Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TUTONG & BELAIT DISTRICTS
Most travellers merely pass through the districts of Tutong and Belait, west of BSB, en
route to Miri in Sarawak, but there are a few worthwhile attractions. Frequent buses link
Kuala Belait, Seria and Tutong with BSB, but if you want to really see the sights the best
way is to take a tour or rent a car.
Tutong
POP 20,000
About halfway between Seria and BSB, Tutong is the main town in central Brunei. The
town itself is neat but unremarkable, but the area is famous in Brunei for two things: pitch-
er plants and sand. Tutong has six species of pitcher plants and the locals cook a variety of
dishes in their insect-catching sacs. Some of the sand near Tutong is so white that Brunei-
ans will often take pictures with it while pretending it's snow (did we mention there's no
booze here? Have your fun any way you can, Brunei). You can see
pasir putih
(white sand)
in patches along the side of the Pan Borneo Hwy.
There's a great beach,
Pantai Seri Kenangan
, also known as Pantai Tutong, a couple of
kilometres west of town, on Jln Kuala Tutong. Set on a spit of land, with the ocean on one
side and the Sungai Tutong on the other, the casuarina-lined beach is arguably the best in
Brunei. The royal family clearly agrees, as they have a surprisingly modest palace here for
discreet getaways.
Getting There & Away
The buses that link BSB with Seria stop in Tutong (B$3, one hour, every 30 to 60 minutes
until 5pm).
Jalan Labi
A few kilometres after you enter Belait District (coming from Tutong and BSB), a road
branches inland (south) to Labi and beyond, taking you through some prime forest areas.
