Come Visit Brunei! Venido a Brunei! ブルネイに来られる!

BRUNEI | Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien

2008-10-27T22:34:00.001+08:00

Masjid Omar Ali Saifuddien celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and an exhibition is being held at the Brunei Museum at Kota Batu to commemorate the event.

Photo shows the dome during the restoration process few weeks ago.

Sultans Of Brunei

2007-10-19T17:12:00.000+08:00

Originally posted here by: Jay AKA SugarDaddy

Today we left the rather splendid country of Brunei after spending two nights in this oil rich habitat of the world.

Having left Kuching, located to the west of Borneo, we headed north first by plane then by taxi over the border completely hassle free; in fact we did not even have to get out of the car at border control as they gave us our visas without even looking at us at all!

Although not as kind on the wallets as the rest of South East Asia, the British Pound still goes a long against the Brunei Dollar.

So, other than having a vast amount of oil and having one of the richest men in the world as their King, what else is their to know about the small country that lies east of mainland Malaysia and south of the Philippines?

Well, firstly petrol is available at the local Shell garages at only 18p (yes 18p!!) a litre, the King (or His Majesty or Sultan as he is known locally) has been in reign since the age of 21 - his coronation was way back in 1961 - and his full title is His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah and alcohol, be it beer, lager, wine or spirits, is illegal in the country.

Complete with two wives, the Sultan is idolised by the whole of Brunei whose people are very proud of the man with five sons and six daughters.

During our visit to one of the cleanest and most civilised countries you are ever likely to experience, we went to the national museum, the local water village for afternoon tea, saw the Royal Palace (which, incidentally, was open for three days prior to our visit allowing the public to walk inside the grounds and the palace - sadly we were 24 hours late!) as well as the rather impressive national sports stadium and complex and the equally splendid 7 star Empire Hotel that comes complete with an 18 hole and 9 golf course and drive range, bowling alley, cinema, gym, badminton and basketball courts galore, its own beach, a fantastic outdoor pool and probably another selection of highlights I have forgotten!

Although it turned out to be a busy couple of days the warmth shown by the Brunei people as well as the clean streets, splendid sites, good food and calm surroundings certainly left a tear in our eyes as we left to board our bus and boat combination to Kota Kinabalu, north west of Borneo in Malaysia.

Brunei may be somewhere we all visit for our next holiday, that is for sure!

Anyway, that brings you up-to-date as I sit by the computer at the Borneo Hostel in Kota Kinabalu, the home of South East Asia’s biggest mountain.

Jay

Wasai Wong Kadir

2007-08-23T11:17:00.000+08:00

Re-post from here

The Wong Kadir Waterfall or Wasai in Labi has to be Belait district’s best kept secret and most talked about waterfall in the Sultanate remotely situated in the Labi forest of Rampayoh.

Although it takes a workout for you to walk up and down the jungle treks including the steep ridges, the 30 minutes strenuous stride makes it all seem worth it.

The 12 foot waterfall is located at the end of a rather ardous uphill jungle trek. The trail is not fully laid out and riddled with tree roots. It’s a treacherous journey cuz I fell on my knees at one point, blame it on my shoes durability too.

I and four other colleagues embarked on a one day ‘directionless’ adventure last Sunday to seek for civilization in the remote areas of Mukim Labi and of course popular tourist’s spots. An hour-and-a-half drive from the capital through Labi road would lead you to this wondrous place. From the Labi road entrance, its about 60 kilometres away.

At the entry you can find few shelter huts for those who just wanna have a relaxing retreat and dip at the cool lake below. Other facilities include a parking area and public toilets. Since it is a school holiday, it’s not surprising that many families and students were there for a picnic and short camping trip. But of course the real treasure of Wong Kadir is the waterfall on top.

Since Belait has been experiencing showers lately, the path is quite slippery so watch your step. Breathe in the fresh air and smell the rainforests. While walking along the trail, listen carefully to the trickling of water from the river as it flows over the rocks and also sounds from the forests
fauna.

Our ears frankly served as a guiding compass and two of my colleagues who were not keen to take up the challenge at first but finally caved in after much persuasion were so relieved to reach the flat land. There were few picnic huts with trekkers BBQ-ing at the available pit. But my eyes were set on the waterfall behind.

I was so eager to dip my foot inside the cool and calming waters of the lake. But getting all wet was not part of the plan cuz I carry no spare clothing.. silly of me. Folding my three quarter knee length denim up, I approached the cool waters. The rock pebbles on the water bed serves as free foot massage.

Unenthusiastic at first, my colleague Yusrin was all of a sudden out of this world and went into the waters fully clothed. I can’t say much about Azrol though.. He’s a wild and free kinda guy.. jumping into the lake with a loose one piece.. hahaa Well, what happens in Wasai, stays in Wasai!

Letting out the inner child in us, we splashed water at each other not realizing that we were totally soaked. As I said that was not part of the plan.. but then the water is just too good to miss out…

We spotted fishes swimming and one of the trekkers actually brought plastic bottle to catch live prawns.. good catch I must say.

We spend an hour chatting about life and work and of course drying ourselves before we head back.

Yusrin who complained that his ankle was aching before was surprise that the pain had disappeared after getting out of the water. So we like to believe that the natural water could have therapeutic effects..

Despite the natural beauty, I have to point out that there were reported cases of drowning resulting in fatalities at the waterfall. So guys, stick to the shallow side of the lake. And believe it, I am not superstitious but if you ask the old folks and locals who are familiar with the area, they’ll deliver these advice, “Jangan Cabul”.. so we try to be on our best behaviour.

Speaking to the Mukim’s Penghulu, I was told that there are plans to upgrade the waterfall park very soon by constructing chalets and jogging tracks. Let’s just hope it will materialize by next year.

Labi experience in itself is a great adventure, so as you drive along do drop by at Luagan Lalak recreational park. Although in a state of dilapidation, it is still worth a stop and…..

