Anytime I’m going to be traveling far to another country, I try to take as much time as I can to explore as many places in the area as I can. In February of 2020, we had a wedding in Phuket, and decided to make it a 2 week trip and see what other new countries we could visit. As soon as I heard about Brunei, I knew it was going to the top of our Asia hit list. This small country is not a place overwhelmed with tourists, and most Americans I mentioned it to had never heard of it, which of course made me want to go even more.
The small, Muslim country is tucked along the northern coast of the Borneo Island, which shares space between Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It is considered one of the safest places to travel, with nearly no crime, no pollution, and incredibly friendly residents.
Anytime you’re traveling, it’s important to be considerate of local culture and customs. Being that Brunei is a majority Muslim country, it’s especially important to think ahead of time about your attire and activities. While not nearly as strict as other countries, I opted to wear long pants anytime I was in public, and to cover both my chest and my shoulders. We did encounter some women who were wearing short skirts or tank tops, but they were very much in the minority, and stood out among rest. The country is a very warm climate, so I recommend finding something loose to keep you cool. There is no need to cover up your head with a scarf, and in the few mosques we did enter, they all provided robes for free for us to put on and return after the visit.
The Empire Hotel is definitely the nicest hotel in the entire city. It’s a bit outside of the main areas of town, and set in a sprawling landscape with everything you could need for a long relaxing vacation. You’re right on the water, with multiple pools, restaurants, even a movie theater on property.
The hotel was able to arrange a pickup for us from the airport, and getting our luggage and getting through customs was a breeze. We arrived at the hotel pretty late, and the front desk let us know that we were their last check-in for the evening. They gave us an overview of the property, and gave us a golf cart ride over to our luxurious room. There are so many buildings at the resort, and our building was a beautiful open air space complete with outdoor benches everywhere for reading, ponds with fish, and the smell of the sea breeze.
The next morning, we woke up early and had breakfast at the Atrium Cafe buffet on a top floor in the hotel’s main lobby. The spread was INCREDIBLE with all types of cuisines. They had an omelet station, an entire menu of fresh dim sum, a make your own jook bar, noodles, and pretty much any other breakfast possibility you could wish for. We sat at a beautiful table overlooking the lobby and the massive windows out to the pool area and the water.
After breakfast, we met with our tour guide for the day at the front of the hotel. Another great perk of the hotel, was that they were able to arrange for a full day private guided tour of the city. They had a variety of different tours you could choose from, or the ability to make your own itinerary.
Our first stop on the tour was the Istana Nurul Iman, the royal palace. You can’t visit inside the palace, but our guide brought us to the majestic gates for a photo op and a bit of history about the country of Brunei and the royal family. It was just our luck that while we were standing at the gates, a member of the royal family was leaving the palace, and we were able to watch the motorcade leave.
Our second stop was the Jame’ ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, the largest mosque in the country of Brunei. It certainly is impressive, and is known for its 29 golden domes. One of the great things about our tour, was that we were able to enter certain parts of both mosques we visited, and our guide was able to give us more information about the history of the beautiful buildings, as well as interesting facts about the current uses of each space. While the insides were incredible, we weren’t able to take photos out of respect for those who were actively worshipping in the space.
Our third stop was the The Royal Regalia Museum. This free museum chronicles the history of Brunei and focuses mostly on the life of the Sultan and his family. Shoes must be left outside of the museum and all of your belongings must be checked into lockers at the front desk. We were lucky that our tour guide knew an incredible amount about the museum, and he took us on a personalized tour, pointing out the most important historical events, and giving us additional detail on the many personal items of the royal family inside the exhibits. Upstairs, you can view an entire floor of gifts received by other countries and dignitaries, and you can have your camera and belongings back for a photo in the main lobby with the chariot used in the most recent parade.
Next up was the Kampong Ayer, or Water Village. It has sometimes been called the “Venice of the East” and is an entire settlement on the water, with houses and walkways built on stilts. Our guide took us on a boat ride around the village, pointing out the schools, fire stations, boat taxi stops, and mosques.
After a tour of the area, we were able to dock and take a walk through some of the village on the narrow wooden walkways (with no railings!), and then visit one of the homes, where we were able to sit and talk with the owner, see what a traditional home looks like, and sample some homemade treats and tea.
Our second mosque for the day was the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque. On the way, we walked through a beautiful park, complete with a small coffee shop, and this beautiful frame in which to take the perfect photo of the mosque. The building is surrounded by a moat, with a replica of a 16th century barge in the middle. You can also take a quick tour of certain parts of this mosque, although photos are not allowed inside.
While technically not on our official tour, our guide was kind enough to stop at the Pasar Malam Gadong Night Market before heading back to our hotel. We grabbed a TON of different items to try, all large portions for a dollar or two.
We brought everything back to the hotel to enjoy, with the exception of the incredible Avocado juice drink that we consumed immediately as we walked the stands. I’d suggest making sure to try at least one if not two of the fresh juices, a few skewers, some noodles, and some of the delicious sweets made with fresh banana.
The next morning, we decided to have dim sum breakfast at the Li Gong Restaurant on the hotel property. It may have been just because we were visiting right as COVID was beginning to emerge, but it was EMPTY in the hotel. We had the Li Gong restaurant entirely to ourselves for the whole morning, and that did not stop them from pulling out all of the stops and indulging us in the largest breakfast two humans have ever consumed. The menu is extensive, and the food was incredible.
After breakfast we headed out to spend the day at the pool. The North Lagoon area was our favorite, and had the best views of the ocean. There was only one other person sunbathing at the pool when we were there, so we basically had the entire place to ourselves.
As soon as we sat down, we were given towels, cold water, and fresh orange slices, all of which were replenished throughout the afternoon. There is no alcohol in Brunei, and the menu was full of incredible juices and smoothies, along with poolside snacks.
After a wonderful morning/afternoon in the sun, we headed back to shower and change, and grab our ride back to the airport. From Brunei, we made our way to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, another new city and country for both of us!
Have questions about Brunei travel, or ideas for the next Asian adventure? Let me know in the comments!
