Brunei travel blog — The fullest Brunei travel guide for first-timers

Gadong Night Market

This flea market is very crowded, exciting, especially here sell a lot of good and cheap foods. If you want to discover the unique culinary culture in Brunei, let’s visit Pasar Malam Gadong for fun!

As a Muslim country, so tobacco is not sold in this country. Shopping malls or shops are also closed early at 8pm.

About the people of Brunei, they are rich but very friendly and hospitable, they are willing to help when you need or invite you visit their home.

Jerudong Park

Jerudong Amusement Park is the largest amusement park in Southeast Asia. The park was built in 1994 with a total area of 104 hectares, with many attractive and interesting games, including small artificial islands, dinopark, playgrounds, cinemas, etc… create colorful entertainment area, a bustling and vibrant haven.

Royal Regalia Museum

The Royal Regalia Museum is home to evidence of the life of the royal family of Brunei over various periods, but deepest and most complete is the period of the Royal Regalia. The museum offers visitors an overview of the life and way of life of the royal family. The museum also preserves many relics related to the rulers (Sultans) who once ruled the kingdom of Brunei. The Museum is also has impressive architectural style and the
good thing is Royal Regalia museum open all weekdays.

Empire Hotel & Country Club

This is Brunei’s most famous hotel, which is also a tourist attraction in Brunei that attract many tourists. The hotel has an area of 180 hectares with 443 splendid rooms. This is also one of the most luxurious hotels in Asia and is among the top ten most beautiful hotels in the world.

Muara Beach

Especially when tourists come here, they can immerse themselves in the water of the cool beaches of Brunei. These are the ideal resorts for visitors. Located about 27 km from the center of the capital is Muara Beach, It is one of the most beautiful and crowded beaches in Brunei. The beach is beautiful and wild, with white sand, clear water that visitors are attracted by this place. It is also said that admire the dawn or sunset on the sea Muara is a wonderful thing!

Tamu Kianggeh (Kianggeh Open-air Market)

This is a flea market selling everyday commodities such as vegetables, roots, fruits, meat and fish. This market is as normal as other Vietnamese markets, nothing special.

Teng Yun Temple

This is a Chinese temple located just opposite Kianggeh Market. This temple at night decorated the lamp quite beautiful.

Mercu Dirgahayu 60

This is a small yellow monument, shaped like a music note, located just near the river bank. This monument is a gift from the Brunei people to King Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

Memorial Clock

The tower is located at the crossroads of Jalan Sultan Road, Omar Ali Saifuddien and Jalan Elizabeth Dua. This corner of the intersection is quite deserted!

Brunei blog: What to eat in Brunei?

Grilled chicken

Brunei grilled chicken is a familiar dish of the people of Brunei. Grilled chicken is served in family meals or in the restaurants from luxury to popular. This dish also appears in the Sultan’s banquet for his guests. The chicken is usually cleaned after being marinated with some spices. Each chef has a different way to marinate, but the grilled chicken must be salty through each piece of meat is satisfactory. Chicken is grill on a charcoal stove or roasted in an electric oven with high temperature. Grilled chicken can be processed into a variety of dishes. Chicken after being grilled, diners can request processing into the variety dishes according to taste. Grilled chicken served with vegetables and typical sauce.

Lamb Fried

In Brunei, visitors can easily enjoy the lamb. Because most people follow Islam, lamb is a popular food here. Lamb is made into many delicious dishes. Some dishes from lamb such as grilled lamb, lamb sauce, lamb stew … Lamb fried is quite easy to eat. You can use lamb fried with white rice or fresh vermicelli. Lamb meat is marinated and fry with vegetables, viscous, glossy.

Grilled fish

Grilled fish is a traditional food, unique, delicious, nutritious, very strange to visitors when visiting Brunei. Grilled fish is made from big fish, thick meat. Before being Grilled, the fish is cleaned of the gut and mud. After, the fish is marinated spices characteristic. The way of marinated fish is also the secret of the Brunei people to make the fish taste more special. Grilled fish is served with typical sauces, but the way of mixing of each family is different. There are many ways to mix suitable for the taste of people, there are some places, chefs also stuffed in the fish belly of other kinds. Because of this, grilled fish is a favorite dish of local people and diners.

Wheat Flour Cake

Wheat Flour Cake is a common dish of the Brunei people. This dish is delicious and easy to cook. The cake is made from a kind of wheat flour. This powder is stirred with sugar and then poured into hot iron pan to fry. There is quite a lot of flavor inside the cake. Depending on your taste you can choose to eat sweet cakes or salty cakes. The cake after baked will be sprinkled on top of the nuts, finally added to the condensed milk. The cakes are full flavors of wheat flour, fat milk and the taste of the nuts.

