The stilt villages of Kampong Ayer stand in stark contrast to the glittering gold domes and perfected promenades of Bandar Seri Begawan. Brunei is Southeast Asia’s smallest nation; but one of the wealthiest in the region.
So what is it about Kampong Ayer that makes it special?
A city on stilts
There are boats speeding by, cats curling around empty fishing baskets, an old man fishing from his doorstep and washing fluttering on the line. It looks pretty similar to any Asian village one might describe, except for the distinguishing factor. This is a sprawling village built on stilts, literally extending out above the Brunei River.
Albeit, the scale of the water village is more akin to a waterside metropolis. Nearly half of the downtown city population lives in the stilted villages. It’s home to an estimated 13,000 of the city’s 27,000 people.
There are stilted mosques, schools, a post office, restaurants, police stations and a fire department, all above water.
Map of Kampong Ayer
Wooden walkways span a total of 30km connecting the 30 villages that collectively make up Kampong Ayer. It’s hard to comprehend the extent of the city sprawl from the ground, but it does make more sense with a birds eye view:
Logistics of a floating settlement
For most of the villages in Kampong Ayer, the stilted houses are connected to modern utilities. Houses have running water, electricity and satellite tv, and we even saw a few with air conditioning units.
People get around by boat and water taxi; a mode of transportation that earned Kampong Ayer the nickname “Venice of the East”. Otherwise, they can walk between homes using the maze-like series of interconnected wooden walkways that join some areas of the villages.
Pipes alongside the stilted walkways carry freshwater to the homes, and cables overhead bring electricity.
An instinctive question on my mind was about waste management. Apparently, waste is a persisting issue for both governmental and non-government agencies supporting sustainability in Kampong Ayer. Though conversely, the challenges of rubbish pollution didn’t stand out in particular during our tour (not like in some areas of Southeast Asia).
It is acknowledged that pollution in the villages and surrounding area is not solely sourced from the settlement. Rubbish management upstream is not entirely effective and flows down the tributaries into the Brunei River. However, most areas of the villages have modern sewerage systems to link up with systems on the mainland.
What to look out for
- Fire Station: This is apparently much more necessary than first instinct might consider. The biggest risk of fire within the water villages comes from the old wiring in the original homes.
- Police Station: This is recognisable with signs in the global police colours of blue and white.
- Schools on stilts: Each village district has its own school. There are separate primary and secondary schools, with segregated schools for boys and girls as well as religious schools for resident muslim pupils.
- DPMM Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah Mosque: A beautiful green and gold domed Mosque on the estuary perimeter with incredible views from the water.
- Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge: A cable-stayed bridge connecting the City Centre and Sungai Kebun.
Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery
Kampong Ayer opened its own visitor centre in 2009, inaugurated by His Royal Highness The Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah. The gallery style of display showcase artefacts and relics from early years of settlement in Kampong Ayer along with great photos and explanations of village traditions.
We wondered if this would be worth visiting in Brunei with the kids. Fortunately, the gallery is small, thoughtfully designed and interesting enough to capture their attention and allowed us time to enjoy the displays and information.
A highlight of visiting the gallery is the lookout tower above the building. The tower is only two levels high, but that is plenty high enough to afford fantastic views out over the stilt villages.
Opening hours
- Monday – Sunday: 9:00AM – 5:00PM
- Friday: 09:00AM – 11:30AM and 2:30PM – 5:00PM
- Entrance fee: Free
- Address: Kampong Lurong Sikuna, Kampong Ayer, Bandar Seri Begawan
From the waterfront in Bandar Seri Begawan it is easy to wave down a water taxi (rephrase: you will be approached immediately). It is a quick trip across the river to the Tourism Gallery and should cost B$1.00 per person for the one-way trip.
How to visit Kampong Ayer
Getting to the waterfront: From your hotel it is likely possible to walk into town. We did from our hotel accommodation at Le Gallery Suites Hotel in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Otherwise you have several options:
Bus: There are local buses that run different routes around the city. Ask your hotel for information of the closest bus stop. The main bus terminal is located right in the heart of Bandar Seri Begawan.
Taxi: This is the most comfortable option for transport in Bandar Seri Begawan, although there are a limited number of taxis actually working in the city. You can call for a taxi service at +673 222 2214 or +673 222 6853.
Rideshare: Dart is Brunei’s equivalent of Uber. You can download the app and use this in the same way as other ridesharing apps. We did this, however actually found it quicker to walk to town. Given the size of Brunei’s capital city and the number of taxis available per capita, this is a relatively new and growing option. We visited in March 2019. Visit their website at Dart Brunei for more information on how to download and use the app.
Water taxi: This is the best option from the town centre and the most obvious choice for exploring the sprawling water villages. Our driver took us up the river and dropped us close to the Central Market after our tour of Kampong Ayer. A cool experience and exciting mode of city transport!
The verdict
Despite global claim as the world largest stilt village, Kampong Ayer still flies under the radar in the mainstream tourist world.
This is great news for us as travelers to Brunei, and we were able to explore without hordes of tourists to compete with. However, I cautiously wonder how long it will be before the arrival of visitors impacts on the presently unaltered lifestyle of villagers living this way for generations.
There is hope from the government of Brunei that in showcasing and sharing the incredible settlement of Kampong Ayer, so will it help to preserve and revive the socio-cultural heritage of its community. I hope this is true.
More about travel planning for Brunei and beyond…
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