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Published: October 20th 2006
Your chariot awaits...
Well, if you happen to be the Sultan of Brunei anyway.Cheap flights are a mixed blessing. For the traveller on a tight budget they are a neccesity to save as much money as possible. It could be viewed as a downside however to have a
12 hour! stopover in Brunei airport in between a sleepless night flying from Perth and another flight to Bangkok, the travellers hub of Southeast Asia. To be honest, I thought Brunei was in the Middle East, that really would have been a puzzling route from Australia! In reality it is next to Malaysia. It is however a strict Muslim country, and as such, alcohol is forbidden. Great, twelve hour stop in an airport and I can't even have a bloody beer! You could try bringing some drugs to keep you amused for a twelve hour stopover, but that carries the death penalty...
I opted to stay awake so as not to risk missing my next flight. Spent the first hour exploring the transfer section I was confined to, well it doesnt take long at all and I probably spent most of the time in the smoking lounge downing cappucino. Into the second hour I decided the transfer section smells funny and wanted to go outside,
Brunei Dollar
Worth even less than an Australian dollar! so booked myself on a two hour bus tour. I hadn't planned on going into the city, but it killed another two hours and got me another stamp in the passport!!
The two hour tour was a little too swift to allow us much time off the bus. We whistled straight past a very impressive mosque built from gold, Italian marble, and all the grandest materials possible. This is nothing however compared to the Sultan of Brunei's palace. Apparently there are some 1,200 rooms as well as the Sultan's personal car collection housed inside (his collection of cars includes over 1,000 Rolls-Royces alone !!!)
There was a forty-five minute stop at the Sultan's museum (no photos allowed) which seemed to contain a ridiculous amount of gold objects. His gold crown is so heavy that he had to rest his head on a golden arm and hand when it was placed on his head !! Besides that there were pictures of the Sultan's family, various elaborate costumes and a virtually endless amount of beautiful objects gifted to him from various nations of the world.
Straight back to the airport via a photo stop at their 'Venice of the
Very expensive mosque!!
Shame the bus wouldnt stop here for me to take a better picture! East' (definately have to use your imagination with that one!). Killed the rest of my time sitting around back in the funny smelling lounge reading a book. Suddenly became rather self-conscious as I remember it is a strict Islamic country and I am sitting there reading the sequel to 'Trainspotting' by Irvine Welsh which is called 'Porno'. Try to conceal the giant word 'PORNO' emblazoned across the front cover as the paranoia induced by no sleep and too much coffee kicks in...
http://www.linkedin.com/in/adamtkent
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laila
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BRUNEI ABODE OF PEACE.
Brunei is the greatest and the best country I have ever visited. eventhough it has no night entertainment and only few shopping malls but I love the lifestyle of the Malay Bruneians. They are so polite polite even to the starngers and respect other drivers. Not like othe developed countries. They have great cultures and especially the life style of kampung ayer residents who so concern their neighbours and cooperate with each other. Even it is polluted but try to live in kg Ayer for one night. It so peaceful wich other country cannot offer.......BRUNEI is the heritage of the world...........