…. get to know how native Iban lives in remoteness of the lush jungles and manage to preserve the tradition of staying in a longhouse. Those are just among many other interesting spots in Mukim Labi

Please include Wasai Wang Kadir among one of your to-do-lists on a perfect Sunday with your loved ones, you won’t regret it.. I promise. Lastly wear protective gears, slap loads and loads of sunscreen…and have fun…

Travel Tale

2007-06-25T10:49:00.000+08:00

Taken from here

Flight Check: Royal Brunei Airlines
Flight BI 618: Pudong, Shanghai to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
Date: Thursday, 26 April.
Flight time: 4hrs 10 minutes.
Seat: 6A.
Equipment: Airbus 320
Configuration: 12 Business - 132 Economy
Actual load: 8 Business - 123 Economy

I left my hotel in Shanghai at 09.50 hrs for the 50 minutes trip to Pudong International Airport and my scheduled 12.30 hrs departure for Brunei enroute to Perth. Traffic was much heavier than expected and after some anxious moments (not being able to communicate with the driver didn’t help) I arrived 40 minutes later than expected at 11.30hrs.

Fortunately Pudong processing, by both by the handling agent China Eastern and by immigration, was super-efficient, despite my having extra baggage and being slightly over my 30 kgs limit. I was airside by 11.45hrs and made my way to the Royal Brunei lounge at gate 22. On arrival I was told the flight was delayed and was expected to depart around 13.15hrs. RBA shares the lounge with several airlines and it was busy, but I managed to get a seat and waited for the boarding announcement. Lounge facilities were minimal but there was a good choice of hot and cold drinks and nibbles. Despite three staff in attendance at the lounge, servicing was poor and used drink glasses and plates had not been cleared. The bathroom could also have done with attention, its waste paper bins were overflowing.

Eventually the flight was called and we boarded the flight at 13.50hrs. The aircraft was parked some way from the gates, requiring a 10 minute coach trip. Onboard, I was given a warm welcome, a soft drink and a good selection of magazines and newspapers in English.

After the preliminaries and an apology from the pilot — but with no explanation for the delay — take off was 14.05hrs.

On board the aircraft was clean and in reasonable condition. Cabin décor was easy on the eye colours of silver, gold and light blues. Only soft drinks are served on board RBA, but I didn’t have a problem with that. Lunch was served at 14.50hrs. Presentation was minimal with little fuss and did include real knives and forks, none of the plastic rubbish. After an appetiser of smoked salmon and crab terrine, there were four choices for the late lunch including a spicy Szechuan prawn dish, pan-fried John Dory fish; stir fried beef or a vegetarian dish of spinach cannelloni. I chose the beef but when it arrived it didn’t look too appetising, so I made full use of the cheese plate. The meal was cleared at 15.25 and I settled back to watch a movie. Choice was limited to just two movies and it was the same two movies that had been offered on the outbound leg. There were no individual screens in RBA business class on this flight and the movie was shown on the main cabin screen.

The flight was smooth and the landing at Bandar Seri Bega at 18.10hrs almost perfect. One of those ‘down on the deck before you know it’ type landings.

Conclusion: I chose RBA for my Shanghai flight from Perth because it was the only airline that offered a same-day through service with no stopovers in Hong Kong or Kuala Lumpur enroute. The business class fare of A$5661 including taxes was also the best available. The cabin staff were welcoming and efficient even if a little noisy at times. RBA is buying new B777 aircraft for Australia and is expected to put them into service later this year. These aircraft will have much better facilities for business travellers including the latest seating-beds, laptop ports and personal movie screens. Frequency will be increased from the current three times a week schedule. The route via Brunei to Shanghai from Perth is direct and the fastest, so if time is a consideration RBA is worth looking at.

— Chris Hurd
chris@impactpub.com.au

Jalan Sultan | 24 Hours Bazaar ...

2007-05-19T21:28:00.000+08:00

(Click image to enlarge)

A glimpse of the 24 Hours weekend bazaar along Jalan Sultan in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei Darussalam.

The bazaar starts from 1800 Hours Saturday to 1800 Sunday weekly, selling varieties of stuffs, including local Brunei souvenirs and such.

Imagine Brunei

2007-05-14T14:23:00.001+08:00

Proboscis Monkey outing

2007-04-03T17:00:00.000+08:00

Original content from http://bruneiforever.blogspot.com/2007/04/proboscis-monkey-outing.html

Went to Proboscis Monkey outing today. We planned this since last week. It was fun! I took like 5 gig worth of pictures. Well not all of the pictures are of the monkeys. We also went for Kampong Ayer short tour. We also managed to take pictures of Istana Nurul Iman from a different angle.

Proboscis monkey can only be found in Borneo Island. In Brunei, you dont have to hike miles and miles of jungle tracks to catch these fellas in action. You just need to hire up water taxi/boat trip up the Brunei river, roughly around 45 - 60 minutes while you sitting and enjoying the scenery while the water taxi driver bring you to the the spot.

Btw, I removed the outing section from this blogsite. If you would like to know and be updated about our outings, please go to the forum (http://bruneiforever.com/forum) and click the outing section. You might need to register an account.

I brought some other group before touring Kampong Ayer. From one end to another. Please click here to read more;

Meragang Beach

2007-04-03T16:28:00.000+08:00

Meragang beach has many names - Crocodile beach (legend has it that there are crocodiles there), 7up beach (someone says this is because of the fine bubbles in the water reminiscent of the bubbles in 7up).

We took a walk yesterday. It's dry season so the waves aren't high, the water is clear, the sand is flat and there's minimal debris being washed ashore. By debris I mean logs and normal whatnots from the ocean.

We dipped our toes in the ocean and played in the surf. The water is so clear you can see little fish swimming around in the shallows. There were shells aplenty on the beach for collectors - we ran across an abundance of razor clam shells.

We walked and walked and walked to the end where there's an installation belonging to the Fisheries Department (if I'm not mistaken). We clambered atop the jetty sticking out into the water and were rewarded with this view of the shoreline.