Tom Yum

Tom Yum soup is a Thai dish, but it is also very popular in Brunei in particular and Southeast Asian countries in general. Tom Yum soup is made from chicken broth. This dish has fresh shrimp as the main ingredient. There are also other special spices such as citronella, galangal, lemon, onion, tomato, … Especially, Tom Yum soup also has a variety of mushrooms. The highest requirement of Tom Yum is has to sour taste. The taste of the spices mixed with the sweet taste of shrimps, mushrooms make the dishes rich.

Ambuyat

Ambuyat is a dish made from Sago palm tree. In Brunei, Sago palm tree is planted quite a lot, people use Sago palm trees for a variety of purposes. The people of Brunei use finely-chopped stalks, then boiled in water for several hours until they are clammy, clear and opaque. The taste of Ambuyat is very bland, so it is often served with a variety of sauces depending on your taste but the best is Peanut Butter Sauce.

Durian

Durian is one of the best specialties in Brunei, the durian here is quite strange, some as big as jackfruit, some as small as hand, especially durian here is very soft and fragrant. Durian is a popular dish of Brunei that are praise by many tourists when enjoying this delicious food. In old times, durian here only for royalty in the Brunei dynasty. The big durian with fragrant, big meat are eaten directly. Durian can also be processed into a variety of dishes such as cakes, candies, or drinks are very attractive.

Brunei travel blog: What to buy in Brunei?

Souvenir gifts

When traveling to this country, visitors can choose their own meaningful souvenir gifts for family and friends. The shopping malls or shops in Brunei have souvenir stands for tourists with fine handicrafts or fine textile.

Jewelry, perfume, cosmetics

You can easily find a variety of imported silk fabrics with a variety of designs and brands for visitors to choose from. Athirah Plaza also has many other items such as ready-to-wear clothing, jewelry, perfume and cosmetics for women. Athirah Plaza also has an entertainment area combined with a diversity and distinctive dining area.

Some shopping places in Brunei

• Pasar Malam Gadong flea market: Gadong night market sells quite cheap food and bustling.
• Tamu Kianggeh Market (Open Market): Outdoor market, sells fish and vegetable, next to Miri bus station and gateway to the city center.
• Plaza Athirah. Address: Jln Kubah Makam Diraja, Bandar Seri Begawan BA1912, Brunei
• Yayasan Complex. Address: Jln Pretty, Bandar Seri Begawan BS8711, Brunei
• Hua Ho Department Store. Address: Lot 51181, Kg. Tanjong Bunut, Mukim Kilanas, Jalan Tutong, Bandar Seri Begawan BF 2920
• Soon Lee Megamart. Address: Jalan Utama Berakas
• The Mall. Address: The Mall, Bandar Seri Begawan BE3519

Brunei blog: Some things you need to know before going to Brunei

• When giving a gift or food to a Muslim, you should use your right hand. (with Muslims the left hand only to use for the toilet).
• Thursdays and Fridays are the two main prayer days in the Muslim country, you should avoid visiting the mosques on these two days of the week.
• Brunei is quite strict Muslim country, you have to dress politely, formal, courteous in public and absolutely avoid staring at women with them is very disrespectful.
• In the month of Ramadan, if you travel in Brunei, to respect the Muslims, you should avoid eating in front of them.
• 70% population of Brunei follow Islam and Islam is considered the national religion of Brunei. The laws of Islam are strictly enforce in Brunei.
• Bruneians often use the title in daily communication to replace the name. Men are called Awang and women are Dayang. In addition to this, there are many names of people in the society, such as Pengiran who are lineage Royal Family, Pehin and Dato who are great contributors to the country.
• As a Muslim country, Brunei does not eat pork. Beer, wine, alcoholic beverages are not sold or used in this country.
• Brunei has no pubs, beer bars, nightclubs, discos or karaoke. Brunei is also prohibited gathering in public places.
• For female travelers when traveling to Brunei also need to dress politely. When visiting the mosques that need to remove shoes from outside, women need a head scarf and avoid wearing openings on the knees or arms.
• When communicating with native speakers, avoid using your left hand. Use the thumb of your right hand or your left hand to point at someone instead of your index finger.
• Public transport in Brunei is not very developed. Only public buses are available in the center. Brunei has no taxi service. Most people travel by private means and often travel at a very fast pace.

Read more Brunei shopping guide — +9 Brunei souvenirs, what to buy in Brunei & best shopping mall in Brunei and Brunei guide here.