Dosen Challenge day 4 #1day1englishArticle

Travel In Brunei Darussalam

I chose to visit Brunei Darussalam this year after two Bruneian friends invited me to visit Bandar Seri Begawan. I love reading blogs, but I can’t believe how wrong some of them were about travel in Brunei for Westerners.

Let’s set the record straight about must-knows before you travel to Brunei, what to wear in Brunei without offending folks, and what to expect when traveling in Brunei. (Thanks to B., C., and D. for showing us around Brunei.)

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THIS SMALL ASIAN SULTANATE

A lot of people only visit one or two days in Brunei, but I’d say at least four days in Brunei is perfect.  There’s more to do than people realize, so if you’re only visiting Brunei for two days, you won’t get to visit Ulu Temburong National Park.  It’s a fascinating country and not the kind to rush through.

CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENT: BRUNEIANS ARE SOME OF THE FRIENDLIEST PEOPLE YOU’LL MEET WHILE TRAVELING

Bruneians LOVE tourists and Brunei might be one of the friendliest places to visit in the world. Every single street, people would welcome me to Brunei before asking where I’m from.

Even as we got onto a bus going to Malaysia, we were welcomed to Brunei by a friendly local who passed by the luggage hold.  (It was a bit awkward to explain we were about to get on the bus to Miri.) Bruneians absolutely love travel, so expect to hear some stories about what they thought of your country too.

The whole reason I went to Brunei was that I met two girls from Brunei who invited me to visit Brunei.  This was years ago.  True to their word, our Bruneian hosts showed us around, took us out to dinner, and tried to ensure that we tried traditional Bruneian food by showing them a little slice of their lives in Brunei.  My most important tip: Make Bruneian friends! I recommend using Couchsurfing to make new friends.

SHARIA LAW DOESN’T APPLY TO EVERYONE IN THE SAME WAY, BUT USE YOUR JUDGMENT

• Brunei has sharia law, but sharia law doesn’t equally apply to non-Muslims depending on the law.  This is a bigmisconception I see on a lot of blogs written about travel in Brunei.  This was told to us by so many people and although I had no plans to break the law, I was a bit nervous before our trip.

  Once we were in Brunei, I was shocked how laid-back Brunei felt.  That said, don’t be stupid and stick to your best behavior as tourists are still a rarity in Brunei. We don’t need a bad reputation abroad (We’re both Americans…)

  Many Bruneians that we met were frustrated by Brunei’s perception abroad, due to stories by sensationalist newspapers elsewhere. This is not to say that you should be careless, but it’s good to stay informed about recent changes in Brunei, including the 2019 update to Sharia law in regards to theft and homosexuality.

• Tourists are beloved, but still, try to be respectful and use your judgment.  This involves trying just a little bit with dressing respectfully with not wearing sheer/ripped clothing that might attract attention at home.
• BRUNEI IS BORING IF YOU’RE TRYING TO PARTY IN BRUNEI

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• My mother-in-law likes to say only boring people get bored.  A lot of people find Brunei boring as it doesn’t have nightlife, but we loved Brunei.  I went all in trying to experience local Bruneian culture and came with an open mind.
  I had a slightly different experience as someone who almost entirely spent their time with Bruneians while in Brunei, but we’d spend our late nights sitting on the balcony of Kem’s homestay in the Kampong Ayer water village chatting away with her.
  • No, you can’t wear your short shorts.
  • Yes, there are no nightclubs or bars.
  • Yes, there’s no alcohol sold in most of Brunei. However, it’s allowed if you’re drinking the homemade rice wine with the Iban in the Temburong district during the harvest festival.
  That said, Bruneians love lingering at coffee shops and restaurants over long dinners and coffees at night, so you’ll find many restaurants open until 10/11pm still serving food.
  If you’re into culture, sustainable tourism, and elaborate architecture, you will probably enjoy traveling in Brunei.
  
  Bruneians are proud of their country and happy to show a little piece of Brunei to foreigners, but you also need to be interested in experiencing Brunei. If you’re following the Southeast Asia party route, you’ll hate Brunei.
• Reffference: wanderlustngk.com