As we walked back to the car we collected a handful of crabs - I'm not sure what species but they play dead when you pick them up.

After all that activity, we sat and watched the sun go down. I love sunsets. We get some of the most stunning sunsets here in Brunei.

Brunei is lucky in that we're situated along the coast of the island of Borneo. Our beaches are beautiful and not commercialised. If you want a lazy Sunday playing in the surf or building sandcastles while the waves crash around you then this is the place to go.

Travel Doco on Brunei

2007-04-01T13:21:00.000+08:00

BEAUTIFUL BRUNEI

Jerudong Park

2007-03-01T20:49:00.000+08:00

Our 23rd National Day Celebrations

2007-02-25T09:23:00.000+08:00

National Day Rehearsals

2007-02-19T01:48:00.001+08:00

Come 23rd February, Brunei Darussalam marks its 23rd year as an independent nation. The celebrations will be fantastic. So if you plan to visit us, that would be a good time :)

Flag Raising Ceremony

2007-02-15T22:03:00.001+08:00

These are pictures from the National Day 2007 Flag Raising Ceremony where a giant flag is raised to mark the beginning of the celebrations.

Photographs and Video Slide Show by Aku

Lumut Beach

2007-02-09T23:18:00.000+08:00

One of the places we bring the kids when we go for quick outings is the Lumut Beach, which is about 5 mins drive from home.

This place is a small but shady area with big trees, some playground equipments, a stage where local community activities are sometimes held, picnic huts and a small pond full of lotus.

Well tended park full of greens and fresh air

Crossing a bridge of lotus pond

I thought this looked very picturesque

Lovely flowers of Lumut Beach park

In the middle of this park is a cement structure which was a gift from the local Lumut community to His Majesty the Sultan on his 50th birthday in 1996.

Of course, just a short walk away is the beach where one can see the far distant oil platforms or oil tankers which are a common sight in this area since the LNG plant is a short drive away.

The Proboscis Monkey - A Hidden Treasure

2007-02-08T21:10:00.000+08:00

The proboscis monkey above is a rare and endangered species of primates found exclusively in Borneo. They primarily live in mangroves, because of their specialized diet of mangrove leaves. Brunei Bay has an extensive network of mangrove habitat, and most of Brunei's proboscis monkey population live in the mangroves of Brunei's capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan, and its surrounding mangrove islands.

Locals call them 'Benkatan' and 'Orang Belanda' (literal meaning, Dutch man). They are very shy and very elusive, and are not easily detectable by humans, and therefore, many regard seeing one a special moment since the chance comes rarely.

For the ecotourists who wishes to observe these monkeys quietly, one can take a boat ride from the jetty near the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex, and ask the water taxi driver if he knows a good place to observe proboscis monkeys.

Here are some DOs and DON'Ts of monkeysighting.

DO

Do choose a water taxi which make the least noise as possible, as to avoid scaring them.
Do be in a small group when observing them, with two people per boat ride only.
Do be as silent as possible when you reach there.
Do bring a pair of binoculars, just in case you cannot observe the monkeys using the naked eye.

DON'Ts

Don't choose a fast water taxi. The noise it make will alert the monkeys to human presence.
Don't bring a large group. Proboscis monkeys are shy to humans and a large group can stress them.
Don't make noises when observing the monkeys. (This rule applies when watching any wild animal)

A glimpse of the Belait District

2007-02-04T11:16:00.000+08:00

Click HERE for a sneak preview of what you can see in the Belait District, one of the four districts that make up Brunei Darussalam. I hope it will entice you to venture to the District and discover other places of interest which I have not included in this slideshow.

Empire hotel & country club

2007-01-31T08:11:00.000+08:00

My usual tuesday morning routine after dropping munchkins off to school is to head out to the Empire Hotel and Country club where i teach a 9.30 class to club members and Hotel guests. So this time i was early and decided to whip my trusted camera out and snap to eat the time away.

The Hotel itself is a 15-20 minute drive from the airport. There are luxurious pools close to the hotel premises but a buggy drive down to the country club, offers more...

Pic above, Empire hotel & country club, below is the reception desk at the club.

After having a few chats with the friendly staff at the front desk, will lead you down the stairs and you will be greeted by their spa staff. You probably would be interested in what services they have to offer in their grand rooms. Pic below is the VIP room connected to your very own private showers and toilet. But at the Empire, i suppose, all guests are VIPs!

Then after a few thoughts on which spa treatment to take, you would be interested to see what the rest of the club is like and so you walk ahead and find 2 pool tables! and a huge badminton court you think you can even play quadruples! and multiply that by 2!

Then on the same floor, you are curious to the sounds of giggles and splashes and more splashes as the sound lead to you a massive (by my standards ok) and impressive! indoor swimming pool! but yesterday there were no giggles. Just a very happy, contented hotel guest reading lazily by the pool. I look at the pool and it made me want to jump.

The stairs then lead you to 2 rooms, the gym (overlooking a spectacular view of the sea) and the studio where aerobics and yoga,pilates classes are conducted. Pic above are the 2 rooms on the 1st floor. Pictured below, club members and hotel guests.

Then the very kept tennis court outside. This is where you would normally find me just before my class. Warming up in the glorious morning sun. Because its just so cold inside!

I actually missed out the Bowling room as this is tucked away behind the reception area but you can view that here along with more details on what tickles your fancy!

Kampong Ayer

2007-01-27T16:15:00.001+08:00

Kampong Ayer or Water Village is widely known as Venice of the East. It is a treasure trove of kodak moments for the photographer.

