Filipino News 166

BANDAR SERI BEGA-
WAN - You get that million-dollar
feeling the
moment you arrive in
Bandar Seri Begawan
(Bandar for short) -
Brunei’s capital city. I
would best describe my
experience as being akin to
entering Aladdin’s cave.
This tiny nation, awash
with its oil wealth, displays
breathtaking opulence at
every turn. It appears that
no expense has been
spared in constructing the
Sultan’s grandiose palaces,
its incredible
mosques, the glamourous
buildings, the flashy
tourist attractions and also
for tourists, an extravagant
7-star hotel that
should be on your
travel bucket list.
This oil rich sultanate,
sandwiched
between the East
Malaysia states of
Sabah and Sarawak,
is accessible by either air
or sea.
There are no direct
flights to this destination
from New Zealand, so you
need to fly on a couple of
carriers and put up with
some stops to get there.
Some of the carriers flying
directly to the state include
Malaysian Airlines,
Singapore Airlines and
Philippine Airlines.
Once neglected by the
travel agents, Brunei
gained ground as a
tourist destination once
the state-owned Royal
Brunei Airlines (RBA)
started operations in
1974. Over the years,
flight capacity to and
hotel accommodation in
this destination were
boosted as tourism was
actively promoted by
Brunei Tourism and
RBA.
Today Brunei is an
attractive stopover and
tourists will find their visit
to this land of plenty richly
rewarding. There is so
much to take in during
your visit - the natural
bounty, the modern
delights, the history, the
culture and of course, the
cuisine. It is also good to
know that 90% of the population
is fully vaxxed.
There is a wide range of
accommodation available
in Bandar, but I wouldn’t
go past the 7-star Empire
Hotel in Jerudong which
overlooks the glittering
South China Sea.
One of the hotel executives
fondly describes this
tropical retreat as a ‘little
palace’. How true. You will
be mesmerized by its
grandeur - the juxtaposition
of old-world charm
and elegance with modern
gold fixtures everywhere,
spacious and exquisitely
designed guest rooms, private
beaches, a championship
golf course, five
pools, six restaurants and
even a cinema. I was not
surprised to hear that it
took 6 years to build this
tropical retreat.
Here's a travel tip. Note
that entertainment, on the
scale that tourists are
accustomed to in most
Asian tourist hot spots, is
practically non-existent
here.
In this strictly Islamic
state there are no nightclubs,
the sale of alcohol is
not encouraged and there
is a clamp-down on gambling
and prostitution.
Some would call it a ghost
town after dark.
So, what is there to do
once you get there? Lots of
exciting things, actually.
My first stop was the
very source of Brunei’s
wealth - the oil towns of
Seria and Kuala Belait.
They almost resemble
Texan oil towns with their
huge and impressive oil
and gas work complexes.
The trunk road from
Bandar to these towns is 78
km long and is Brunei’s
only highway.
Nearly everyone of
Brunei’s population of
500,000 is either employed
by Brunei Shell or associated
with the oil business
in some way.
For the moment, revenue
(above:) The luxurious Empire Hotel. (right:) Kampong Ayer
For the adventurous there
are the nature reserves.
The Quaint
Sultanate
from the gushing crude oil
and gas enables the people
there to live in relative
prosperity. The richest little
kingdom in the region,
it enjoys one of the highest
living standards in Asia
and is gearing up to
achieve a per capita
income within the top 10
countries in the world.
It is good to know that
there is no income tax in
Brunei and education and
medical care are free.
C I T Y T O U R :
Bandar still retains its
small-town charm, as towering
skyscrapers have yet
to take over the town. I
drove around the Istana
Nurul Iman (the royal
palace), the golden Sultan
Omar Ali Saifuddien
Mosque (which is among
the largest mosques in
Southeast Asia) and the
even grander Kairong
Mosque, the largest in
Brunei.
A visit to one of these
grandiose mosques is an
eye-opener with their marble
minarets, gold domes,
the mixture of Malay and
Mughal elements and
Saudi Arabian carpets covering
the floors as British
chandeliers hang from the
ceilings.
Two other city attractions
worth visiting are the
Royal Regalia Museum
and the 1 Billion Dollar
Jerudong Theme Park.
TOUR 1:
A not-to-be-missed slice
of life attraction is
Kampong Ayer (nicknamed
the Venice of the
East) - the largest water
village in the world.
This is where 50,000
Bruneians, or a quarter of
the population of the city,
live in houses perched on
stilts. It is the home of fishermen,
silver craftsmen
and locals who find living
on the river much cooler.
TOUR 2:
The rainforest is just 3-5
km from the city. For the
adventurous there are the
nature reserves, caves and
a waterfall to explore. If
time permits travel by
longboat to Temburong
National Park, 45 minutes
away, for a close-up view
of the jungle. You might
even glimpse some of the
abundant native species
that have survived here.
If you are in a hurry then
sign up for the Mangrove
and River Safari - this is an
By Mel Fernandez
www.travelgalore.nz
exciting speed-boat trip to
the ‘Everglades country’
up the Brunei River.
TOUR 3:
The immensity of the
Borneo jungle becomes
apparent when you visit
the Iban longhouse at
Temburong. The Ibans are
very hospitable people and
they go to great lengths to
make you feel at home.
Their community life and
primitive hunting are truly
fascinating.
If you have the time,
travel further to visit the
Limbang longhouses inside
Sarawak. Travel documents
are necessary for
this journey.
FOOD TOUR:
It is no surprise that
there is a thriving restaurant
scene in town. Highly
recommended eateries are
the Aminah Arif Restaurant
and the Rizquan Café,
which offer the superb
local favourite ‘nasi katok’
- rice with chicken or beef
and anchovies and a spicy
sauce wrapped in banana
leaves. Another version of
this rice dish is the Loklo
Nasi Campur at Westpark
Corner.
Other must try dishes
are soto (liver and intestine
noodle soup), grilled
clams, satay, pulut panga
(sticky rice) and do try the
national dish of Brunei -
ambuyat – sago palm jelly.
Preferring the street
food experience, I tried a
variety of popular fare at
the Pasir Gadong Night
Market.
To wrap up I’d say that
Brunei is a great travel
experience, because it is literally
out of this world.
Comparing it with my
Ambuyat - the national dish
of Brunei.
sojourns around bustling
South East Asia, I found
that the main difference in
the quaint sultanate is that
it is not swamped by
tourists and it offers a
relaxing, slower pace of
life. A great place to
recharge.
Selamat datang! (welcome).
Mel Fernandez travelled to
Brunei from Singapore courtesy
of Brunei Airlines.