Anyone know Brunei?

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::BlackBerryLicious::

aLO macha..we dont need to produce any proof to you coz we dont lie about having you as our neigbouring country and we know where exactly is your country is situated and knows whats happening in there..

one thing for sure, there's no happening clubs in Brunei...huhuuhu!!...believe me or not that some of their cafes & restaurants do serves alcohols but it is served in teapots!!...lol...cant you imagine that... :-p

alunhill

The tiny but thriving Islamic Sultanate of Brunei perches on the northwestern coast of Borneo, completely encircled by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak.

It has a population of 323,000, nearly seventy percent of which is made up of Malays and indigenes from the larger ethnic groups like the Murut and Dusun; the rest are Chinese, Indians, smaller indigenous tribes and expats. They enjoy a quality of life that is quite unparalleled in Southeast Asia, with the literacy rate a staggering 93.7 percent of the population. Education and healthcare are free; houses, cars, and even pilgrimages to Mecca are subsidized; taxation on personal income is unheard of; and the average per capita salary is around US$19,000.

The explanation is simple: oil, first discovered in 1903 at the site of what is now the town of Seria.

The sultanate's full name is Negara Brunei Darussalam, the "Country of Brunei, the Abode of Peace", and peaceful is a fair, if rather polite, description of the state.

Nightlife is almost nonexistent, and liquor extremely hard to get hold of since a ban in 1991. Until recently, the Sultan viewed the development of a tourist industry as unnecessary, and there's been little for visitors to do in Brunei. However, things are gradually changing. Brunei is becoming less introspective and looking more to the West.

You can see the results in the building of smart plazas with their requisite coffee bars in the capital Bandar. The authorities are starting to promote Brunei's natural resources, and sections of pristine rainforest like Ulu Temburong National Park in eastern Brunei are opening up to visitors.

The lack of accommodation outside the capital is being tackled by the recently formed homestay programme - where travellers overnight in Malay and Murut kampungs (villages) and Iban longhouses. This opportunity to share in rural life is gaining popularity.

Add to this the fact that the capital Bandar Seri Begawan is an attractive city, with two exquisite mosques and the fascinating Kampung Ayer stilt village , and a stop-off in Brunei is a more appealing proposition than ever before.

That said, the problem remains that Brunei is more expensive than neigbouring Malaysia or even Singapore - hotel prices in the capital are at least double those in nearby Kota Kinabalu or Miri.

Most travellers still end up in Brunei either because of an enforced stopover on a Royal Brunei Airlines flight, or as a stepping stone to either Sabah or Sarawak. In the latter case, however, it can work out cheaper to take an internal MAS flight between Miri and Labuan rather than bussing it through Brunei.

Brunei's climate , like that of neighbouring Sabah and Sarawak, is hot and humid, with average temperatures in the high twenties throughout the year. Lying 440km north of the equator, Brunei has a tropical weather system, so even if you visit outside the official wet season (usually November to February) there's every chance that you'll see some rain.

Alun Hill MCIJ , Travel Writer - From My Website!

hushpuppy

been to brunei once.
i am raised in kk, sabah so it's not at all that surprising, is it?
let's just say my dad loves to sit by the river bank, and slowly falls into sleep as he watches the boat going to and fro carrying people from the "water house".

f0xymoron

I live there now, and have been here for three years. I live in Kuala Belait, and my husband works for Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) at Panaga. It's quiet, but there's plenty to do and my children love it. I know what you mean about nobody knowing where it is - in my experience, people generally think it's somewhere near Dubai and ask about the desert - it's tropical rainforest! Nothing like a desert!

