Brunei

The Sultanate of Brunei's heyday occurred between the 15th-17th centuries, when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate. It was offered the opportunity to join Malaysia as a state in 1963, but opted out of the federation due to a disagreement on the amount of its oil income that would have to be given to the central government in Kuala Lumpur. After an Indonesian-backed insurrection failed in 1962, the Sultan consolidated power as an absolute monarch, and the country is under a constant state of emergency renewed every 2 years. Independence was achieved in 1984. One family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries.

After independence, the Brunei Investment Agency invested some US$40 billion of Brunei's funds in Finance Minister Prince Jefri Bolkiah's Amedeo fund. When the Asian financial crisis hit in 1998, it turned out that Jefri had appropriated some $14.8 billion of the sum for himself, using the funds to amass 2,000 cars, a private Boeing 747 jumbo jet, a yacht named Tits and life-size golden statues of himself having sex. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah sent Jefri to the naughty corner and has personally overseen the sultanate's finances ever since.

The backbone of Brunei's economy is oil and gas and the Sultan of Brunei is, famously, one of the richest people in the world with an estimated personal wealth of around US$40 billion. Per capita GDP is far above most other developing countries, and substantial income from overseas investment supplements income from domestic production. The government provides all citizens with a comprehensive welfare state without levying any income tax.

The looming problem is that Brunei's oil reserves are projected to run out around 2045. All sectors of the economy are fairly heavily regulated and government policy is an odd mixture of subsidies, protectionism and encouragement of entrepreneurship, all with an eye to widen the economic base beyond oil and gas. Alas, various plans to upgrade the workforce, reduce unemployment and strengthen the banking and tourist sectors have not come to much, and as it stands Brunei is staring down the barrel of GDP collapsing by as much as 80% when the taps run dry.

Given their shared history, Brunei shares many cultural similarities with neighbouring Malaysia, with the Malay language serving as a common link between both countries.

Brunei is officially an Islamic state, with many large beautiful mosques across the country. Sale of alcohol is banned. Bringing in meat (other than seafood) that has not been certified "halal" (slaughtered according to Islamic law) is also banned. That said, Chinese food stalls and restaurants are allowed to sell pork. During the fasting month of Ramadan, many non-Muslim-owned shops and restaurants will be open. However, eating, drinking or smoking in front of people who are fasting is considered rude and asking permission is appropriate. Expect everything to be closed - including hotel restaurants, and all shops - during Friday prayers (12:00-14:00) all year. Things start closing around 11:00, and start reopening again around 14:00. Even the buses stop running, though you might still be able to catch a water taxi.

The bulk of the population is Malay (67%) and there is also a significant Chinese minority of around 15% as well as a number of indigenous peoples, including the Iban and Dusun tribes who inhabit the jungle upriver and the Temburong district (the smaller eastern part detached from the rest of Brunei). There are many foreign workers who work on the oil and gas production or in lower positions such as restaurant staff, field workers and domestic staff. The male to female ratio is 3:2. More than a quarter of the people are short term immigrant workers, most of whom are men.

Brunei's climate is sub-tropical. Temperatures range from 14-33°C, January being the hottest month. The rainy season is always mild and humid, followed by a hot and humid dry season. The difference between the two seasons is not that marked, however. The rainforest and jungle areas tend to be cooler and wetter than the coastal region.

Brunei's topography is of a flat coastal plain rises to mountains in the east, the highest point being Bukit Pagan at 1,850 metres, with some hilly lowlands in the west.

There are no typhoons, earthquakes, severe flooding or other forms of natural disasters to contend with, and the biggest environmental issue is the seasonal haze resulting from forest fires (that is caused by illegal clearing of land) in nearby Indonesia.

Brunei Tourism website

All foreign nationals must fill out an online arrival form prior to their arrival in Brunei.

Foreign nationals of the following countries/territories can enter Brunei visa-free as long as they present a passport valid for at least 6 months:

For up to 90 days: All European Union member states, British citizens and subjects with right of abode in the United Kingdom, Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United States

For up to 30 days: Japan, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Oman, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates

For up to 14 days: Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Maldives, Myanmar, Peru, Russia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam

Citizens of Australia and Kuwait can obtain a visa on arrival for 30 days. Citizens of Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia can obtain a visa on arrival for 14 days. The visa-on-arrival costs $20 for a single-entry visa and $30 for a multiple entry visa. Saudi citizens are only eligible for the single-entry visa-on-arrival.