A visit to the 'Taman Warisan Tasek Merimbun'

2007-01-26T23:16:00.000+08:00

Original post by nakalai.

thanks to my grandma for being my (tourist)guide this afternoon..huhu

The purpose of my visit today was to get few shots of Tasek Merimbun. The scenery was simply breathtaking, as usual. Have a look on them here. or here for more shots. So yes, I dont do reviews but you can always read from either of these sites: (they are good btw. quite accurate i would say..huhu)

Sultanate - Tasek Merimbun
Asiatour.com
Brunei Travel Information
Kayaking in Tasek Merimbun (besides walking along the wooden walkways or having picnic, you can go for kayaking too!)
Dom, Becca & Ellie in Tasek Merimbun

Honestly, at the moment i dont think Tasek Merimbun is ready to be visited by anyone (esp the tourists). the wooden walkways are being removed at the moment so you cant actually go across to the 'Pulau Labi-labi' (more on this turtle-shaped island in the next post). Ahhh well... i'm guessing they are getting new planks and hopefully the walkways will be back soon, since next year will be the Visit Brunei 2008. N/theless, Tasek Merimbun is still a must-go-and-see heritage park when you come to visit Brunei/Tutong. (=

nahh enjoyy the pictures. as usual, click 'em to enlarge. and appreciate..huhu

cheers everyone, Salam.

Nakalai~

Jerudong Park...

2007-01-24T22:09:00.000+08:00

An original video by Borgkingkong, a young, talented, up-and-coming Bruneian filmographer

Personalized Water Village Tour

2007-01-22T16:46:00.000+08:00

Originally posted by Reza Faizal

Kampong Ayer girls

How did you spent your Saturday morning public holiday?

We saw this three girls sitting infront the house ladder, put their feet in the river, relax and cool down.

Myself, I've decided to join the shutter bugs on a Kampong Ayer outing. First stop was Jing Chew for a breakfast, I reach there first followed by Bruneian, Ber (found out I knew him already, what a small world), UcingItam, KantaLensa & son, AnakBrunei with two ladies.

After breakfast we head off to bandar. Everyone gather at the tambing (place we get the boat). Overthere I got to meet and introduce myself to Zadm and Shai.

Waiting for the boat

Got a boat with a roof top (good idea!) and so the tour begin. We have our very own tour guide aka Bruneian to tell us lots of information and the names of the Kampong. Well, I forgotten most of the names already, next time I got to bring a notepad. We first go towards the Kota Batu direction.

Boat with roof top

Half-way through the tour, we got a chance to go out the boat to buy some drinks at the "Kedai Runcit" at Kampong Bolkiah 'B' and do our own little business. After that we head off towards the SOAS Mosque and Kiulap direction before we end our journey.

[Insert photo of the Kedai Runcit here]
Shutter bugs, anyone please send me one photo please!
rezafaizal@gmail.com

On the way back the boat run out of fuel but no worries, he got reserve fuel tank.

The outing was fun, enjoyable and very informative. I got to meet up with fellow bloggers/shutter bugs whom I met for the first time. Hope I can join them again sometime soon!

The tour guide

Notes :

Other items to bring on this type of outing apart from the camera and accessories :

Small towel
Bottle of water
Pen and small notepad
One plastic bag
Some cash

Tsukiji in small doses...

2007-01-21T11:44:00.000+08:00

Brunei Museum, a showcase on Brunei and its history

2007-01-20T21:15:00.000+08:00

On my last vacation, I did not go abroad but was rather content on being a domestic tourist. So I thought, I might as well share it with you :)

Two of the places that you should go to are the Brunei Museum and Malay Technology Museum. I know, museums sound a bit draggy, stuffy and old, but it is undoubtedly the best place to get a feel on how Brunei was back in the old days, how much she has developed, how much she has progressed to be what she is today.

So on to the Brunei Museum. Located along Jalan Kota Batu, it was officially opened in 1972 where today, the exhibitions are divided into a few segments. Recently renovated, you will be welcomed with a huge foyer, greeted by friendly receptionists.

A prior warning - no photos are allowed. But rest assured, there are lockers provided where you can keep your belongings.

On the right from the main entrance - you will be able to take a closer look at the natural history. The species, flora and fauna found in Brunei Darussalam. Brunei definitely has a number of collection, guaranteed to amaze natural enthusiasts.

Right in front of you (from the main entrance), another room exhibiting the current leading source of income for this nation - oil. It depicts the history and industry of the oil and gas. While on the right side of the main entrance, you will be able to view a collection of elaborately gilded Holy Qurans.

Let's move to the second floor, on your right is where the sunkened treasures are located. These caused such a big roar a few years back as the treasures dates back as far as 500 years ago. You will be able to see personally some of the artifacts found, which are amazingly still well intact.

The next room will show Brunei's archeology and history. It is like walking through a time machine as where among others, it will take you to the origins of Brunei. You will notice a big engraved stone, the batu bersurat which tells you the line of the throne and so many more.

While the last stop is Brunei's traditional culture. It portrays the culture in many forms - from the attires, traditional food or kuih, the cultural practices such as papat jambul (the cutting of a baby's hair held after the birth her/his birth), portrayal of the iqamat being read after the birth of a baby and a showcase on Malay wedding.

I hope that brief description is enough to entice you to visit the Brunei Museum. It is opened on Thursdays (9am to 4pm), Fridays (9am to 11.30 am - 2.30pm to 5pm) and Saturdays (9.45am to 5pm).

It will be closed 30 minutes before the visiting hours end.

So if you have not planned what to do next week, give the museum a try. It is one of the best ways to have a quality time with your kids too :)

And next entry? Malay Technology Museum :)

Picnic Spot In Sg. Liang

2007-01-20T14:32:00.000+08:00

This morning, we went jalan-jalan at the Sg. Liang Forest Recreational Park.

Although this place is barely 5 mins drive from home, the last time we were here was 2 years ago. I don't know why when this place is actually a lovely and shady place (very important for those sun-conscious) to hike, walk, swim or learn more about nature and Brunei diversity.

Being a public holiday today, there were already some family picnics going on, with barbeque smokes billowing from the few huts around and gleeful shouts and splashes from the lagoon.

Walking around this park, one can even learn the names of the many types of plants that grew in this park.

Tongkat Ali : In case you didn't know how this "famous" plant looks like Pendarahan : Which means "bleeding". Creepy name for a tree.

