BRUNEI
Population: 374,000 (UN, 2005)
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
Area: 5,765 square kilometers (2,226 sq mi)
Main Languages: Malay, English, Chinese
Major religions: Islam, Buddhism, Christianity
Life expectancy: 74 years (men), 79 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Brunei dollar = 100 cents
Brunei Darussalam is a fairly small independent sultanate but never lackluster or insignificant. A city of tinsel by rights, Brunei has long been Asia’s best kept secret reveling in ‘gilded’ culture, heritage and economy. Too many impress one of the smallest yet richest countries in the world as a nation of elites, royalty and business tycoons with money to last 5 lifetimes, but it is also a state of people with thick traditions and impoverished lifestyles. Perhaps the golden gates of Brunei are an open invitation for the world to look in, and the truth is that there is not enough to sum up this charming little country, but to say that it is a kingdom of unexpected treasures and that the civilization of early of the thirteenth century is perfect.
A good way to get acquainted with Brunei to ease your qualms is to know what it is not. It is not an extremist Islamist nation, nor is it a kingdom of royalty and peasants, with which the media represents excesses and lavish parties. Unfortunate but true, the little sultanate finds itself under the shadow of wealthy lists and excessive and wasteful lifestyles. Ill-gotten wealth and plunder are problems plaguing the nation with the same ruling family for 6 centuries, the longest unbroken dynasty in the world. But Brunei has a thriving financial system that looks as good as “Not Applicable (NA)” economic reports on the population below the poverty line. However, it seems rather paradoxical that alcohol is banned in Brunei while Prince Azim drinks himself insane.
GEOGRAPHY
Brunei (4 30 N, 114 40 E) is the second smallest country in Southeast Asia next to Singapore with an area of 5,765 km² bordering the South China Sea and Malaysia. The country’s terrain is generally flat coastal plains with mountainous land elevations to the east, Bukit Pagon with the highest peak in Brunei 1,850 meters above sea level. It boasts the most intact virgin rainforests in all of Borneo, 70% of Brunei to be exact. The reason: its profuse abundance of oil has not found the need to explore and exploit the forests for other natural resources. Brunei is actually a country of 2 separate slivers of territory less than an hour’s boat ride away.
CLIMATE
Brunei is lucky with a subtropical climate as it rarely experiences natural disasters like typhoons, earthquakes or floods. Brunei is hot, humid and wet with temperatures averaging 28°C which can go as high as 33°C in January, supposedly the coldest month for most sea countries. Most of the environmental problems they face are by-products that travel from Indonesia, such as haze. It is best to travel anywhere in Brunei with a head start in the very early morning or late afternoon. But the best option for the traveler and introduction to Brunei is after Ramadan, when the palace opens its doors to over 100,000 people for a feast and meet and greet with the sultan, and possibly a sneaky handshake, except of women who can only know His Majesty.
PEOPLE
The nation of Brunei is officially an Islamic State as inscribed in its constitution. Yet with an open-minded attitude to tourists and explorers, the 388,190 Bruneians pose no danger to travelers regardless of origin or faith, attesting to its reputation as an ‘abode of peace’ not only of opulence. Therefore, Buddhism (13%) and Christianity (10%), etc. are freely accepted and practiced. Islam for Brunei is not just a religion, but an ideology that guides all aspects of people’s lives, especially the government with the 3M code called “Malay Muslim Monarchy”, the best way to describe their government. Malay of course due to its bias towards culture like Brunei with its location and considering everything else it is an enclave of Malaysia. MALAY, is also the official language. ENGLISH is quite common and used by the general population, and CHINESE dialects such as Fukien and Teochew are also widely spoken by ethnic Chinese communities.
ATTRACTIONS
Traveling between the territory of Brunei is somewhat difficult, especially when traveling overland. From BSB to Bangar, traveling by road has the inconvenience of going through two immigration points, Malaysia at the exit of BSB or Bangar, and Brunei immigration, also at the entrance. That’s just one of the top three challenges to look at in Brunei, the other being some cheap options in Brunei, true to its opulence, at least for BSB. The last one, of which is, did I mention there was no alcohol?
Brunei effortlessly presents a country like no other beginning with BSB, which is not your typical fast-paced, overtly modernized city, carefully balancing lush greens with efficient and decongested building design. It has a price though because it is the City of the Abdicated Sultan, as Bandar Seri Begawan translates directly, where the traveler will find the same imperial luxuries of golden architecture. Have you ever come across a 6 Michelin star hotel? The preponderance of what a land of early civilizations has to offer is impressive architecture of buildings and temples that honor their heritage and religion, such as the Royal Regalia Museum and the Brunei Museum, where the traveler will find the most incredible treasures of Brunei’s rich history. Brunei, “rich”. in the full sense of the word. What about the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque or that of His Majesty the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah? At night, Jerudong Park Gardens offer the public a spectacle worthy of palace guests with its dancing fountains and Prince Jeffri’s dazzling design. Away from the glitz and guild, the world’s largest water village, kampong yesterday will bring the experience of a century or a tour of the proboscis monkeys, a unique species of big-nosed monkeys, with a new appreciation of beauty in between of simplicity. And yes, there is kayaking, windsurfing and diving.
Temburong district is endowed with two unparalleled nature parks, Ulu Temburong National Park for B$5 or US$3.5 and Peradayan Forest Reserve with no entrance fee, both of which are stunning and brilliant getaways with the most pristine virgin rainforests. . Bangar, the district capital is less glamorous but just as beautiful and has more for the budget traveler at $4 by boat from BSB, not to discredit BSB, that’s for sure. All these visa and expense worries are sure to come when looking at and appreciating Brunei for its culture, people and food, shall I say?
FOOD
Bruneian cuisine is a blank page to most outsiders looking, or perhaps a misconception of characterless Malay food, but the traveler has yet to discover that Bruneian cuisine has evolved into a fusion of Malay , Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Arabic and European. flavors that is similar to the country of the sultanate alone. Chinese food is ubiquitous, as it is everywhere. Rice is always present while pork is avoided, due to the Islamic religion. Some of the national specialties are Daging Masak Lada Hitam or spicy beef with potatoes and beans, Serondeng Pandag, chicken fried with garlic in pandan leaves, Udang Sambal Serai Bersantan, which is a seafood dish with shrimp, coconut milk and chili, and Nasi Chicken/beef katok spicy curry, all served with rice. For a true Brunei flavor, try the ambuyat, a sticky surprise. Then kick it all up with refreshing coconut juice, fruit juice, coffee, tea, or just plain water. And as a country of two phases, BSB and Bangar, the traveler feels twice the melancholy and heartbreak when leaving Brunei, since he is technically leaving twice.
Note: Foreigners can bring alcohol with strict limits of 12 cans of beer and 2 other spirits.