Immigration officers at Sungai Tujoh Checkpoint between Miri and Kuala Belait will not accept payment for a visa on arrival other than in Brunei or Singapore dollars — there is no ATM and cheques are not accepted. At Brunei airport payment must also be made in cash. There is a money changer (with reasonable rates), but no ATM prior to immigration. If you need a visa-on-arrival, make sure you join the right queue at entry. Joining the foreign passport queue will see you sent to the back of the line. Large tour groups requiring visas on arrival can jam up the system. You may have to be quick, persistent or patient.

Proof of return or onward travel is officially required to check in for your flight to Brunei. If you are leaving overland, for example via Kuala Belait and onwards to Miri, then your flight out of Miri is acceptable. If you plan to leave by ferry you will need to purchase a cheap flight out of Brunei before you arrive there. Alternatively, you can book an expensive (but fully refundable) flight, and cancel it afterwards. From Kuala Lumpur, Air Asia is not enforcing this rule; hence you probably won't need such a proof of return if you fly from KL.

Those who need a visa must apply in advance at a Brunei embassy, where processing can take up to 3 days and costs $20 for a single entry visa. See Brunei Immigration Department for the latest details.

1 Brunei International Airport (BWN IATA). This is Brunei's sole airport of significance and the hub of national carrier Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA). The airport is compact, immaculate and functional.There are cafes airside and landside, and customs and immigration are smooth. There are additional fast food restaurants outside of arrivals. There are ATMs landside at departures, but none airside or at arrivals.RBA offers a reasonably comprehensive network, with daily flights from London, Dubai, Brisbane, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Kota Kinabalu, and four times weekly non-stop flights from Kuching. Fares that transit via Brunei are attractively priced and you are guaranteed service with a smile. Singapore Airlines flies 5 times a week from Singapore. Budget airline AirAsia provide flights from Kuala Lumpur at as low as US$35 one-way. For other destinations the best transit airports are Singapore Changi and Kuala Lumpur.

Getting there/away: A taxi to Bandar Seri Begawan downtown takes 20 minutes and costs around US$25. A covered walkway down to the end of the car park away from the terminal (turn right from arrivals) leads to a bus stop for purple buses to the city centre ($1) that run every half hour between 06:00 and 20:00.

If flights to Brunei are full or expensive, an alternative is flying to nearby Miri in Malaysia and taking the bus to Brunei instead (3 hours).

You can drive into Brunei from Sarawak, Malaysia. There are two entry points for the main part of Brunei, one from Miri at Sungai Tujuh and one from Limbang at Kuala Lurah (Tedungan on the Malaysian side). Both these crossings have drive-through immigration checkpoints at the border but queues can be horribly long, especially during weekends.

It is also possible to drive from the Sarawak towns of Limbang and Lawas to the Temburong district of Brunei. A bridge across the Pandaruan River was opened in December 2013 and the ferry service has been discontinued. Immigration is conducted at Pandaruan (Malaysia side) and at Puni (Brunei side). From Lawas (which is connected by road to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia), another bridge completes the connection between the banks of the Trusan River (this has replaced the ferry). Malaysian immigration formalities are done in Trusan (the Mengkalap immigration checkpoint is in a shoplot just east of the ferry crossing) about 8 km away, and no longer in Lawas. Those for Brunei can be done at the Labu checkpoint at the border.

It is possible to drive from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah to Bandar Seri Begawan in one day. See the Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land page for details.

Only some petrol stations in the country are permitted to sell petrol to cars with non-Brunei plates due to a tax issue. It can be frustrating to find these stations and so ensure your car is topped up.

The toll-free Friendship Bridge connects the two borders at the eastern side of Limbang.

From Miri: As of 2022, there is no direct service between Miri and Bandar Seri Begawan. PHLS Express used to operate a service between Miri and Bandar Seri Begawan twice a day. The easiest option to get from Miri to Brunei is to book a private car or shuttle, which can be done for around B$60. You can do it yourself by booking a taxi or Grab from Miri to the Malaysian border, walking to the Brunei border (1km), and then booking a rideshare/taxi when in Brunei to BSB or Kuala Belait. Dart is the most common rideshare app in Brunei.

