Stop Nine, Brunei Darussalam - 14/06/2015 to 15/06/2015
(Written by Him)
(Written by Him)
| The tiny Emirate of Brunei Darussalam takes up just 1% of the island of Borneo, surrounded on all sides by Malaysian Borneo apart from its coast line. Brunei has always been a little different and throughout history has invariably gone its own way in terms of national decision making. At one point Brunei's control extended across the entire island of Borneo and even into parts of the Philippines. In the 1960's Brunei resisted invitations to join neighbouring Sabah & Sarawak in forming the new country of Malaysia. The Sultan decided Brunei should remain independent and in 1984 Brunei finally achieved complete autonomy (including from the UK, those guys went everywhere). Unlike Malaysia, Brunei continues to retain ownership of its oil & gas resources which has resulted in a very wealthy country and a very happy half-million population. |  |
The plane journey from Sabah to Brunei took only 30 minutes but to travel by land would have taken a day and cost considerably more. Brunei has a strict Islamic culture with no alcohol or tobacco sold within its borders and restaurants required to close during the days of Ramadan. As you might imagine visitors are screened carefully and we spent the flight filling in health and contraband forms required by immigration at the airport. Frustrating enough you might say but the crew could not give us pens and we were not allowed to use our tray-tables for the entire flight. Oh, and I forgot to tell you as well as Malay immigration we were subjected to 3 security checks at the airport just to get on the flight (they took my sun screen so expect future pictures to reflect this). We touched down at 9:30 am. 31 hours and counting...
After our fun with Brunei immigration we headed straight to the hotel to check in and drop our bags. The hotel was grand, a bit dated but no problem. There were shops and services within the large block so we were already making dinner plans. Brunei is small but it is even smaller when you consider that much of the country is covered with pristine, untouched rain forest. Add to this the fact that such a relatively wealthy population mostly own their own cars and with alcohol practically forbidden you can appreciate why taxis are very thin on the ground.
| The whole country has a total of 55 taxis not all working at the same time of course. With this in mind it was the bus for us and so at 11 a.m. we grabbed the number 55 heading for the town centre. The 18 seater bus was full when we got on so we had to sit on the extremely hot panel above the engine, beside the "automatic" doors which were tied with a piece of string to keep them closed as we bumped and swerved through suburban Brunei. |  |
From the central bus station in Brunei's capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB), we made our way to the waterfront. Without a plethora of tourists bustling about the boat tour purveyors were out in force for our attention. In need of a short break to catch our breath we headed for one of only two shopping centres. A souvenir and a coffee later we were familiar with another new currency, had a grasp on our bearings and a rough plan for the rest of the day.
 | Ready to get after it we stepped out in the direction of Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque. Clearly visible from a distance we made our way towards the towns most famous landmark, taking pictures as we went. Without warning the sky over us (and the mosque) opened and a torrential downpour descended on BSB. We stood with the locals beneath the shopping centre awning watching grey clouds roll in ominously around our first attraction. It took almost an hour for the rain to pass. Some of us were more prepared for the rain than others...cough! |
| By 1.30 p.m. the weather had broken enough for us to push on. We gingerly made our way up the now treacherously slippy, marble steps of this awesome building. Well used to tourists we were greeted by an usher type person who directed herself towards a rack of floor length robes she would be required to wear along with her hijab. No shoes, cameras or bags are allowed in the mosque itself so we proceeded without them, ironically feeling more naked than usual. The mosque interior, as the others we have seen, was lavish and beautiful. |  |
Huge in size, with ornate stained glass, gold leaf and trim, brilliant white ceilings and of course the iconic 24 carrot gold dome atop. Unlike other mosques however this one had a designated tourist area. From the door a large square of brown carpet was laid over prayer mats, hemmed in on all sides with red ropes. A small sheet of paper explained how the mosque had been restored in 1994. Coming out we spoke with the usher for a few moments before heading left to the outdoor wash area adjacent.
