In case you are wondering why choose a stopover in Brunei? Well, have you heard of Proboscis monkeys?! A picture of that nose and the potential opportunity to see one in the Borneo jungle… The challenge was on!
We booked flights between the Philippines and Vietnam to include a stopover in Brunei. And we found that with two days, you can be sure to see the best of Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
Here is our stopover in Brunei itinerary plus the best six things about visiting Brunei, one challenge, and a few things to know before you go…
- About Brunei
- 6 Reasons to visit Brunei
- One challenge in Brunei
- Getting around
- Where to stay in Brunei
- Know before your stopover in Brunei
About Brunei, quickly
- Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
- Population: 428,962 (2018)
- Official language: Malay
- Currency: Brunei dollar (BND)
- Religion: 78.8% Sunni Islam, 8.7% Christian, 7.8% Buddhist, 4.7% Other.
Our stopover in Brunei itinerary
Here are the best things to do in Brunei with a short stopover.
We had three nights in Brunei and found two days of exploring a great amount to make the most of our stopover in Brunei.
1. Kampong Ayer
The incredible stilt village of Kampong Ayer was our first outing in Brunei. The ‘village’ is actually a historical settlement of 42 contiguous stilt villages built along the banks of the Sungai Brunei, and home to over 30,000 people.
The houses are all built on stilts, extending out over the water, with each village cluster including schools, fire and police stations.
It is easy to find a water taxi long boat on the riverside to explore Kampong Ayer. Boat drivers hang about near the small jetties and will approach you as soon as you head anywhere near(!) the river banks.
We ended up finding a driver who took us out two days in a row. The first day to Kampong Ayer, and he met us again on the second day for a two hour outing to the jungle to find proboscis monkeys.
2. Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque
The Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is often considered one of the most beautiful mosque in South East Asia, renowned for its glittering gold domes and iconic modern Islamic architecture style.
The gold minaret tower is the tallest structure in all of Bandar Seri Begawan meaning it can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.
However, everything closes in Brunei on Friday between 12:00-2:00pm for religious time and prayer.
- Tip: Don’t forget this when planning your stopover in Brunei as the mosque closes to non-Muslims during this time.
BUT, before it closed, and after much sign language and ushering, the boys had a chance to join and copy the other men washing at the ablution block as part of the ritual before entering the mosque for prayer. (They definitely appreciated the secondary chance to cool down while doing so!).
3. Proboscis Monkeys
We asked Oscar if he was pleased we found some of the monkeys we had built up as such a planned highlight for our stopover in Brunei. His response?
“It’s the best day of my life!”
We weren’t sure if we would see the monkeys on our trip as we heard from our hotel on arriving that there haven’t been so many sightings lately.
We saw two! I haven’t got any photo evidence, as truthfully they were quite far away and we were enjoying the moment (as you do, monkey-spotting in Brunei). But they are cool looking things!
Proboscis monkeys are renowned for their huge noses. We saw two, hiding right up in the treetops… And I think that made the day for all of us!
4. Brunei location for a stopover
For travellers, Brunei has a fantastic location for accessibility in South East Asia.
As soon as we searched flight routes we saw layovers between the Philippines and Vietnam, stopping in Bandar Seri Begawan. It didn’t alter the cost of our flights to extend that to a stopover in Brunei (as opposed to a layover).
In my opinion that makes it a great reason to add Brunei to the travel list!
5. It is a lesser-known and tourist-less destination
A huge drawcard of Brunei for us was confidence in the lack of tourists we would find there. And that certainly proved true.
Brunei doesn’t have the allure of other South East Asian travel destinations, but as an upside to that it has a refreshing lack of tourists.
We found people of Brunei to be welcoming (aside from being chased out of the mosque for Friday prayer time) and very friendly.
Attractions aren’t crowded in Brunei. And there isn’t the stress of negotiating transport and fares with locals who are used to unsuspecting tourists.
6. Brunei feels safe and clean
The vibe of Brunei is peaceful and safe.
We felt comfortable walking around Brunei with the kids and were impressed by the cleanliness of Bandar Seri Begawan.
One challenge in Brunei
Everything closes in Brunei on Friday from 12:00-2:00pm, with a lot of shops shut for the rest of the afternoon. Well, we forgot! We hadn’t made the connection that being a Friday in an Islamic country that schedules and operating hours for many things change on a Friday.
Picture us at 11:50am on Friday; swelteringly hot, having just walked the 40 minutes into the centre of town to see the Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque. We hadn’t realised it was just about to close.
We had run out of drinking water and were suddenly alerted to the fact that in 10 minutes time, every single shop would be shut for the next two hours. And no taxi’s would be running…
I ran!
(As fast as I could in the 35°C sun).
The kids were both bright red and looked near collapsing due to overheating after our walk into town.
I knew we needed to find something to drink, but for the life of me I couldn’t recognise any convenience stores… The only shop I could recognise within a 200m radius was KFC!
I don’t think I have ever been so grateful to see KFC in my life.
We spend our travels refusing plastic straws and bottled water, but in the hour following that dramatic learning curve, drinking cold water and KFC orange juice on the steps outside tasted like the best thing out.
Getting around in Brunei
It’s easy to arrange an airport pickup with your hotel in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Getting around the city of Bandar Seri Begawan in the day time is easy as well. We walked into town each time.
Brunei has an Uber/Grab-like system called ‘Dart’ which looks easy to use. However, due to the small size of Brunei there aren’t a huge number of taxis or Dart cabs and they therefore require booking with a more notice than usual. We found it easiest to walk.
And obviously for Kampong Ayer, you need a water taxi!
Where we stayed
Le Gallery Suites Hotel is a fantastic location to explore Bandar Seri Begawan from. Three nights accommodation in a family room cost $298 NZD ($196 USD) with breakfast vouchers included for the restaurant next door, My Town Eating House.
- Hotel: Le Gallery Suites Hotel
Breakfast is amazing! We looked forward to it each morning.
Moreover, the hotel is on the same street as a small convenience shop, friendly laundrette and a gorgeous bakery selling all kinds of treats. I would recommend staying here for your visit or stopover in Brunei.
Know before your stopover in Brunei
Brunei is small nation and we often don’t hear a lot about it as a country; good or bad.
However, if you are visiting Brunei it is important to know before you go that as an Islamic sultanate, Brunei is governed under strict Sharia law.
Essentially, this means that it has strict rules in line with its deeply-held reverence for religion. There are laws and restrictions regarding homosexuality, unmarried couples sharing a hotel room, defamation of the Sultan, and/or overstaying your visa. The sale of alcohol is also banned within the country.
Travellers to Brunei are expected to follow the rules as well, with few exceptions.
Brunei is a fascinating country, rich in culture and natural beauty. And unsurprisingly, size-wise the highlights of Brunei can be visited in two days.
So what do you think? Would you make a stopover in Brunei?
More about travel planning for Brunei and beyond…
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- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. And it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally. (We love their flexible cancellation policy!).
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. It includes everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home).
