The Big Dip: Revisiting Brunei

Brunei Darussalam is located in Southeast Asia, on the north coast of Borneo. It used to be a powerful sultanate until it fell into the hands of the British in 1888. A century after, it regained its full independence and discovered crude oil in its very own land becoming one of the wealthiest countries in Asia.

I first visited Brunei 14 years ago after our exchange program in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. I still remember being mesmerized by the gold plated lamp posts, patterned tiled sidewalks, and the glistening palaces which I thought only existed in fairy tales. And of course, who could forget Jerudong Park, Brunei's own version of the Disneyland at that time, only even better because there was no entrance fees and the rides were for free (sadly, the park has not been maintained for so many years that most of the rides have already worn out or are already for sale)!

A lot of things have changed in Brunei but one thing still remains the same, it is still a very rich country with resources other than crude oil to help sustain it's population for the next years to come.

Here are some interesting things to note about the place:

1) No tinted cars windows are allowed except for the Royalties. And that when the Sultan's convoy passes by, everyone is expected not to slowdown, but to stop, as a sign of respect.
2) Gasoline is so cheap that it costs only 50 cents per liter (1 Brunei Dollar = 1 Singapore Dollar).
3) There are almost no cabs, buses or any form of public transportation. Almost, if not, everyone has cars. I was told that the government even gives vouchers for car purchases!
4) Government subsides for housing that residents can only pay as low as 500 dollars (some even lower) for a 3/4-bedroom flat. And all other household costs are not that expensive either.
5) Kampong Ayer, the older part of Bendar Seri Bengawan, is still an active community with houses still on stilts but with high-end cars parked on the shore (easily accessible through speedboats).

If you are going to Brunei for a visit, note that the places of interest are not very accessible to tourists as there are no means of going around except if you have friends/relatives over there, take the guided tours offered by the Brunei Tourism (they have booths at the airport) or arrange your trips with your hotel. Luckily for us, we have good family friends there which took us around.

Here are some photos from that recent trip. Just a note, Brunei is more than just the golden mosques and palaces. It also has rainforests/jungles, beaches and other natural attractions that we were not anymore able to explore given that we were only there for 2 days.