Silence Bee

yes.i know Brunei.its a small country near Borneo.Brunei regained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984.

dyzmie

What i know about Brunei is the country is quite conservative and religious. Seldom heard of conflicts going on there. ( example political conflicts) Furthermore no nightlife, for example disco, pub. And the best part Singapore and Brunei are totally agree with each other. Even our currency exchange rate totally the same as Brunei. Not more, not less. I still remember i used to use Brunei dollars to purchase items here in Singapore.

everest

Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, is situated on the north west coast of Borneo, sandwiched in between the Malaysian province of Sarawak. Brunei Darussalaam is the countryâ€™s official name and means: â€˜Abode of the Peaceâ€™.
This tiny sultanate is rich in oil and its inhabitants are wealthy. Sultan, Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Negara Brunei Darussalam - to give his full name and title, or His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah â€“ to use the popular name is one of the richest men on earth. Brunei is a prosperous country, money seems to play no role.

The sultan looks well after his people: They pay no taxes, education and health care are free, everyone gets a pension and the minimum wage is the highest in south east Asia. Bruneians are well off moneywise but have not been allowed to vote since 1962.

What surprised me most: No one walks in Brunei, no one seems to do any work.
When I stepped out of my hotel I found no one walking in the streets. I found no heavy traffic, no noise, no pollution, no motorbikes. Almost silently people move in their air-conditioned four-wheel-drive cars.

No one is walking in the streets. It seems as if the city is deserted. I ascribed this to the heat of the afternoon. But soon found out that night-life is non-existent and in the cool morning hours there is not much activity either.

The only people in the streets are tourists and immigrant workers who work in restaurants, in shops, tending the gardens round the mosque. Bruneians are invisible, hidden in their air-conditioned house and cars.

Favourite spots:
The cool, air-condonditioned Yayasan Shopping Complex from where I could see the golden dome of the Omar Ali Saiffudien Mosque glitter in the bright sun. On my left wooden houses. At first glance they looked like shanty houses but in reality it is a conglomeration of water villages built on stilts in the Brunei river: Kampung Ayer.

What's really great:
What surprised me most: No one walks in Brunei, no one seems to do any work.
When I stepped out of my hotel I found no one walking in the streets. I found no heavy traffic, no noise, no pollution, no motorbikes. Almost silently people move in their air-conditioned four-wheel-drive cars.

Sights:
Kampung Ayer is a sprawling cluster of several Malay villages. It is built entirely over the Brunei River. Kampung means village and ayer means water.
Bruneians are proud of their Kampung Ayer, civil servants and professional workers still live there. The government has put in money into rescuing or replacing some of the older and decaying buildings, and has also built new facilities such as schools so that Bruneians can continue living there.

The houses are built on stilts. It is a funny sight to see, the river flows under the houses. They are nothing more than wooden shacks and seem to lack any comfort from the outside. However, they all have electricity, running water, sewer systems, televisions, and, quite often, internet access.

Every now and then they burn down. In that case, the house is not rebuilt. Instead the owner moves to a 'real' house on land.

Accommodations:
The Brunei Hotel
95 Jalan Pemancha
Bandar Seri Begawan

Living standards in Brunei are high and therefore it is almost impossible to find budget accommodation. The nearest I could find was â€˜the Brunei Hotelâ€™. The cheapest room is euro 55, which is not really a budget price.
The hotel is right in the centre of Bandar. The architecture of the building is none too aspiring, when you are in the hotel you donâ€™'t see it. The rooms are quite small but adequate and comfortable. Two single beds, good firm matrasses. Airconditioning. CNN and BBC World.
In the morning we got a newspaper (fortunately in English), pushed under our door. There were three types of breakfast: Asian (Fried rice), Chinese (noodle soup) or American (toast and jam). There is a free shuttle to and from the airport.

If you want to make a reservation it is best to contact them personally at: bruhot@brunet.bn

Other recommendations:
The Sultanâ€™s Palace
I would have loved to have seen the Sultanâ€™s Palace.
The sultan owns four palaces: Istana Nurul Iman, Istana Nurul Izzah, Istana Darussalam, Istana Darul Hana. The largest palace is Istana Nurul Iman. It can only be visited at the end of Ramadan.
Here are some facts: Building cost: USD 400 million.
In this palace you can find:
1788 rooms
257 toilets
564 chandeliers
18 lifs
51,000 light bulbs
44 stairwells
mosque for 1500 people
banquet hall for 4000 guests

And also
5 swimming pools
air conditioned stables for his 200 polo ponies
a huge collections of motorcars: 165 Rolls Royces, aeroplanes and helicopters.

