Brunei

Borneo, the third largest island in the world, is a nestling doll. On the outside is Indonesia. Inside Indonesia is a smaller Malaysia. And cupped within Malaysia is tiny Brunei Darussalam, the Abode of Peace.

An abode of peace it is. So peaceful and quiet that the novelties of lush rainforest, long-nosed proboscis monkeys, stilted villages with cats crawling along raised pathways over fishy waters, golden mosques, and the gummy national food, ambuyat, wear away quickly and easily bored travelers are ready to leave after a day or two. 

Brunei is the fourth richest country in the world due primarily to oil revenues. Qatar, Luxembourg and Singapore, in that order, are the three richest countries as of 2021.

Islam is the official religion of Brunei with Sharia Law in effect since 2013, meaning that adultery and homosexuality are punishable by stoning and stealing can result in an amputation. 

Slightly bigger than the US state Delaware, Brunei is divided into two parts separated by the Sarawak region of Malaysia. Most of its 441,532 people live in the north near the coast and 81% of Brunei is forest. Newly opened in March 2020, the Jambatan Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge connects the western districts of Brunei with its separated eastern district. It is the longest bridge in Southeast Asia at 30 kilometers (19 miles) in length. 

It’s easy to assume Brunei is a young country because it is small, little known, and rarely visited. However, it is an ancient country that once spread as far as Manila in the Phillippines. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the second longest living reigning monarch in the world with Queen Elizabeth II as the first, is part of a family who has reigned over Brunei for over 600 years. 

MUSIC of BRUNEI:
Ensemble music with percussion instruments including pitched xylophones and gongs are central to the music of Brunei. 
Adai-Adai is a group song sung by fishermen while working, sometimes accompanied by a dombak (drum shaped like a goblet) or a rebana (tambourine), or different sizes of gongs and drums.
Benari is a folk dance performed at festivals.
Aduk-Aduk is a ceremonial dance of the Kedayan people accompanied by drums with dancers wearing red and black warrior clothing. 
Jipin is a dance of the Malay people performed by six men and women and accompanied by dombak, rebana, and other traditional instruments.
Select Brunei Culture and History through Performing Arts to hear ensemble music and see some of the instruments. 

LITERATURE of BRUNEI:
For a tiny country, even a wealthy one, it can be difficult to bring writing to international recognition. Some Bruneian writers create work in English that caters to what they believe the Western audience wants to read instead of sharing the wealth of their own culture and experience. 
Brunei is one of those countries whose literature is little known and difficult for English readers to find. 
To learn more and find out about Bruneian writers you can read in English, select:
Brunei – Art and Literature
How faith and art intersects in Bruneian literature – A review of ‘Anugerah’ and ‘For You, I Do’
Brunei – reading between the lines

FOOD of BRUNEI:
The fun food to try in Brunei is its national dish. Gummy and colorless ambuyat comes from the interior trunk of a sago palm tree. A starch with antioxidants, ambuyat doesn’t have much of a taste, so it is eaten with sauces and other foods. 
Fried rice, noodle dishes, satay, and sweet and sour soup are common in Bruneian cuisine.
Some Bruneian dishes are:
Soto – a popular soup noodle dish of beef broth and spices
Pipis – steamed rice flour stuffed with grated coconut and wrapped with palm leaves
Lenggang – a very green thin pancake filled with grated coconut and palm sugar
Seri Rupa – two layered squares of rice flour, coconut milk, lime juice and palm sugar
Roti Jala – “jala” means “net” or “netting” and refers to the pancake netting made with turmeric to give it a yellow color, often filled with chicken or beef curry
Koci (koh-chee) – steamed rice flour dough and sweetened coconut milk wrapped with a banana leaf
Ondeh-ondeh – Glutinous rice flour mixed with pandan juice rolled into balls and filled with grated coconut and brown palm sugar
Kelupis – coconut milk and glutinous rice wrapped with nyirik leaf
Kueh (koo-eh) – cakes
Jelurut – long conical kuehs
Puteri Ayu – a sweet mini bundt cake made from steamed milk flour, eggs, sugar, coconut milk and pandan juice
For more information, select 13 Brunei Foods that You Must Try Out.

Brunei is divided into four districts that share their names with the principal rivers running through the region:
Sungai Belait
Sungai Tutong
Sungai Brunei
Sungai Temburang

BELAIT
The farthest western district, Belait is about half the area of Brunei. 
Kuala Belait is the second largest city in Brunei with a population of roughly 30,000 people. Kuala Belait means “the mouth of the Belait River” and it is along the South China Sea coast and Sungai Belait. 
Seria, just east of Kuala Belait along the coast, is where petroleum oil was first discovered in 1929. The British named the town Seria, an acronym of South East Reserved Industrial Area. 
The Billioneth Barrel Monument commemorates the billioneth barrel of the oil that has helped Brunei become a prosperous nation.

TUTONG
Tutong has roughly 50,000 people and has peaceful lake, waterfall, and beach areas.

BRUNEI-MUARA
Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital of Brunei and has over half the population of the county in its metropolitan area. The name means “the Port of Seri Begawan.” “Seri Begawan” was part of the title of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien, the father of the current Sultan. Known as “The Architect of Brunei,” Bandar Seri Begawan was named in his honor in 1970.
Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, able to accommodate 5,000 people, is the largest mosque in Brunei with 4 minarets, 29 golden domes, and gardens. 
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, built in 1958, is surrounded by a reflecting lagoon, has a dome of pure gold, and is intentionally the tallest mosque in Brunei at 52 meters (171 feet) in heighth. It is possible to take an elevator for a view from the top of the tallest minaret. 
Gadong Night Market is filled with seafood, fruit, and popia (spring rolls)
Sultan Bolkiah Mausoleum is along the Brunei River in a beautiful garden setting. Sultan Bolkiah is revered for bringing Brunei’s “Golden Age.” Most of Borneo, Southern Philippines and Manila were under his rule. 
Kampong Ayer, meaning “village in the water,” is a series of 42 villages on stilts that cover about 23 miles. There are schools, police stations, and fire stations on stilts. 

TEMBURONG
Temburong is the eastern most district separated from the rest of Brunei by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Before March 2020, it was necessary to drive through Malaysia to get to the western part of Brunei. The completion of the 19 mile lone Jambatan Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge enabled Brunei citizens to reach the other side without leaving the country just in time for COVID border shutdowns. Roughly 11,000 people live in Temburong. 
Bangar is a refreshing river town in Temburong.
Ulu Temburong National Park is over 120,000 acres of jungle canopy and natural pools. Only one percent of the Ulu Temburong National Park is accessible to adventure hikers and swimmers, so the vast majority of Ulu Temburong National Park is untouched.

More information about Brunei:
Is Brunei Worth Visiting? My Experience In the Sultanate
Is the sultan of Brunei imposing Sharia law to clean up his family’s image
11 Fantastic Reasons to Visit Brunei
10 Great Outdoor Activities Around Brunei
15 Best Places to Visit in Brunei