Stage 7 - Brunei

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Tuesday 26 August - Monday 1 September

Brunei is a very small country rich from its oil/gas 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 ½ km by ¼ km palace.

Highlights

• Signs in English & good internet everywhere.
• Beautiful golden & mosaic mosques.
• Water villages - houses, schools & mosques on stilts.
• Mangrove & proboscis monkey tour.
• Forest trip - massive tarantulas, tree fogs, bats; night trek.
• Dunsun tribe ceremony (with few tourists ever invited).

Lowlights
• Steve’s leech attacks (tip: use insect repellent right on the leech).
• Strict Muslim religious laws restricting personal freedoms.
• Too much plastic dumped at the water village.

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Photos

Drinking from the branch
This branch retains a huge amount of water and can be used in case of emergencies in the forest

Tarantula
We saw these on our night walk. They're very shy.

Purple Spider
This one was less shy. Also on our night walk.

Stick Insect
Camouflaged - but we could see it.

Leeches
Urgh - His 'n' Hers Matching Leeches