I think the best thing about this park is the man-made lagoon which at that time, was already busy with kids and teenagers jumping in and swimming around. Water is quite murky, perhaps because of the rain that we've been having the last few weeks.

Lagoon

There is a stream running across the park and it has the usual clusters of teratai, none in bloom unfortunately, and some fat looking fish swimming around. Too bad we did not have anything to offer those fish as I'm sure it would thrill the girls to feed them.

We'll have picnics here one of these days soon.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's some background information about the Sg. Liang Forest Recreational Park taken from U2Asean.Com

Sungai Liang is about 70 km from Bandar Seri Begawan, and the drive takes about an hour along the coastal highway. The park is 450 metres from the main Sungai Liang junction along the road to Labi.

This is one of several parks which have been developed and maintained for public recreation. The park is one of very few lowland forest areas in Southeast Asia and has facilities for general recreational activities, such as picnicking, jogging and hiking. It also caters for natural history devotees, with self-guided or organised group tours of the forest. The main pond, with its shelter platforms and open areas in the central complex, should satisfy visitors looking simply for fresh air and beautiful outdoor surroundings.

The more energetic may care to explore the network of well-marked nature trails that wind their way around the park, including a high-level canopy walkway in the tree-tops. This wonderful facility will give you a totally different perspective on the rainforest.

Golf | Asian Tour

2007-01-18T19:11:00.000+08:00

Golf, one of the most talked about sport nowadays.

The Golf Asian Tour, the first Brunei Open was held in 2005 and at the end of August 2006, in the prestigious Empire Hotel & Country Club.

The superb golf course was designed by world reknowned Jack Nicklaus and had actually won "The Venue Of The Year Award 2005" by the Asian Tour.

The players can be seen truly enjoying the tournament in Brunei. They have all reason to as the course is very challenging, the view is absolutely magnificient and the first class accommodation was just the cherry on top.

Many top golfers were in the Brunei Open: Danny Chia, Jarrod Lyle, Rick Gibson, Thaworn Wiratchant, and Malaysian's Pro Alwi Kamaruddin, just to name a few, were there.

Terry Pilkadaris won the First Brunei Open in 2005, and in 2006, Chinese Taipei veteran Wang Ter-chang won the 2nd Brunei Open, and in 2007 Brunei Open is scheduled to take place on the 12th to the 15th July, 2007.

With that I'll leave u with these photos which I took during the Asian Tour.

*Click on the image for a larger version

The magnificient venue.

"So how's your game?" ..... "Crap, but the venue's great"

No smoking! Get it?

2007-01-18T17:28:00.000+08:00

To Bruneian smokers out there, don’t even think of lighting those cigarettes and puffing away at the compound of Suri Seri Begawan Hospital, in the Belait District. The hospital made it extremely loud and clear that smoking is prohibited and declared it ‘non-smoking’ zone, through signboards put up on every corner of the entrance. Let’s just hope the rule is enforced accordingly and not let the ‘aim’ fall under NATO (no action, talk only).

Photo courtesy of Han.

Bahapa Kitani at Pantai Seri Kenangan

2007-01-18T06:27:00.000+08:00

Welcome To Pantai Seri Kenangan.

Pantai Seri Kenangan is located in Tutong District - quite clean & many activities to do there. Want to know what? Here are some:

The obvious - play with the sand, sea & sun. Just enjoy nature. Picnics. BBQ, yum! Good times with family & friends

You could also try fishing at the river located on the opposite side of the beach. Just relax & wait for the fishes (or other non-living stuff) to eat your bait hehe

Part of the scenery which you can enjoy - The Istana Pantai

Or if you're the adventurous type, you can try some watersport activities such as jetskiing

Or if you want to feel like flying, you can maybe try Paramotor

Or if you prefer to stay on land, you can rent a buggy! It looks like fun and the rent looks reasonable too!

Rental fees are as below:
B$10 - 20 Mins
B$15 - 30 Mins
B$20 - 40 Mins
B$30 - 1 Hour

Or you can play kites! You can either make & bring your own or buy it from a nearby stall at the Pantai for just $3 (comes complete with the string).

There's also a playground area for kids, a beach football area and even someone who can draw your potrait (not sure if available all the time though hehe)

After all that, you can also visit some of the gerai there. There's plenty of food & drinks on sale such as Burgers, Nasi Katok, Samboi, Kerupuk & Cucur Pisang!

On some days and if it's the right season, there's also a few gerai selling local fruits!

Rest, Relax, Good Food, Good Fun & Just Enjoy Life. Enjoy Brunei's Beauty :) Pure Bliss!

Tasek Lama

2007-01-17T21:47:00.000+08:00

Tasek Lama Recreational Park is a popular national park in the midst of the capital city or Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan. With its green nature all preserved, it is a perfect haven for jungle trekking enthusiasts, outdoor fitness or those simply longing for a stroll.

This is called a 'Pancuran' in Bruneian Malay. It's cool, fresh and crystal clear water springs from the hill side.

The final stop after climbing a tiring hill & trekking the jungle. Enjoy the light and refreshing mist from the waterfall to relax the tense muscles.

This pleasant jungle park is located a few minutes walk from the city centre. Take Jalan Kebangsaan out of the city centre past the Sheraton Hotel. About ten minutes walk from the Sheraton you will see a sign on your right in between two tall blocks of grey and red appartments indicating Jalan Tasek Lama. Turn right here and continue along this road to the entrance of the park. A red archway inscribed 'Taman Peranginan Tasek' signals the entrance.

The Youth of Brunei

2007-01-16T08:26:00.000+08:00

ASEAN DAY MESSAGE FROM HRH PRINCE MOHAMED BOLKIAH, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

‘ASEAN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’

The Founding of ASEAN nearly forty years ago set a remarkable challenge for Southeast Asia’s future generations. It encouraged them to live together in peace and understanding in a region that had long been in fearful turmoil.

