http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Brunei/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Brunei en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:42:25 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:42:25 UTC Brunei is just a speck on any world map but the wealth of the place well renowned. On our way up the coast of Borneo we passed through Brunei spending a couple of days in this Sultanate's capital Bandar Seri Begawan. The bus to the capital was incredibly convoluted. We caught a bus to the boarder got our passports stamped and then changed to get another bus to a town just inside the boarder. A http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-342131.html Tuesday 26 August Monday 1 SeptemberBrunei is a very small country rich from its oilgas resources but which are running out which provides free healthcare education and no taxes for its people. Everyone loves their Sultan they kept telling us who seems to take an active interest in his people too. He lives in a huge km by km palace.HighlightsSigns in English good internet everywh http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/blog-336088.html On our way from Yap to Borneo we spent just one day on the Philippines the original plan was to stick around for 5 days and move south for some scuba but it's typhoon season and we already had plenty of rain in Micronesia so we decided to change our flight and go early to Borneo. However the day in Manila was well spent we rode local motor tricycles jeepneys limousine of the Philippines an http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-328480.html Kurze Zwischenstation auf Borneo bevor es weiter in Richtung Kambodscha geht Brunei. Ein Land mit rund 300.000 Einwohnern und genuegend Oel damit sich keine Sorgen ueber irgendwas machen muss. Es gibt keine Steuern kostenlose Bildung und Gesundheitsfuersorge fuer alle. Das Oberhaupt der Sultan scheint auch ein netter Kerl zu sein Er finanziert 1.000 Studenten pro Jahr das Auslandsstudium und http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/blog-325847.html Oh how we were looking forward to the 24 hour flight over To our dismay we only realised a few days before the trip that there were actually two stop overs one in Brunei and one in Dubai. It's amazing how much of a roller coaster ride the flight over is. I'm not talking about the actual flying instead the emotional roller coaster. The next few entries are our own roller coaster ride.We got to http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-319616.html lazing by a pool in hot sunshine and thinking back over the last few days.We managed to get to Mulu National Park although we had to stay just outside the park in a local guesthouse. That was an experience in living like the local people water had to be pumped up out of the river into a large bin in the bathroom then it was shower yourself with a scoop. The only trouble was that there was no w http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-310406.html Let me set a scene for you there are three of us on this trip and for these two nights we have shared a room with three beds. So far so good Last ight I slept like a log after travelling for 24 hours with very little sleep so tonight I assumed I would do the same again. Not a bit of itWe came in after our meal at the local fast food street market I chose noodles and sadly some chicken whic http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-298119.html It's hot wonderfully hot in Brunei and glorious. We arrived yesterday at some time near midday Royal Brunei airways were excellent the food servie etc all extremely good.From the airport we caught a bus for 1 into town and were dropped off right outside our hotel. After a little siesta we walked into the centre of town to explore. It reeally is quite a quiet and ordered city the traffic http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-297907.html Yesterday I had to go to work. Today I don't have to. This is what retirement is.Welcome to my Travel Blog During the last month I've piled in sixteen entries to show a little of Brunei Darussalam where I've been living for the last five years deep at the bottom of the pile and the major holiday trips I've made to different Asian countries. You may have seen some of the material elsewhere http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-294642.html I am off on another wandering trip soon so if my emails to you are no longer welcome ooh that probably means you don't like the fact that I am gallivanting again please send me an email and I will take your name off the list.Now where is my new rucksack http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-293109.html Creatures in Brunei don't seem as menacing as creatures in NSW. The leaf insect in the first two pictures was outside my supermarket. The lizard was up a tree in the forest. I photographed all ll the bugs and moths inside my flat. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-288419.html The range of pitcher plants and orchids that I've seen in Brunei is amazing. Here are some of my favourites. The orchids are probably mainly hybrids but the pitcher plant is a rather humble natural breed which found growing in the wild. This one was a vine that grew all over the ground and up into the trees. The orchids are growing at the governmentowned Rimba Orchid Centre while we found the p http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-288053.html Remember not to lick the stampsIt is something of an irony that the best bit of Brunei one of the richest countries in the world is its most run down area.Being such an oil rich country it is hard to find cheap accommodation in the capital city of Bandar but we were lucky and bagged the last rooms in the government run hostel. The only drawback was that women slept in one wing men in another. