That occasion also came when I received an invitation from a new friend in Brunei. He enthusiastically took me wandering through the interesting places of this richest Muslim country in the region, literally and figuratively.
Article and photos:Phan Ngoc Hanh
Part 1: Hello oil country!
Since Brunei territory is entirely on the island of Borneo (the rest of the island is divided between Malaysia and Indonesia), to get to Brunei, I had to transit in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). By the way, I “inserted” a flight route from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu, stayed there for a day and then flew to Miri. Finally, from this Malaysian town, I continued by road to Kuala Belait (Brunei).
The Long Distance Bus Terminal in Miri has many ticket booths, but only one sells tickets to Brunei, with two morning and afternoon trips each day. The ticket seller told me to come back at 3pm to buy a ticket for the 3:45am bus.
The Long Distance Bus Station was far from the center of Miri, so it was deserted and there was nothing to eat or play. While waiting at the bus station, I gradually finished all the food supplies I had brought from Vietnam. Moreover, I was traveling to a Muslim country during the holy month of Ramadan, so there were no shops selling food during the day.
When the bus departed from Miri to Brunei at 3:45, my friend from the capital Bandar Seri Begawan (Bandar for short) also departed for Kuala Belait. Only by picking me up at Kuala Belait could he take me on a tour of the Seria oil refinery. The bus from Miri to Brunei had five passengers. Now I understood why the ticket seller had guaranteed that there were still seats available at 3:00 pm, even when I bought tickets close to the departure time!
Close-up of the place that brought prosperity to Brunei
Kuala Belait is the second largest city in Brunei, bordering Miri province (Malaysia). If Bandar is like Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Belait is like Vung Tau. After 45 minutes, the bus arrived at the Malaysia - Brunei border. Meeting at Kuala Belait bus station, we started to visit the oil refinery in Seria.
The first impression of Brunei was that the customs officers were very friendly and polite. They showed me how to say a few greetings in the local language. The next impression was that this was a country of green forests running along one side of the road, the roads were straight, clean and peaceful. That is why Brunei is also known as “City in the garden”.
From Kuala Belait to Seria, it took us about an hour. In Vietnam, when talking about oil refineries, we immediately think of drilling rigs in the open sea, and wonder how to see them up close. Coming to Brunei, at this Seria oil refinery, oil extraction machines are scattered along the long grass field, adjacent to the sea. The machines with booms move up and down regularly, rhythmically, without making any noise. Around each machine is a fence. It's just that simple, but each time a machine moves up and down like that, it brings in 100 Brunei Dollars, equivalent to 1.6 million Vietnamese Dong.
Of course, Seria also has a modern, large oil refinery that stretches out to sea. Here, the wind blows strongly, the sound of the waves lapping against the sand is heard. On the beach, the monument marking the important event when Brunei exported 1 billion barrels of oil has an unusual architecture with six large, gray-blue columns, curved and intertwined. On top of the monument is the symbol of Brunei. It can be said that the oil and gas industry is the main industry contributing to the GDP growth of this small country.
The capital Bandar is splendid at night
On the way to the capital Bandar, we stopped by Jerudong Park. Opened in 1994, this is one of the largest amusement parks in Southeast Asia, about 10km from Bandar. From afar, Jerudong Park stands out with its row of national flags fluttering in the wind.
Suddenly the rain came. Rain in Brunei is different from rain in Vietnam. It was heavy and came quickly and went quickly. We quickly ran to the car and continued on to the center.
When night falls, the capital Bandar is aglow with golden lights shining on the spires of mosques. There are two prominent and magnificent mosques, the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and the Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque.
Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque is one of the symbols of wealth and prosperity in Brunei, named after the 28th Sultan of Brunei. The mosque was built in 1958, 52 m high, with a gilded dome, marble columns and walls. In addition, the mosque also has tunnels for the kings to use when traveling in the city.
Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque is the tallest and largest mosque in the capital city of Bandar. This is the greatest mosque in Brunei with a golden dome. Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque is the most sacred place, attracting local residents and tourists to pray day and night. The mosque was built in 1992 with completely imported interiors: Italian tiles, decorative patterns from Australia, grass carpets from Arabia... This mosque is considered a museum preserving unique collections symbolizing Brunei culture.
The clock struck 0:00, a new day began, my Brunei friend continued to take me to visit the floating village on the Kampong Ayer River. This is the oldest village in Brunei with a cultural history of more than 600 years with simple houses on the river. Right at the pier, there is a wooden boat service to take visitors to the village for sightseeing.
I was starting to feel tired, but when I saw the magnificent Istana Nurul Iman Palace with its unique architecture, shining in the yellow light, my eyes suddenly lit up. I got out of the car and took a few pictures. He joked that this was an effective way to cure the drowsiness that had come over him.