From Limbang: There are no direct buses between Bandar Seri Begawan and Limbang in Sarawak. However, you can catch a local bus from Bandar's bus station to Kuala Lurah on the border, walk across the checkpoint into Tedungan in Sarawak and catch a Syarikat Bas Limbang bus to Limbang. Do the reverse if coming from Limbang to Bandar. Buses depart from Limbang bus terminal several times a day and bear the destination "Batu Danau". Taxis are also available on both sides of the border but bargain hard for the fare. You can also get to Temburong district by bus from Limbang, although again, there are no direct buses into Bangar; all buses (destination "Pandaruan") stop at the ferry landing at Pandaruan, where there is now a Malaysian immigration checkpoint. Cross the river by ferry and catch a taxi for the 5 km to Bangar.

From Kota Kinabalu: Sipitang Express runs buses once a day between BSB (Gadong Night Market) and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

The main ferry terminal in Brunei is the Serasa Ferry Terminal at Muara, some 25 km from Bandar Seri Begawan. See Bandar Seri Begawan#By boat for details about the terminal.

Labuan Ferry operates services from Labuan, taking around 2 hours. As of April 2023, two ferries are operating on most days, one at 8:30am and another at 1.00pm or 4:30pm, with schedules changing on short notice. With a change of boats in Labuan, you can even make it to/from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, in a day. See the Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land page.

There is one "motorway", from Bandar Seri Begawan along the coast. It is almost all dual carriageway from Muara to Kuala Belait and the toll bridge to Malaysia/Sarawak in the west.

There is also a side road off this, which runs into the jungle towards the settlement of Labi and beyond. Excellent scenery, and a 4-wheel drive may be useful, but the road is now sealed up to the longhouses some distance beyond Labi. Stock up on water at the convenient shop at the junction.

Driving between Temburong and the rest of Brunei used to require passing through Malaysian territory, and clearing Malaysian customs and immigration, but since the completion of the Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Bridge in 2020, that is no longer necessary.

There are not many taxis in Brunei, because car ownership and usage are high. There are always some at the airport and some in the Belait District, but little chance of finding a free taxi along the road, especially during morning and afternoon peak hours when they are hired by businessmen. Needing a taxi might require a phone call. The main taxi stand is direct north of the bus station in the capital with only a few taxis waiting.

None of the taxis has a taxi meter since there is no taxi company nor regulation requiring to have one. Drivers have fixed prices for most trips, although the tariffs may vary between different drivers, or they will give a price for an irregular trip.

The main ride-hailing app in Brunei is Dart. Well-known ride-hailing apps found elsewhere in Southeast Asia, such as Grab and Gojek, do not operate in Brunei.

Another alternative is hiring a tour van to drive you around Brunei, for example, for a whole day, or several hours. Try asking them from the ferry counters in Muara. Discuss the price first before agreeing to board the van.

Waterways

209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m. Water taxis are available in the capital.

Around the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, there is a good-sized network of minibuses. Brunei's high rate of private car ownership means very few Bruneians take these buses, which largely cater to foreign workers. The speed of the buses is limited to 50 km/h but are quite efficient and reliable.

In general, the bus system around the capital radiates from the bus terminal in the central district. There are designated bus stops along each route but passengers are picked up or let off at unofficial locations at the discretion of the driver. The unofficial mode of operation makes easy travel and entices patronage. There are maps of the bus routes at the terminal. Routes are numbered and the buses are different colors depending on the route. The fare is $1 which is normally collected by a conductor but may also be collected by the driver. The passenger can advise the driver the location to disembark. The buses run every 20–40 minutes from about 06:00 to 18:00. Sometimes, the conductor asks the passengers their respective locations to disembark and skips part of the route, to the dismay of passengers who wish to catch the bus. The buses run roughly every 20–40 minutes from 06:00 to 18:00, but there's no strict schedule. It is quite normal to wait 30 to 45 minutes for a bus.

There is also an infrequent long-distance bus which runs between BSB and Seria through Tutong.

Hitchhiking is doable in Brunei – drivers are very willing to stop.

Brunei offers some great diving. In addition to coral and fish, Brunei is home to several shipwrecks and many species of nudibranch (often spectacularly colourful molluscs)- one of the best places in SE Asia for macro photography. Water temperature is generally around 30 °C and visibility is usually around 10-30 metres, although this can be changeable during the monsoon season. As diving here is not overly developed, it means that the sites, and especially the coral reefs, are unspoiled and in pristine condition.