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-281644.html In my first post I included a video of being in Kampung Ayer in a water taxi.Kampung Ayer is Malay for Water Village. Traditionally the Malay people lived in stilt houses close to or over the water in rivers and estuaries. When Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigated the world in 1521 his ships visited Brunei. Antonio Pigafetta employed to chronicle his voyage and its discoveries described the s http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-279872.html I have been working in Brunei Darussalam for five years. Before I pack up and go back to NSW Australia I want to record some journeys I've made during this time. I'll start with visuals and post some of my favourite pictures of BSB Bandar Seri Begawan. ... Gotta find out how this TravelBlog works http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-269246.html Welcome to Brunei. It's a wealthy country owned for all intents and purposes by the Sultan who is one of the richest men in the world. It's standard of living is relatively high for the region and a good deal has been put into the Bandar Seri Begawan's cleanliness and architecture to ensure a pristine look about it. Brunei and its people are welcoming and friendly trying hard to ensure you have http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-259061.html March 11 2008This morning around 8 AM we arrived in Brunei on the island of Borneo. Three nations share the island Indonesia Malaysia and Brunei. It is probably not correct to call them ldquonationsrdquo instead they should be called independent states. Brunei struck it rich around 1929 with the discovery of oil. There still must be plenty of this ever increasingly expensive resource av http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/blog-255717.html Because of laziness and lack of computers we haven't been able to write for a while. It's been an eventful week since our last blog and we're deeply sorry. We'll begin at the beginning.As you might remember from our last blog we were planning to go to a lagoon on Bantayan to do some snorkeling. The way there was a bit more rough than we expected Erik poor flipflops got penetrated by a lot of in http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-251853.html Brunei Part TwoWhile the men were climbing through the jungle we women took a nice leisurely tour of the cities. Our first stop was to view what is called water villages on stilts. Twenty eight small entities totaling almost 30000 people are built on stilts over the water. They have schools and other facilities there but most people commute by water taxi across the water to their cars and http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/blog-251549.html Brunei part oneOur visit to Brunei was much more interesting than we both thought it would be. Bruce and Bruce Laing went on an ldquoadventurerdquo tour into the National Park or jungle while Brigid and I toured the city and went to ldquoHiTeardquo their words at the seven star Empire Hotel. I really can not describe the Brucesrsquo trip nearly as well as either of them as we la http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/blog-251189.html Padang Bai BaliSome people find themselves between a rock and a hard place but we find ourselves between Cyclone Nicholas off the coast of Australia a 7.6 strength earthquake off Sumatra and a missile to be shot from the pacific near Hawaii at a wayward satellite that may drop toxic fuel in some remote place. What is one to do Head for Brunei thatrsquos what. But first I think I have t http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/blog-248468.html Hi EveryoneI arrived in Brunie Bandar Seri Begave at 300am gmt and 1100am their time. I have not slept propaly yet for a good 40hrs trying to get the odd hour every so often in the planes.My first flight was from Heathrow to Dubai which was only six hours the flight was very smooth and no problems with it sorry Matt you was right it did not stall or need rebooting. the inflight entertainme http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-238642.html 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 ga http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-236982.html I have been to all countries in South East Asia except East Timor. Brunei is the last country in SE Asia that I visited and also my favorite country in the region. In May 2007 I visited Bandar Seri Begawan BSB for a few days and enjoyed a great time over there. From Hanoi I flew to Kuala Lumper then BSB on Air Asia budget airlines. My 15 hour transit at the LCCT low cost carrier terminal http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-234815.html Dec14..I realized that I never finished this journal entry off. It was basically done but I forgot a few things and forgot to post it up.So I woke up thinking ldquowowhellipthis is my last full day in Brunei.rdquo So I woke up to roosters in Sungai Teraban. Bapa what I call my grandpa has a bird farm on his land. So roosters were making nosies chickens were running around the turkey wa http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-227676.html My very first business trip in Asia took place in the last few weeks. It was a whirwind of meetings cities countries. I managed to visit sometimes a little bit here and there.. Brunei Unfortunately only flew there for the night and stayed in an amazing hotel which was half full of business people half full of holiday makers who probably flew in for the long week end from somewhere near. Brun http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-222479.html We visited Brunei as part of our trip to Thailand Malaysia and Singapore. For more photos from our trip visit Ian and Wendy's travel photos from Brunei. We flew from Kuala Lumpur to Bandar Seri Begawan the capital of Brunei with a stop in Kota Kinabalu. The Royal Brunei flight was on time a modern plane and great service. It was pricy however 200 one way from KK. We were staying at the J http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-216481.html What was initially going to be a two day stint in Brunei was axed to a one dayer. The original plan was to spend a day in the capital and then on the second day take a boat trip down the river through the jungles to try and catch a glimpse of some Proboscis Monkeys. Unfortunately the dork at the guesthouse we were staying at in Sabah told us the wrong boat time so we literally missed the boat on t http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-213291.html Where the heck is Brunei Grab your atlas and find Borneo. It is a small country attached to Borneo.As it turns out that when traveling in Asia all roads more than likely lead to Kuala Lumpur which is in Malaysia. This is because it is a major airport hub in Southeast Asia kind of like Atlanta in the U.S. We left Singapore for a 50 minute flight to Kuala Lumpur with a short lay over and then a http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-205127.html So uncle Yonghuat was supposed to drive me to Bandar to see Emie. But NO0o0o0o it didnrsquot happen. Emie had to go to Miri today as she had to prepare for UK. B0oo. So instead I resumed packing. Auntie Alice took me to Soon Lee so I can buy a bunch of snacks that I want to take home.I came home and packed and packed. At around 4 Cico took me on a Journey to Kuala Balai. This is basically ano http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Brunei/Bandar-Seri-Begawan/blog-201483.html