The first of these generations is now able to look back on its efforts to meet that challenge. Its members have already become the leaders of our region in all walks of life and they have brought it greater respect than ever before in international affairs. The second generation is in the process of inheriting their work and building on that of their predecessors.

We are now looking at our third ASEAN generation.

They are the theme of this year’s ASEAN Day.

“ASEAN and Young People”.

It is a theme that should give us all great pleasure and pride. Our young people are the embodiment of ASEAN’s Vision.

In all ASEAN countries, they have now been given greater opportunities than any previous generation.

They can expect to live longer, have a better standard of living, be better cared for, be more knowledgeable, be more confident about the future and be far more able to develop their talents both at home and in the world outside their country.

In Brunei Darussalam, we regard this as our children’s and grand children’s birthright. It is a gift handed on to them by their own forefathers and by those who founded ASEAN. We hope they will value it, respect it and strengthen it so that they, too, will pass it on to their own children and grandchildren.

I have every confidence that they will. The evidence I see and hear every day from our young people in Brunei Darussalam makes me proud of the way they are meeting the extremely difficult and very complex challenges that they are being asked to face in today’s society.

I trust their judgement. I believe it will always be based, as my own generation’s life and work have been, on the collective wisdom of those who want before us.

I thank them for the excellent contribution they have always made to our country and its development.

As they themselves begin to meet the challenge set by ASEAN’s founding fathers, I wish them great success and all the joys of anticipations, pleasure and simple fun that are the special right of young people everywhere.

Scenes from the water village...

2007-01-15T06:22:00.000+08:00

The gateway to Kampong Ayer. This arch was built in 1968 in honour of His Majesty's coronation.

Typical walkway which is built with wooden planks above the water. This replaces conventional streets in Kampong Ayer.

Happy faces. The population of Kampong Ayer is dwindling as more and more inhabitants move to land. But the ones who remain are happy to do so.

The Brunei River, with Kampong Ayer in the background and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade overlooking it from Subok hill.

The Empire Hotel

2007-01-14T19:57:00.000+08:00

I do love The Empire Hotel. It's grandeur and venues for big impact events are yet unsurpassed here in our Abode of Peace.

I'm sure everybody and his uncle have filled their tummies to bursting at the Atrium Cafe's buffets or marveled at the amount of fresh seafood at Pantai's bbq seafood buffet, but how many individuals actually have their wedding party at The Baze or spend a weekend in one of the beautiful Villas.

The Baze was an experience in itself. This is my 4th time down there but I'm always blown away by the atmosphere. Squint and you can pretend you're in a trendy bar in London. The layout brings me back to my Hippodrome days *hides head in shame* with the big dancefloor in the middle for Essex girls to mince around their handbags wearing patent white stilettoes and the tackiest outfits imaginable...but I digress...The Baze is amazing. The minute you walk in you're in the mood for a P-A-R-T-Y! Go if you can, just make sure you're on the guestlist because security will show you the door otherwise.

on the dancefloor @ The Baze

The Villas are chill. They're for relaxing in good company while having a cold beer or a bellini on the balcony while enjoying the sea breeze. I was immediately struck by the quality of the worksmanship inside and outside. All the lush tropical greenery also adds to the feel of being away on holiday while really only being 20 minutes from home. The service is impeccable. Only gripe is that it sometimes takes a while for the buggies to arrive after you call.

Lazy Sunday @ Villa 6

Villa 6

View from the balcony

The Empire Hotel is situated on acres and acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and boasts a total of NINE swimming pools. The freshwater and saltwater lagoons will give you sandy bottoms much like the beach without the hassle of looking for a toilet. The bedrooms are luxurious and I give their beds 2 thumbs up! The closest I've come to feeling enveloped in comfort is at the Shangri-La Mactan Island whose beds feel so womb-like this primal urge to stay there forever and ever and ever takes over.

For shopaholics like me, the Empire Arcade hosts Jim Thompson, Inner Space, Crimson Square, Waterford & Wedgewood and Bvlgari. Heaven on earth is here ladies! The Spa at the Country Club is also another must visit.

Golf addics will be glad to hear that the Jack Nicklaus designed golf course awaits your balls :p

Our Little India

2007-01-13T18:21:00.000+08:00

Originally posted by Ucingitam.

While waiting for my photos to be printed, I decided to take a little walk at Serusop shopping area or unofficially known as Brunei's Little India. This area is a major attraction for budget shopping and boasts an increasing number of shops, restaurants and sidewalk vendors.

Varieties of freshly fried fritters known as cucur, banana, yam, sweet tapioca cuts coated with flour and then deep fried. Also available curry puffs, spring rolls and other light snacks... you can't resist!

The camera shy street fruit mongers moved away when they saw me approaching with my camera. So I had my sweet time taking photos of their merchandise as much as I could.

Check out some of the exotic fruits of Brunei. The Membangan (Mangifera panjang), a seasonal fruit from the mango family. The tough outer skin can be removed by making longitudinal cuts, revealing a yellow or orange delightful mango fragrance. Pleasantly sweet and juicy, the flesh is smooth but fibrous.

The Kembayau (Canarium odontophyllum), is another unique fruit of Brunei. Quality breeds have oily yellowish appearance while the outer black-purple skin is removed. The edible portion is the mesocarp which is softened by soaking the whole fruit 5-10 minutes in hot water. Eaten with sugar, it has a fine flavour, crunchy with a rich creamy taste.

Another native fruit of South East Asia and Brunei, the Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), has red (sometimes yellow) hairy skin, hence the name rambutan, derived from the Malay word rambut which means hairs. The white fruit flesh is tranlucent, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavour.

Brunei Weddings

2007-01-12T23:44:00.000+08:00

This original piece on Brunei Malay Weddings was posted by SirTambak. Nice one!

Many have written their own versions and understanding of Brunei Malay weddings. Writing from experience of being involved in the whole wedding process or from a guest's point of view or the Bride or Groom's point of view.

Weddings are huge events in Brunei. A Sunday without a wedding somewhere in this country would be like no internet connection for 12 hours. Last year I attended some weddings of distant relatives and also my close friends.

