Blogs from Brunei, Asia - page 5

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Asia » Brunei January 6th 2013

Asia » Brunei » Jerudong December 5th 2012

The title of this blog is perhaps a little misleading. Whilst we have been blessed with the company of old friends in the last few days and are spending today "chilling" before moving to New Zealand!, it is anything but chilly outside with temperatures in excess of 30 degrees. Unlike at home, it would seem. It is so good to be with faimily and friends, something we are apt to forget in the pressures of everyday life. Joe and Gemma took us to lunch yesterday where we ate more than we had anticipated. Then on to dinner with Colin and Ann by the river where we caught up on news and shared our hopes for the future along with samples from the delightful Asian food menu. Today was particularly memorable. Nic Forshaw left my geology class ... read more
Old friends, new friends
The class of 89 reunited after 23yrs
Paradise

Asia » Brunei » Jerudong December 3rd 2012

Arrived at Joe's apartment in Brunei after an easy flight from Singapore. The temperature is hotter here and the climate more humid though we are slightly further North of the Equator. Time to chill out whilst Gemma and Joe go to work. It is funny to think that I also have classes back in England who are still not yet on holiday. Apparently it is a little nippy at home whilst we have the air-con on full. Met up with Colin and Joe after they had finished work for a walk in the rain forest - like you do in this temperature and humidity! Colin and I go back somewhere into the Precambrian when we were both geology examiners on a long forgotten version of the WJEC specification. Colin and his family moved to SE Asia ... read more
Joe and Gemma's place, Brunei
Bukit rain forest
Deep in the Rain Forest.

Asia » Brunei » Bandar Seri Begawan November 22nd 2012

When it comes to settling on a holiday destination, there are usually a set number of criteria which might influence a destination's choice. Among these factors feature a plurality of shopping options, proximity to a theme park of some description, evening entertainments options a-plenty, a wide variety of beachside settings nearby, relative familiarity with the overall culture, and so on and so forth. In the case of a visit to Brunei, very few of the above might actually apply, which begs the question - why Brunei, and why opt for such a relatively non-tourist-oriented nation? The answer is that, in many respects, a trip to Brunei constitutes real travel, and was expected to score on account of being a travel destination which had intrigued me for quite some time prior to visiting. Staying in the Kiulap ... read more
Local mosque (Bandar Seri Begawan; Brunei)
Kampong Ayer (Bandar Seri Begawan; Brunei)
Entrance gate (Bangar; Brunei)

Asia » Brunei » Bandar Seri Begawan November 20th 2012

Travelling home, everything went to plan. Got to airport in plenty of time Plane on time Car started (if not first time) Decent drive back It is usual to conclude a blog with summary advice for other a similar trip, Here goes Advice for the Newly Retired contemplating a holiday in Australia Travelling Business Class minimises jet lag and should prevent the long flight spoiling the holiday. Hunt around for a good bargain – we went for Royal Brunei that significantly undercut some of the big players. Check out Trip Advisor for feedback on airlines. Use seatguru.com to select your seats Add variety to holiday – we did a mixture of staying with friends & family; driving and staying in motels; staying in up-market hotels. Don’t be too ambitious. We spent four weeks doing the SE ... read more

Asia » Brunei » Bandar Seri Begawan November 17th 2012

Friday It had eventually stopped raining in the morning - but we took precautions, setting off with kagools and an umbrella. Our first venture entailed hailing a water taxi and then, having confirmed the fare, we were taken over to Kampong Ayer - a village buit on stilts in the river estuary. As we wandered the rickety planks that passed as pavements we were shocked at how friendly the people who live there were - we were clearly very intrusive and they lived in what we would consider to be shanty town conditions. This ancient village is being replaced by new modern stilt houses - but hopefully some of the 'old town' will be kept for nostaglic and tourism purposes. It is worth noting that we have not been challenged by a single beggar in Brunei!! ... read more
Kianggeh Market
Tasek Park Waterfall
Mosque

Asia » Brunei » Bandar Seri Begawan November 15th 2012

Wednesday We were presented with a wide range of free alcohol @ 10.30am in Cathay Pacific Lounge @ Melbourne Airport. Instead we opted for egg pies, cakes, orange juice and coffee. We were very pleasantly surprised by our hotel in Brunei - our room is very spacious with it's own lounge area, more to Kate's taste than the Customs House in Hobart!! Thursday Gosh it was a tad on the steamy side - hot with bucketfuls of humidity for good measure. After a bountiful and varied breakfast (we avoided the sushi offerings, but we both made a bee-line for the cook-to-order omlettes), we started exploring. The morning's highlight was the Royal Regalia Museum that houses, inter alia, an extensive collection of the Sultan's regalia and presents from overseas dignitaries. After wallking through the humid streets, we ... read more
Swimming Pool in Rain




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