Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
POP 100,000
Cities built on oil money tend to be flashy places, but with the exception of a palace you
usually can't enter, a couple of enormous mosques and one wedding cake of a hotel,
Bandar (as the capital is known, or just BSB) is a pretty understated place. Urban life pretty
much revolves around malls, restaurants and, depending on your level of piety, illicit
parties or Islam (and sometimes both). BSB does have a few museums and the biggest wa-
ter village in the world, a little slice of vintage that speaks to the Bruneian love of cosiness
and nostalgia.
RAMADAN ROAD RULES
Brunei is an extremely religious, majority -Muslim nation that takes Ramadan seriously. If you're visiting during the
holiest month of the Islamic year, keep in mind that by around 3pm, most people - especially drivers - are tired or
stressed or both thanks to the daily fast. It's a documented fact that many car accidents occur at this time, and it's an
anecdotal observation that normally polite Bruneians can get downright testy around this time. Just be mindful when
interacting with locals and careful if you're out on the roads during late afternoon at this time.
BSB's city centre is on the north bank of Sungai Brunei at a spot - 12km upriver from
Brunei Bay - that's easy to defend against seaborne attack and sheltered from both storms
and tsunamis. During the Japanese occupation, the city centre - known until 1970 as
Brunei Town - was severely damaged by Allied bombing.