The Sultan is the owner of the Dorchester Hotel in London, the Holiday Inn in Singapore, and the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

GINDURAS

why california?

silenth

yeah... just tell them you are from Malaysia, sometimes you still get the same q........

Of course I know Brunei. Me, myself from Sarawak, Borneo Island. Who doesn't know Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah & his new wife is ex-TV3 news presenter.
His brother Jeffri, has his case settled?

kemlyn

yes i was there last year for 3 weeks! i have family who work out there! my cousin has country membership of the empire hotel and i spent a lot of time there when he was at work! the place is fantastic and is made out of italian marble.outside is a huge swimming pool and as you look out to the south china sea there is a really small island about half a mile out.there is a shop on the beach next to the hotel which hires out canoes and i went out and paddled around the island! i remember feeling really uneasy when i was on the other side of the island thinking about sharks! and i told this to the man in the shop when i got back! he laughed and said its not the sharks you should be worrying about its the salt water crocodiles! i never went out in the canoe again after that! it has 3 golf courses that i know of.the empire course,the airport course and one which i cant remember all i know it as is the jungle course! the first day i arrived we stood on the 1st tee and there were monkeys on the fairway! i couldnt believe my eyes! ive got to be honest and say there wasnt much to do there apart from relax as it is a dry country most of the socialising is done at home.you can cross the border into malaysia and buy alcohol! i think its about a 40 minute drive but im not sure.i know its not far! i went on a run through the jungle with a group called the hash house harriers which is mostly full of english and australians.we got lost and finished last but when we got back they had a tent set up full of beer and we got drunk in the middle of the jungle! im guessing that if you worked there it was probably at the school as the majority of the teachers there are english and australian! but i might be wrong! im computer iliterate as you can probably tell otherwise i would give you a link to some photos i took!

Pinki Y

You may tell them about the place of interested or place near by like Kuching or Miri or even Kota Kinabalu.

Your tour to Brunei will never be complete unless you visit the places of interest listed here. The major places of interest in Brunei are as follows:

Brunei History Centre
Kampung Ayer
Lapau and Dewan Majlis
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
Tamu Kianggeh
Tasek Recreational Park
The Istana Nurul
The Royal Regalia Building

runescape noob

lets see i live in brunei forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... and now im in california. Brunei is a beautiful place to live. There are not that many car crashes. Anyways i want to talk in melayu if u understand it.i'll translate it later. Muaz: assalamualaikum.aku dari brunei. awang dang. atutah camana aku panggil orang. mun kau inda pacaya, ada aku tinggal arah kampong pelamabayan. Mun ko ada myspace nama ku oreo_9495@yahoo.com atau pilot9495@yahoo.com. Aku masih 12 tahun. Sekarang aku 12 tahun. Mun ko ada runescape name ku minime_9493 aku patut nya tukar password ku.

This is how it says:::::

nvm

Niesa

i know!!...brunei is a small country near sabah and sarawak...people said brunei is a rich country because they got a lot of oil.

disgusted with councils

Yes we know it. We are regular visitors to Sarawak. Our friends from Kuching take us all over the Island. We love Malaysia & its warm friendly people. People ask us where Sarawak is....some ask where is Borneo?

s7evens

of course i am.Brunei are Malaysia neighbor..close to Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan..but unfortunately there's no Y!ABrunei..

Ryan

Yeah, I know where it is.

Small state on the island of Borneo, which it shares with parts of Indonesia and Malaysia.

JESSIEBLUE

never been , just landed in transit in malaya

Lily

i've been there couple of times when i was a kid. went to jerudong park and watched micheal jackson concert for free...

rabitto

i know brunei..it is a small country near sabah..they also speak bahasa melayu

Pika

I know laa...emmm its citizen wasting a lot..I'd read in newspaper..they rich but not longer..

Bean

I think it's somewhere near California and has many crab farms, but I might be wrong..

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