Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Manila,
with Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines,
hai Airways and Philippines Airlines.
Boats to Brunei depart daily from
Labuan, Lawas and Limbang (see p.493)
in northern Sarawak. Travelling overland,
you can reach Bandar Seri Begawan by
direct bus from Miri in Sarawak (see
p.489), and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah.
here is even a direct bus service that links
the city with Pontianak in Kalimantan.
backpackers, though there are hostels in
both Bandar and Bangar. here are some
areas, however, where local Malay and
Murut villages and Iban longhouses offer
fledgling homestay programmes - speak
to Brunei Tourism (see p.47) about
current ones to visit.
FOOD AND DRINK
he food in Brunei is very similar to that
of Malaysia; you'll find many Indian and
Bangladeshi dishes here, as well as some
excellent international food. Brunei does
have its own signature dish, ambuyat - a
tasteless, glutinous, sticky mass, which is
made from the pith of the sago tree
mixed with water and eaten with special
chopsticks after being dunked in a variety
of sauces. It can be found at night
markets and on some restaurant menus;
don't chew it; just let it slither down your
throat. You'll be drinking a lot of fruit
juice, as it's illegal to sell alcohol in
Brunei, though tourists can bring in two
bottles of wine/spirits and twelve cans of
beer, which must be declared.
Cafés are generally open from 7am to
9pm and restaurants from 11am to
10pm, usually waiting until the last
customer leaves. here are a number of
night markets around the capital with
hawker stalls that are open from late
afternoon until the early hours.
VISAS
US citizens can travel for ninety days in
Brunei without charge, New Zealanders,
British and most other European
travellers are granted thirty days, while
Canadians and Swiss nationals are
allowed fourteen days. Australians must
apply for a visa on arrival (VOA), which
costs B$25 for two weeks or B$35 for up
to thirty days. All other visitors must
apply for visas at local Brunei diplomatic
missions (see p.48) or, failing that, at a
British consulate. Transit visas are
available for 72-hour stays.
GETTING AROUND
Downtown Bandar Seri Begawan is small
and easy to explore on foot; the rest of the
city is covered by a network of inexpensive
buses (B$1 per ride). For a cheap “tour”,
hop on bus #1 - the circle line. While
there are regular services to towns in the
districts of Tutong, Kuala Belait and Seria
from Bandar, buses are non-existent south
of the main coastal roads, and taxis are
expensive. A short hop to the water village
of Kampong Ayer, straight across the
Sungai Brunei river, should set you back
around B$0.50; diagonal crossings are
more expensive. Apart from that, the only
time you're likely to use a boat is to get to
the Temburong district, which is cut off
from the rest of Brunei by the Limbang
corridor of Sarawak.
CULTURE AND ETIQUETTE
he Ministry of Religious Affairs actively
fosters and promotes Islam , which as a
state religion has a great influence on the
country's culture, customs and traditions.
Brunei is more conservatively Islamic
than neighbouring Malaysia and it's
important to dress modestly. Women
should cover their shoulders and legs
- ensure skirts and shorts are below
knee-length. For men, T-shirts with
sleeves and long shorts or trousers are
considered respectable.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation in Brunei is much more
expensive than in Sabah and Sarawak,
and the country is not well set up for
SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES
Some seventy percent of Brunei's land
area is covered by primary rainforests,
 
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