Finding accommodation: the first difficulty
Brunei is a small country but the cost of living is expensive, comparable to Singapore. Most hotels here are three stars or higher. Only Pusat Belia (Youth Centre) with bunk beds has the cheapest price of 10 Brunei Dollars.
Pusat Belia is a sports center, under the management of the State. The problem is that booking this cheap accommodation is not easy at all. Although my friend in Brunei went there three times, trying to book a room for me, he returned without any results. The first time he went, he could not meet the receptionist. The second time he went, the receptionist replied “First come, first serve”. He tried to meet the receptionist a third time, but the receptionist still did not allow him to book a room.
It was already 1am. I was worried because I had not booked a place to stay for the night. Looking at my worried face, he seemed to guess and reassured me. He drove me to Harmoni Ria. This was where he had stayed when he started his business in Brunei. I suddenly thought that if it weren't for this enthusiastic friend, I would have slept outside in the freezing cold.
A new day in the Islamic Kingdom
As the sun rose, he continued to take me on a tour of Brunei. The first stop of the day was The Empire Hotel & Country Club. This is a 6-star hotel complex, the most luxurious and famous in Brunei, with full entertainment facilities. This hotel is considered one of the most luxurious hotels in Asia and one of the ten most beautiful hotels in the world, located next to the beach, with a golf course, swimming pool, bank, cinema. Previously, the hotel was the residence of the Brunei Royal Family.
I had the opportunity to visit Masijd Omar Ali Saifuddien again in the morning. The entire mosque is located on an artificial lake on the banks of the Brunei River, right next to the floating village of Kampong Ayer.
I felt so small standing in front of the majestic cathedral. When I was a child, I loved reading fairy tales, I used to dream of having magic to transform me into standing in front of the magnificent and mysterious castles of Persia. Right here, I felt like a princess standing in front of the majestic and magnificent castle.
Next, he drove me across the administrative zone. Brunei still had many beautiful scenes waiting for me to capture. However, my camera battery was dead. He took the battery and found a place to charge it for me. The battery was charged at a jewelry store on the banks of the Kampong Ayer River. That shows how enthusiastic and friendly Brunei people are. They are willing to help others. Even in the capital city of Bandar, they have a culture of stopping their cars to let tourists cross.
Our wandering tour of Brunei ended perfectly when he took me to the top floor of a high-rise building right in the center so I could have a panoramic view of Kampong Ayer river, the stadium and the mosques from above.
Every reunion must come to a parting. I saw a hint of sadness on his face. But the story of Brunei did not end there. We were not just ordinary social friends, but also two close friends who accompanied and shared all the ups and downs in life.
What remains in my mind about Brunei is an enthusiastic friend, gentle people and a green, clean, beautiful, modern and peaceful country.
More information:
+ Currency:
The currency of Brunei is the Brunei Dollar (BND) which is equivalent to the Singapore Dollar (SGD). Brunei Dollar notes come in denominations of $1, $5, $10, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000; coins come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents.
1BND can be exchanged for about 17,000VND (depending on the time).
+ How to move:
By air:
- From Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, buy cheap tickets from AirAsia for two round-trip flights Hanoi - Kuala Lumpur or Ho Chi Minh City - Kuala Lumpur. Then, buy two round-trip flights Kuala Lumpur - Brunei.
- If financially able, you can choose Royal Brunei Airlines with royal quality to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Brunei.
Attention:
- At the LCCT Malaysia low-cost airport, when looking at the electronic board announcing flight times, although the AirAsia flight ticket shows the route KUL - BWN, the electronic board will show the destination as Bandar Seri Begawan. That is the capital of Brunei.
- There is no airport tax fee when arriving at Brunei airport, but for flights departing from Brunei, there is an airport tax fee of 12 Brunei Dollar or 12 Singapore Dollar, only paper money is accepted, no coins are accepted.
By road:
- From Miri airport (Malaysia), buy a taxi ticket to Long Distance bus station, it costs 26 Ringit for a taxi ride (Ringit is the currency of Malaysia).
- At Miri Long Distance Bus Station (Malaysia), there is only 1 PHLS Express station selling tickets to Brunei. High quality air-conditioned buses cost 25 Ringgit. There are two trips a day at 7am and 3:45pm.
- At Bandar bus station (Brunei), only PHLS Express bus company sells tickets from Brunei to Miri (Malaysia) with the price of 18 Brunei Dollar or 18 Singapore Dollar.
