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Published: April 1st 2013
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While I was doing research prior to traveling I was able to find information about going from Miri to Brunei to KK, or some other variation where KK was always the final desintation. Often, the information I found was from 2+ years ago.
This is soley a how-to travel guide with no here's-what-I-did-for-fun bits thrown in. Here's how I did the trip from east to west via the ferry and bus:
In KK, arrive at the ferry pier before 7am. I left my hostel around 630 am, bought my ticket (at counter #4) a bit before 7, and we lined up for boarding at 720am, 730 if you go by the clock on the wall. The first part of the journey takes you to Labaun, Malaysia. Arrival is around 1130am and you have about 2 hours to wander and eat. In KK they no longer offer the option of the 1230 ferry to Brunei, only the 130pm boat. Take the two hours to enjoy the numerous duty-free shops since cigarettes and alcohol are not sold in Brunei.
Back at the pier, there's a fee to pay and it must be done at the ticket counter. There's no sign
Enjoy your break.
You won't have time to see much. to tell you this, just make your way into the crowded room in the middle of the building. Then proceed through customs to the ferry boat for the next hour-long ride.
You'll arrive in Brunei around 230pm and customs is quick. There's a bus that runs every hour from the pier to BSB and only costs one Brunei dollar. Don't be tricked by the cabbies telling you otherwise. You'll have to transfer buses in the middle, and then the last stop is the bus station in the center of the city. The bus ride takes an hour, so don't panic, thinking you've missed your stop. By this time, many of the sights will be closed or closing, so plan to get up early the next day to visit them properly.
You can exchange money either at the pier or at one of the few money exchange places in the downtown area; the rates are similarly poor. Money changers close at 430pm (shortly after your arrival at the bus station) and on Fridays they and many other businesses close from noon until 2pm for prayers. In total, I exchanged $50 USD and that was enough down to the dollar
Shopping is an option
There are duty-free stores everywhere. for one day including a bed at the cheap hostel Pusat Belia and my bus ticket out of the city to Miri. Buses to Miri leave early in the morning (around 7) and at 130pm. The bus to Miri is parked on the street, next to a grey building and near the bus garage. Most people wait for the bus on the steps despite the sign saying "no waiting". Pay for your ticket on the bus (around 22 Brunei dollars) and be prepared to hand over your passport to the bus attendant so he can write up the passenger list for customs.
The bus ride to Miri made two stop before customs and two after customs. Customs is also two stops, one for the Brunei side and one for the Sarawak side; it is necessary to ride the bus between them. Our bus arrived in Miri around 5pm. There are a few taxis at the bus station. Based on the route our taxi took to our seemingly close hostel, I think a taxi is worth the extra cost.
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