Back in college, my gang and me, we called ourselves 'Barang Dapur' would figure out who would get married the first and the last. I was the youngest in my gang, so I was definitley the last to get married and that prediction is true.

All my friends in 'Barang dapur' have gotten hitched and three of them, 'Sudu', 'Sambal' and 'Sinduk' are now proud father's. Everytime I see them for 'Teh Tarik' or just bumping into them at a shop somewhere, the question would pop up. 'Bah Bila??'

My Fiance and myself have encountered this alot and we have come up with different answers all the time. Practice makes perfect.

Possible answers:-

'Ada tah tu' - 'We'll see'
'Tunggu saja' - 'Just wait'
'Alum ku puas bujang' - 'I still want to enjoy bachelorhood'
'Jan tah ingar' - 'You don't have to worry' (No exact word in English to describe 'ingar')
'Lau ku kawin ada ku manggil' - 'when I get married, I will invite you to my wedding'
'Malas ku kawin! Mahal' - 'I don't want to get married! Its too expensive'
'Ko mau sponsor?' - 'You want to sponsor me?'
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So many things to consider and so many things to plan. The 'Antar Berian' ceremony, The 'Nikah' ceremony, The 'Berbedak' Ceremony and the grand finale - The 'Bersanding' Ceremony.

2007 will be a major year for myself as I will go through these various traditional Malay wedding ceremonies for my wedding. So I revisited MR BR's posts about weddings and he has quite a collection :-

Male Wedding costume - link here
Wedding cost again - link here
Brunei Wedding practices - link here
Questions to ask before saying yes - link here
Bunga Telur - link here

I think I am missing a few so I hope Mr BR could fill me in on some more wedding related articles if I missed any. My big day, insyallah will be in June.

We decided on the date last year in November and we have settled some major things for the wedding and it did not struck me that I was really going to go through with this until last night.

I was pouring a glass of cold milk when my father asked me what colour would I like to have for the family. The usual Brunei wedding is that the close family will be wearing the same colour 'baju cara melayu' and 'baju kurung' or better know as 'Sekayu'. I asked him why was it my decision and my father said 'Well this is 'Your' wedding'.

BAMM!!

As if my head my hit by a 9 degree Stiff flex shaft Titleist driver. I am getting married this year and we had a 'Father Son' talk about how my preparations have gone so far. We still ahve som many things to do but at this rate, I figure we are doing a reasonable job at planning our wedding.

So I will start counting down the sunsets before I am binded lawfully and rightfully to my Fiance that one afternoon in June 2007.

More of Gadong Wet Market

2007-01-12T21:58:00.000+08:00

A morning spent @ Gadong Wet Market

2007-01-12T20:22:00.000+08:00

This is an excellent piece by Bruneian on the Gadong Wet Market which gives us an insight into the everyday life of a market seller in Brunei. More pictures here, here, and here.

Located near the famous Mall gadong. It is one stop shopping center for chefs and alike. Loads and loads of raw materials for them here, waiting to be processed. Anakbrunei, zadm and I went there yesterday (Sunday, Jan 8th) to do 50mm outing. It’s a perfect place for it.

The fish mongers were a little bit shy at first. We can hear them shouting “nah kana gambar tia, ada mukamu arah pelita ni” to the ones we took pictures. Translation: Your pictures will be published at Pelita Brunei (weekly local newspaper published by the government).

Everytime we took a snap, they always asked where we are from, “Dari Media permata kah?” (Are you from Media Permata?). Another local daily published malay newspaper. Anakbrunei told them “inda, dari Majalah Juran” (no, I am not, I am from Juran magazine), a magazine published by our neighboring country specializing on fishing. I just smile and chuckle every time Anakbrunei tell them that.

As we ventured out deeper into the market, things are getting more welcoming. They offered to post for us. After a while, we become friends to them. They started to waved to us and asked us to take pictures of their counterparts, stalls and fishes.

I stumbled upon familiar faces, in fact lots of them, as most of them came from Kampong Ayer. We used to go to the same school together. Some lived nearby my father's house at Kampong Ayer. It’s been ages. Good to talk to them again.

After 40 minutes or so we mingled with those friendly fish mongers, we started to move upstairs. Now, this is different sceneries. Oh, I forgot to mention that there are 2 stories. The ground floor is where all the fishes, meat, chickens and sort are sold. The first floor is where the fresh vegetables, fruits and daily consumables like eggs are sold.

I was surprised. Why is this different? I thought it should be full of people as the ground floor but it is almost empty. Not many people are venturing to the first floor. I wonder why. We could see all sort of vegetables and fruits available there but yet, the floor is almost empty.

They also enquire where we are from and hoping that we are from the local media. They would like for us to write article about how bad their businesses over there are. Some even told us that they can’t even a single dollar in a day. Now, that is really bad. We were day on Sunday, and it’s supposed to be the busiest day for them but yet, we hardly see any customer on the first floor. There are lots of them ground floor thou.

I wonder why they don’t go and venture upstairs. Perhaps they don’t like to climb up the stairs? They don’t know the existence? Or they prefer to go to Tamu Kianggeh to buy vegetables? I also realize that there are no “advertisement signage” pointing to the first floor something like “Sayur dan buah-buahan segar di tingkat atas” Trans: Fresh vegetables and fruits available upstairs. Perhaps not enough advertisement or coverage for them?

We stumbled upon something interesting. An office! Right next to the stalls at the back-end. I convinced Anakbrunei to take a picture of the office together with the stall next to it. Couldn’t get a good angle, since this is strictly a 50mm only outing. We need wider angle lens! But, promise is still promise…

The guy told us that this is the bandaran office (municipal office). Well not their main branch but this office is for administer the market. All those admin works specifically for the wet market. He told us that this is just a temporary office since their original one is taken over by the relocated fish mongers from Kianggeh floating market. I read it on the newspaper where all those floating boats at Kianggeh is now relocated to the Gadong wet market. They are not allowed to sell there anymore.