Worshipers would sit here on tiny plastic stools next to rows of taps and wash their hands and feet before entering the mosque to pray. The centre pool was surrounded by large pillars, again beautifully tiled with framed views of the gold dome through the gaps. Beyond the wash area, along a winding path over the surrounding waters of the lagoon the city had built a model boat.
 | Climbing to the small second level we found a platform which offered visitors the perfect vantage to take photos with this magnificent building. As we left herself was grabbed by a group of middle aged Muslim women for a photograph. She later said there were hands all over her so see how many you can spot in the photograph. |
With the clouds over BSB still threatening and mist in the air we made our way along Jalan Sultan towards the Royal Regalia Museum. The museum is really a tribute to the Sultan himself and houses life sized sections of parades complete with massive gold chariot and troops of uniformed mannequins set out in long rows. The displays are spectacular and certainly nothing we have seen before indoors. There are also some fine artefacts surrounding the foundations of this unique country including its treaties with America and the UK. Once again cameras were only allowed in part of the ground floor section so we did our best photograph-wise to capture the good bits. Two other museum firsts for us in BSB, it was completely free of charge and no shoes allowed. Yes, all shoes had to be left in racks outside the door and slippers worn inside. It turned out to be no great hardship and the carpets were in excellent condition!
| It was now 4.30 p.m. and raining hard. A quick stop at the post office and it was on to the Chinese Buddhist temple near the bus station for a nosey. We didn't spend too long here having seen many similar temples in Vietnam however we arrived just as an incense ceremony was being completed by a Chinese girl in heels and a mini-skirt. It was an unusual sight and such a diversification from the norms of the nearby mosque we had visited earlier. From there with the rain starting to comedown again we headed across the short, pedestrian bridge and into the market. We had hoped to see this place in full swing but between the weather and the lateness of the hour almost all the stalls were closed apart from a woman selling off her last veg to a few workers on their way home. We decided we would have to make time to come back in the morning. At 5.30 p.m. we grabbed the 55 bus through a scrum of waiting passengers back out to our hotel and a well deserved dinner. |  |
Back at the ranch we went to the supermarket first to replenish some items. It was like a little taste of America except with fresh veg as well. The aisles were very wide and the shelves stocked with all the brands. I bought some meat pies for the following days breakfast as our strict hotel budget did not allow for such perks. Given Brunei's wealth it is a more expensive tourist destination. After that we headed for dinner. Chinese was the choice we made. We had been looking for some good dim sum since Vietnam and while I am always interested in the local flavours we had eaten plenty in Sabah to satisfy my Borneo cuisine curiosity. The food was excellent and very reasonable. No surprise then that on this Sunday night the place was full of local Chinese-Brunei leaving us as the lone Western contingent of this 50 seater dinning room. A skype call back home and some planning for the next day saw us in bed at 10 p.m. 12 hours & 30 minutes in Brunei down already!
 | Up at 8:00 a.m. on the morning of day 2. We were flying at 4 p.m. and needed to be at the airport for about 2 p.m. We checked out of our hotel at 9 a.m. arranged a cheap shuttle bus to the airport for 1:45 p.m. and checked our bags into hotel storage (dizzying). Straight across to the bus stop we were back in the centre of BSB for 10 a.m. Today we had planned to re-visit the market and take a trip up the river to see some of the sights and more importantly the wildlife among the pristine rain forest for which Brunei is so famous. |
Proboscis monkeys as you will no doubt be aware by now since you have read our Borneo blog right....(of course you have) are native only to Borneo and can only be seen in the wild here. The ultimate aim for any visitor when they take a water taxi ride in Brunei is to see a proboscis in the wild. We got our wish...barely! After negotiating a price for our trip we set off. The speed boat alone was good fun and as we headed towards the deeper forest we passed the Royal Palace, royal jetty, royal mausoleum and of course the mosque, clear and unobstructed from our mid-river viewing point.
After about 20 minutes and a little searching we got our wild monkey. High up in the bare branches of a tree overlooking the length of the river, a large male sat watching us as we slowly approached. There was little need for stealth as he had seen us long before we spotted him. The guide told us these monkeys were very shy and sure enough at first sight the monkey moved uneasily and tried to turn his back to us.