+ Traveling in Brunei:
Means of transport:
- Taxis in Brunei are quite rare, with about 50 cars in the whole country. A taxi ride from the airport to the city center takes 20 minutes and costs about 25 - 30 Brunei Dollars.
- There are no bus stops in Brunei, you just stand on the street, the bus will arrive in about 5 to 10 minutes, tell the driver where you want to go, the bus fare is 1 Brunei Dollar.
Bus routes:
To remote locations:
- Brunei International Airport: bus number 23, 24, 34, 35, 36, 38
- Kuala Lumpur: bus number 42, 44
- Kuala Belait/Tutong District (via Proposed Rimba Terminal): Bus no. 22, 57
- Kianggeh Jetty: bus number 39
- Labuan/Kg Menumbok (Kota Kinabalu) via Muara Passenger/Car Ferry Terminal: bus no. 33, 37, 38, 39
To the attractions:
- Brunei Royal Regalia: all buses
- Jame Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque: bus number 01, 20, 22
- Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque: all buses
- Tasek Lama Recreational Park: bus number 01
- Museum: all buses
- Jerudong Park: bus number 55
Accommodation:
Hotels with prices above 80 Brunei Dollars:
- Julibee Hotel (2 stars): Jubilee Plaza, Jalan Kampong Kianggeh, BS 8111 Bandar Seri Begawan
- The Brunei Hotel (3 stars): 95, Jalan Pemancha, BS8811 Bandar Seri Begawan
- Palm Garden Hotel Brunei (3 stars): Lot 45328, Simpang 88, Kampong Kiulap, BE1518 Bandar Seri Begawan
- Orchid Garden Hotel (4 stars): Lot 31954, Spg 9, Kg. Anggerek Desa, Jalan Berakas, Bandar Seri Begawan
Cheap Accommodation 10 Brunei Dollar:
- Pusat Belia (Youth Center Hostel): Simpang 336-17, Jalan Kebandasan, Bandar Seri Begawan
- Harmoni Ria Guesthouse: 21 Jalan Medewa, Km 7, Jalan Tutong, Bandar Seri Begawan
Notable attractions:
- Istana Nurul Iman – Sultan's Palace: The Sultan's Palace, you can only take pictures outside the gate. This place is only open during Hari Raya (Islamic New Year around August every year). After people finish eating and leave, they are also given a box of delicious cakes.
- Royal Regalia Building: Royal museum, where royal gifts, memorabilia and biography of the current king are kept.
- Kampong Ayer: The oldest floating village in Brunei with a history and culture of more than 600 years. Currently, big-nosed monkeys still live there and the houses are still simple right next to the river. The village has a full school, mosque, administrative office, gas station, market... There is a wooden boat service to take tourists to visit the village.
- Chinese Temple: The temple is located in the center and is for the Chinese community in Brunei to come to worship.
- The Empire Hotel & Country Club: Brunei's most famous 6-star hotel, 180 hectares wide with 443 magnificent rooms. One of the most luxurious hotels in Asia and one of the ten most beautiful hotels in the world.
- Jerudong Park: the largest amusement park in Southeast Asia, about 10km from Bandar.
- Pasar Malam Gadong: Gadong night market sells cheap food and is quite bustling.
- Tamu Kianggeh (Open Market): Open-air market, selling meat, fish and vegetables, right next to the bus station to Miri and is the gateway to visit the city center.
- Billionth Barrel Monument: The monument marks the important event when Brunei exported 1 billion barrels of oil.
Customs to know:
- Brunei is a strict Islamic country, so you need to dress politely, behave politely in public, and avoid staring at women.
- Thursday and Friday are the two main prayer days in Muslim countries, you should avoid visiting mosques on these two days.
- When visiting inside the mosques, you will be lent a scarf to cover from hair to feet to wear.
- During the fasting month of Ramadan, if you are here, out of respect for Muslims, you should avoid eating or drinking in front of them.
- Do not use your index finger to point, instead, use the thumb of your right hand and clasp the remaining four fingers underneath.
- When giving a gift or food to a Muslim, you should use your right hand to give it to them.
Cuisine:
- Bruneians mainly eat Halal foods with the main foods being beef, buffalo, chicken and seafood, using many spices such as curry, cinnamon, and star anise.
- Restaurants serving Indian and Chinese cuisine with suitable taste and reasonable price.
Brunei specialties: Grilled fish is a traditional, unique, delicious, nutritious and very strange dish, Daging Masak Lada Hitam (beef cooked very tenderly with potatoes and beans); Udang Sambal Serai Bersantan (fried rice with shrimp fried in coconut milk); Serondeng Pandag (grilled chicken wrapped in pandan leaves with garlic), Nasi Ayam Goreng Penyet Sari Wangi (grilled chicken rice).
