A taste of Asian opulence

As I flew into Brunei for an overnight stopover I got to thinking it's been far too long since the last visit to Asia, a region in the world that has long been a personal favourite of mine. But nothing lasts forever and it's great to have an overnight stay in the Sultanate of Brunei. This small country on the north west coast of Borneo enjoys a very high standard of living thanks to the oil and gas reserves located just offshore, and it feels so familiar to experience a taste of Asian culture and the opulence of the capital Bandar Seri Begawan after many years spent travelling in other continents.

But let's get the journal up to date shall we? We left off in Liverpool with a Beatles fanatic in seventh heaven. After my visit I boarded a superb Virgin train for the 2.5 hour commute to London for my last night in the UK. I didn't know that Virgin had branched out into the UK train network but I was very impressed with the service, and the price for that matter. France in particular is renowned for her superb train network but this really was an effortless commute. I was met at London Euston station by a Scottish friend who worked in my office briefly in 1999. We have kept in touch since then and I will always remember the lad as an excellent worker. We went to his house that he purchased with a friend a few years ago and I was pleasantly surprised. He warned me about the appearance of the door outside, and the neighbouring appartments certainly didn't look overly flash. However, once we got inside I was blown away. The lads have spent every weekend for the last two years giving the place a comprehensive makeover and I for one was well impressed.

There was a further surprise in line for me, and I was delighted to meet another lad who worked in the office with me in 1999. We had a great night catching up over a few beers and a feed, and it surprised me that the lads held such positive memories from the time spent working in the office. All in all my final night provided a perfect finish to this trip to the UK and Ireland. However, a further pleasant surprise awaits as I fly into Brunei for an overnight stopover on the way home to Australia. The first thing to strike me in coming back to Asian soil is the unique smell of a tropical Asian climate, but the local Royal Brunei staff provided a smooth and efficient hotel transfer for the weary plane passengers. I believe one of the hardest parts of international travel is keeping up the motivation levels in the face of fatigue, but I was determined to make the most of the stopover and quickly booked onto a half day tour before I faded out completely.

I was tired, the weather was hot and the humidity was high as the tour set out. It was not conducive to having a good experience but the guide quickly one over the weary long haul passengers with his knowledge and love of this fascinating small country. Our first major stop was the magnificent mosque named and financed by the current Sultan of Brunei. It is a superb monument flush with Italian marble and with no expenses spared, and will certainly remain a major tourist attraction well into the future. From the mosque our guide took us to the Royal regalia museum which celebrates the 42 year rule of the current Sultan, whose father abdicated for him when he was just 21 years of age. Having to wear a 3 kilogram crown of solid gold for the entire celebration must have been a test for the young monarch, but from what I can gather he is a much beloved absolute monarch. The massive wealth from the oil and gas bonanza is flowing through to the citizens of Brunei, who enjoy free health care and extremely cheap petrol prices at the bowser.

We then visited the Brunei museum which has excellent exhibits of the local wildlife and plants in this small country and also features a display on the oil and gas reserves that are being exploited just offshore to the immense benefit of the local population. Our final stop on the tour involved a boat trip out to the water village in Bandar Seri Begawan, which is a traditional way of life for over 10,000 people in this wealthy capital. We were invited into the water village house of a local resident and this was my first experience of village life living on the water which is prominent is several South East Asian countries. Other speed boats rocket around the narrow canals with abandon while seeming to ignore the no speeding signs that are prominently displayed. Anyway, as a guest I promise not to bring it to the attention of the Sultan.

Brunei has a population of 382,000 people and is situated in one of the most beautiful regions in Asia. The country has been blessed with abundant reserves of oil and gas and the local residents are making every post a winner in a country where,.......... basically all of you should be here now!

"No one ever went broke underestimating the public taste." H.L. Mencken

Top 3 Hotels/Restaurants
Orchid garden hotel - Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Aminal arif restaurant - Bandar Seri Begawan
Golden leaf cafe americana - Bandar Seri Begawan

Top 3 Sights/Activities
Omar Ali Saiffudin mosque - Bandar Seri Begawan
Royal regalia museum - Bandar Seri Begawan
Island village visit - Bandar Seri Begawan

Until next time, it's signing off for now

Tom

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