Wait a minute, a thought strike. My father still lives in Kampong Ayer and he does not have a car. He only shops at the nearby Bandar Seri Begawan. A friend of mine that has a stall on the ground floor told me that they could use the public transport, the bus. Now, that’s one thing that is alien to us. My father hates public transport. He rather walks from gadong. Simply because he does not feel safe, he told me. Well, he don’t have to. That’s what a son is for. I am just a call away from the wet market .. hehehe The market is also accessible using water taxi, which is if it’s a high tide. It was a low tide yesterday.

We end the trip by having iced milo and kasturi ping kosong. There is a restaurant on the first floor. This is where the fishmongers fill their hungry stomach after a hard morning trying to sell their stocks. Interestingly enough, some of them brought their own fresh fish there and asked the ladies to cook their favorite dish for them. Now, that’s something out of ordinary. Bring your own fish and we cook them for you.

Brunei Tanahairku

2007-01-11T21:40:00.000+08:00

This was originally posted here by fellow blogger s.a.s on September 28th, 2006. I thought it was a fantastic piece on our hopes for Brunei Tourism.

...Yesterday, along with other passengers heading to Singapore, I saw the big boss from Tourism Board and two officers. I personally know one of the officers (on professional level) and the officer said they will be in Singapore for a week due to work commitments. I believe they have an exhibition set up here in their effort to promote Brunei as a tourist destination.

Sometimes we take things for granted, believing that Brunei Darussalam is already known to those abroad. But you will be very surprise when some think that Brunei is part of Africa because of Darussalam, some think that we live on a tree, some think that Brunei is somewhere in the Arabian kingdom. I think you will face this particularly if you are abroad and trying to explain where is Brunei.

Funny thing though is, when we mention our beloved monarch, people will straight away know he is one of the richest man in the world and when we try to give a geographical explanation and could not help mentioning “it is somewhere near Singapore” or “on Borneo island”, only then they gave an acknowledging nod.

My point here is, we should appreciate Tourism Board’s effort in trying to promote Brunei as a tourist destination. Perhaps some of you will think what is there to offer? We are not as exciting as Singapore, Malaysia or Thailand. But we should support the eco-tourism industry we are trying to promote. Let’s harness that for our benefit.

I remember one of my close friend who came to visit me from Australia said that Brunei is a good place to raise her kids. Hehe! A few years back, I met a Chinese lady from Kuala Lumpur on my flight back to Brunei and she said the same thing too. Although that is not directly linked to tourism, but it is an indication that Brunei do has some hidden treasures yet to be discovered even by us.

In the effort to enhance and strengthen our tourism industry, the Government established its own Tourism Board on July 11, 2005. The tourism arm under the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources was also upgraded and known as the Department of Tourism Development.

In two years time, Brunei will have its ‘Visit Brunei Year 2008′ where the board has underlined six objectives to make it a success.

Among those mentioned were; to increase tourist’s arrivals at a minimum of seven per cent annually; to increase hotel occupancy by a rate of 50 to 60 per cent by 2008; to have a new Cultural Village fully operational by end of 2007; and to increase domestic tourism.

The board has started its promotion with the first kicked off in Vietnam in June this year. That coincided with the opening of our national carrier’s new branch office at Ho Chi Minh City.

This brings me to my next point, traveling now should no longer be a hassle particularly between ASEAN member countries particularly since Brunei is signatory to the Multilateral Agreement on the Liberalisation of Passenger Air Services on December 27, 2004. As an ‘open skies’ treaty that contains unlimited third and fourth freedom traffic rights, it enables Brunei-owned airlines to operate into the signatory states while carrying passengers from other non-signatories.

Other signatories to this treaty include Singapore and Thailand.

Also a point to be taken is that visa are now exempted for travelling between ASEAN member countries. However, it is provided that your visit is less than 14 days and you are there only for a visit. This has been agreed recently so hopefully, we will benefit from it, particularly for our tourism industry.

A number of events in the bid to attract tourists had been organised such as the ASIAN PGA Golf ‘Brunei Open’ 2006, the Inakako Fireworks in November (tbc), 2nd Brunei Marathon in December and many more. Maybe you can come up with more activities or events that the board can look into.

I know we still have a lot of homework to do and make room for changes (such as ensure good and efficient public transport, proper public restrooms, proper travel guide and etc) to make it a success, but we are still young, let the tourism industry progress positively with our support.

Jame' Asr Mosque

2007-01-11T19:44:00.000+08:00

One of my most memorable photo outings was the one with The Sifu, none other than Mr David Cheok. He led us, or shall I say dragged us up to a steep rock hill somewhere in Subok. With all the photography equipment we had to carry, the climb and later the descent was not an easy one for a flatland person like me. But I tell you, it was worth the time, David said "when the going gets tough, the pictures gets going". He was right! One of my favourites is this view of the Jame' Asr Mosque at sunset taken from the hill. I'm not really good in photo post-processing but I thought I'd just share it.

The mosque was built sometime in the mid or late 80s to commemorate 25 years of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah's reign and it can accomodate up to 3500 worshippers in the main prayer hall.

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III Mosque

2007-01-11T06:45:00.000+08:00

This is probably the most photographed mosque in Brunei. The Masjid Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III. It is located in the heart of the state capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. In my opinion, it's the most beautiful mosque in Brunei.

Welcome - Selamat Datang!

2007-01-01T23:59:00.000+08:00

Welcome to VB2008! This site is created in the run-up to Visit Brunei Year 2008 to provide as much "informal" information to those who will be interested to visit Brunei Darussalam, the Land of Hidden Treasures, in 2008.

The format of this blog will be simple and informal. The authors comprise of the members of Brunei Darussalam's blogosphere who have kindly agreed to contribute their thoughts in words and images, all in the name of promoting Brunei Darussalam as a must-go destination in 2008!

Hope you enjoy visiting this site as much as I'm certain we will enjoy contributing to it!!

Cheers
AnakBrunei