Popular dive sites include the American Wreck, Admirable Class Minesweeper, USS Salute (AM-294) lies broken in half on a sand bottom at 30m after hitting a Japanese mine on 8 June 1945, during pre-invasion sweeps of the Brunei Bay, with the loss of nine lives. Australian Wreck, In 1949 while on a voyage to Manila it struck a mine off Brunei and sank. The wreck lies in 33 m of water and is roughly 85 m. Dolphin 88 Wreck Malaysian commercial vessel sunk in bad weather in 2013. Experienced divers will enjoy exploring the interior of the wreck. Oil Rig Wreck, a decommissioned oil rig. There are 9 structures to be explored, each seeming to be home to one dominant group of fish. Baiei Maru Wreck was a Japanese oil tanker that sank in October 1944 in Brunei Bay after hitting a Japanese mine. Discovered by the Brunei Shell Petroleum during a survey, the wreck sits in about 50 m of water. Other dive sites includes Labuan Wreck, Bolkiah Wreck, UBD Wreck, Amai Wreck, Arun Wreck, Stone Wreck to name a few.

Diving is very reasonable, averaging $35-45 per dive depending on how many dives you do and whether you bring your own gear. There are a number of organisations you can do trips with.

The local currency is the Brunei dollar, denoted by the symbol "$" or "B$" (ISO code: BND). You might hear ringgit used to refer to the dollar but be sure that the speaker is not talking about the Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) which is valued at less than a third of a Brunei dollar. All prices in this guide are in Brunei dollars unless otherwise noted.

The Brunei dollar is tied to the Singapore dollar at a 1:1 rate. By law the currencies can be used interchangeably, so if you're coming in from Singapore, there's no reason to change money as your cash will be readily accepted. (Likewise, any leftover Brunei dollars can be used at par in Singapore.) However, many stores refuse Singapore notes with seemingly microscopic tears, stains or markings on them, and notices to this effect are posted at the cash register. Malaysian ringgit (RM) are also be accepted in a pinch, at an unfavourable exchange rate. The ringgit is not available at Brunei banks but can be obtained from money changers.

The Brunei dollar is divided into 100 cents. There are banknotes from $1 to a whopping $10,000 (handy if you're shopping for Rolls-Royces), and coins of 1 to 50 cents. All smaller notes and the 2004 series of larger notes are printed as brightly coloured polymer notes.

By Southeast Asian standards Brunei is roughly on par with Singapore, meaning roughly twice as expensive as neighbouring Malaysia. You can reduce costs by eating at local restaurants and avoiding the more expensive restaurants in hotels. Budget accommodation is available.

There is not much of a local crafts industry in Brunei. You'll see a handful of Brunei-branded souvenirs that are all imported. Souvenir type shops usually resort to selling imported curiosities, confectionery and generic gifts.

Since Brunei is Muslim, nearly all food sold in the country is halal, the exception being most Chinese food stalls and restaurants, which are allowed to sell pork.

Vegetarians should look for South Asian restaurants serving the large community of foreign workers. Another option is Chinese Buddhist vegetarian restaurants, as many ethnic Chinese in Brunei go on vegetarian fasts for specific Buddhist festivals. These can mainly be found in the suburbs of Bandar Seri Begawan, but you will need to make an effort to seek them out. Chinese Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are also the safest bet for vegans, as they traditionally do not use dairy products, but make sure your dish does not contain eggs.

It is illegal to eat in public during daylight hours in Ramadan, and most stalls and restaurants will be closed during the day. However, Chinese restaurants are permitted to remain open and sell takeaway meals to non-Muslims for consumption in private.

Kosher food is non-existent in Brunei.

Desserts

Kueh melayu (sugar, raisin, and peanut-filled sweet pancakes)

The international code for Brunei is 673. The telephone numbers in Brunei consist of 7 digits with no local codes, although the first digit of the number indicates the area such as 3 for the Belait District and 2 for Bandar Seri Begawan.

The prepaid Hallo Kad, available from TelBru telephone offices (including one at the airport) and other outlets in denominations from $5-50 can be used at any phone in the country to make local and international calls. Other phone cards are also available for use in public phones.

Mobile phone services are provided by three network operators: state-owned DST, Progresif (best 5G coverage) and Imagine (4G LTE only, least coverage). Coverage is available across almost all of the country. Coverage in the Temburong national park may be patchy.