimming at the Royal Brunei Recreational Club, Mabohai or the Royal Brunei Yacht Club. Back in the 2000s, there was only one major shopping mall in the whole country, so everyone went there for the arcade, shopping, ice-skating (which no longer exists now), cinema, and food! These days, there are plenty more shopping malls – almost too many – including Times Square, Airport Mall, Qlap Mall, etc. and even more opening up in the future. I can’t say Brunei is a hub for shopping because even as locals, we tend to go out of the country to find the latest trends. It neither falls in the cheap/market/bargains category of Thailand and Cambodia, nor does it fall in the high-end/luxury shopping of Singapore, so I wouldn’t recommend it to shop.

The Empire Hotel & Country Club is a 5-star resort and another beautiful place to be. If you stay there during your trip, you can access all their facilities for free (or for a small fee), such as swimming, spas, saunas, golfing, the cinema, eateries, etc! They are the only place I would go for high-tea, which is one of my favorite things to do! I literally aspire to retire into a lifestyle where I can just go for high-tea every weekend…

The mosques are absolutely stunning in Brunei as well. There are quite a few around town, and they have some stunning architecture. You can go inside to have a look during tourist hours, and they provide a robe for you to wear on top of your own clothing to maintain respect for the environment and people inside. If you’re anything like me, and you’re always wearing shorts or a singlet or some kind of activewear because armpits get sweaty and the struggle is real, then the robe is a wonderful option.

Another place people like to visit is Kampong Ayer and Temburong. Both are just a boat-ride away, and boats cost only $1 to use. They’re pretty informal and you just have to kind of hover around the jetty and someone will come to you. I can’t vouch for its safety but… I haven’t died yet so… that is all the reassurance you can get from me. Temburong is a great place for hiking, and being at one with nature. Coming from somewhere like New Zealand, Brunei serves as a contrast with its tropics.

Kampong Ayer (literally translated to Water Village) is literally what it is translated to. We still have a significant portion of our population living in wooden houses on stilts, and there is a school, restaurants, etc. within the village. It’s super easy to access and the boatmen are more than happy to take you across the river to the water village as well. If I’m not mistaken, some of the locals in Kampong Ayer have their homes on Airbnb so you can even enjoy this experience very authentically.

We do have a good diving scene in Brunei. I got my PADI diving license a year or so back, and it is one of the best decisions I’ve made for myself (going to medical school was the worst ha, ha!) I know many people have enjoyed the diving scene in the tropics, different fish, new shipwrecks to explore… All that fun stuff!

Apparently there’s also a museum for cultural heritage or arts or something, I wouldn’t even know. You know how when you live in a place for so long, you don’t even see all the touristy things because you always think you’ll get to it at some point and you never do? Yup. That’s me.

To be honest, when I’m in Brunei, ‘entertainment’ is not the first word that springs to mind, because I’m mostly ‘home’ to R&R, which means spending time with family and friends, eating whatever the hell I want, and binge-watching an unhealthy amount of television. I’m probably doing a terrible job of marketing Brunei, let’s be real.

Transport

I might add that it is difficult to get around Brunei without a car – public transport isn’t user-friendly, and we only have a handful of taxis in the country and they are obnoxiously expensive (so I hear). Fuel is cheap (about 50c/litre) so that’s not a worry if you’re hiring a car. If you’re from New Zealand like me, buying a full tank of fuel requires selling a kidney on the black market.

We also get around by boat, which to me is hilarious because it sounds like Venice… but with much murkier waters and crocodiles… So I guess it depends on what… floats your boat!? *cue strained laughter*

‘Til next time, Brunei!