Our boat slipped further into the group of trees underneath him. At this he began to swing slowly across the branches, climbing higher and then swinging again always in the direction of the dense greenery lining the banks of the river. With a slight pause he leaped a clear 5 to 10 feet across landing heavily in the bushes and disappearing from sight. It was a fantastic, once off experience and made the boat trip and Brunei stopover worth every effort. Just as well really because despite our best efforts we didn't see a single other monkey for the rest of the trip.
| There was a lot of fun in searching though and our guide brought us into some very dense forest areas completely hidden from the main river. Before we even saw the monkey we knew we wanted more time on the river so we extended our hour shortly after setting off. Despite the lack of monkeys we did see a huge monitor lizard sunning himself on a branch above the water. We were able to get extremely close to this fella without too much trouble. | |
For the extra half hour we sailed in around the enormous floating village. Having a population of 15,000, 3 primary schools, a police station, a fire station, a doctors clinic and of course its own mosque this was an impressive, space saving set-up. Our guide, himself a resident of the village also pointed out some new, two storey houses, built by the Sultan and distributed for free to those in need of housing.
 | Back on dry land and now 30 minutes behind schedule we headed back to the market where things would hopefully be a little more lively than the evening before. The market was much like any other. There were some curious foods on sale, the cured fish head was quite pricey and the choice of dried fish was surprisingly extensive. The guide book had said small monkeys could be found in the trees behind the stalls but like their probiscus cousins they too were attending the all day monkey summit somewhere out of our view. |
I did ask one little old lady, Rokio (likely spelled wrong) for her photo and she bashfully agreed but demanded to approve the snap before letting me leave.
Back on the bus we reached the hotel at 1pm. 45 minutes to spare we grabbed a quick coffee next door to our hotel. This turned out to be a great find. Not only was the teh tarik great but the Chinese-Brunei owner had spent some time in Australia and so her English was perfect. Taking full advantage we asked her all the questions about Brunei that we wanted in order to understand this Sultan lead government. Basically the Sultan is the boss, President, Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister for Defence all rolled into one. Appointed on a lineage basis the Sultan does not require any particular qualifications and there is certainly no voting in Brunei. The Sultan will pass laws with little or no debate and while he does have an advisory council of about 15 men, the Sultan appoints each one of them (and no doubt fires them). He made an amendment to Brunei's constitution in 2006 making himself infallible under Brunei Law. He has also appointed himself Inspector General of the Brunei police force.
| The Sultan of Brunei as you may have guessed is a most unique character. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien (full name) has been the Sultan since 1967 when he was just 21. He took over from his father as the eldest of his siblings. Among the wealthiest people in the world in 2008 Forbes estimated his net worth at $20 billion. Educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst UK, an Honorary General in the British and Indonesian armed forces and knighted by Queen Elizabeth, Brunei and particularly the Sultan enjoys close ties with the UK. |  |
The Sultan's official residence can only be seen from the river (as we photographed) and has almost 1,800 rooms including 257 bathrooms and houses several government departments. It is considered the world's largest private residence, open to the public just 3 days per year. The dome which tops the palace is plated with 19 carat gold.
 | The Sultan has been married 3 times and has 5 sons and 7 daughters. His first wife was an air hostess whom he divorced in 2003. She was recently embroiled in court battles in England over gambling debts of well over a million lost in London casinos. He went on to marry a Malaysian TV presenter in 2005 33 years his junior. The Sultan is now married to his first cousin. As you might expect the Sultan has a taste for the finer things including owning a 24 carrot gold coated Rolls-Royce and flying his own Boeing 747-400. He also has a rather large car collection of between 3000 and 4000 cars with more than half being left to rot and fall into disrepair. The Sultan also smokes Gurkha Centurion cigars commissioned specifically for him. But we think he's fantastic and if he was ever wanting to hang-out or lend a few dollars we're here for ya! |
Despite what on the face of things might appear to us democracy lovers to be nothing more than a corrupt dictatorship, the people of Brunei are very happy with this system. Unlike cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the countries wealth is not displayed through lavish skyscrapers and luxury hotels, instead, the wealth is dedicated to improving the standard of living of the half million locals living in Brunei. They pay no tax, no health / dental expenses, they receive a salary for attending college along with numerous funds to travel abroad for study. Housing and land is provided to Brunei citizens with relative ease and with the ban on alcohol, crime, traffic accidents and poverty stats are all very low. As we hopped on the airport shuttle we left wondering where can we sign up...
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