Brunei Budget Travel Guide is created to help you explore Brunei on a limited budget. Okay, to begin, Brunei is not a budget destination. You can get the same amount of money going further in neighbouring Sabah and Sarawak, states in Malaysia next to Brunei. But I'm not here to discourage you from visiting Brunei, rather to show you ways of visiting it economically.
But first, a little bit about Brunei
Brunei is a small, wealthy country on the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Its official name, Negara Brunei Darussalam, means the Nation of Brunei, Abode of Peace. In the south it shares a border with the Malaysian state of Sarawak which splits Brunei into two parts, and is bordered by the South China Sea to the north. The supreme ruler of Brunei is Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is both the head of state and head of government. Brunei consists of four districts namely Belait, Tutong, Muara and, separated from the rest of Brunei by the state of Sarawak, the district of Temburong. The capital of Brunei is Bandar Seri Begawan, located in the district of Muara.
Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, Bandar Seri Begawan
Author: Daniel Weiss (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)
The history of Brunei can be traced to the Sultanate of Brunei which achieved the peak of its power and glory from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century. The Sultanate's suzerainty is thought to have extended over the coastal regions of modern-day Sarawak and Sabah, the Sulu archipelago, and the islands off the northwest tip of Borneo. The encroachment of European influence gradually eroded the power of the sultanate. A brief war with Spain resulted in the occupation of Brunei's capital. Although the sultanate was eventually victorious, it lost territories to Spain.
The Bruneian Empire was at its weakest in the nineteenth century, when it lost much of its territory to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, resulting in its current small landmass and separation into two parts. Brunei was a British protectorate from 1888 to 1984, and occupied by Japan from 1941 to 1945 during World War II.
A rebellion against the monarchy during the 1960s, which was suppressed with help from the United Kingdom, partially affected Brunei's decision to opt out of the Malaysian Federation. It regained its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984 and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Fast Facts about Brunei
- Official Name: Negara Brunei Darussalam
- Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan (83,500)
- Population of Brunei: 372,400
- Languages: Malay (official), English, Chinese
- Currency: Bruneian dollar (BND)
- Religions: Islam (67%), Buddhist (13%), others
- Size: 5,770 sq km (2,228 sq miles)
- Region: Asia
Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, Bandar Seri Begawan
Author: Dcubillas (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0)
Brunei Hotels
Before you place a booking for hotel rooms in Brunei, you should first check how much different hotel booking websites are offering for the room. Use our free Brunei Hotel Search Engine to view and compare prices from different booking sites. It helps you in making an informed decision that will potentially save you a lot of money.
When to visit Brunei
Brunei experiences equatorial tropical weather, with high temperature and high humidity the whole year round. There is rain any all times of the year, though it gets even more humid and wet from September to January.
What to wear in Brunei
Lightweight clothing is encouraged. Umbrella and raincoat are necessities. Brunei is a conservative Muslim country, so dress decently so as not to offend.
Getting into Brunei
Your best bet for the cheapest flight into Brunei is provided by AirAsia, the low-cost carrier. You can also enter Brunei by road from Sarawak, Malaysia. As a budget traveler, you can take buses from Miri or Limbang. The bus fare from Miri costs RM12.20. The bus goes to Kuala Belait in Brunei. From there, you can take another Brunei bus to reach the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.
Brunei Entry Requirements
Nationals of US have visit Brunei for up to 90 days without requiring a visa, nationals of UK up to 30 days, and Canada up to 14 days. Australian nationals need a visa.
Where to stay in Brunei
Here's a list of budget hostels in Brunei, provided by Budget Accommodation Guide website.
Bandar Seri Begawan
Budget Travel within in Brunei
There are not many roads or many places to go. Also there is limited public transport. As most people in Brunei can afford to own a car, there's not many buses apart from the purple minibuses that ply the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan. The good news is that most of the sights in Bandar Seri Begawan are within walking distance.
Metered taxi costs B$3.00 for the 1st km, between 6:00am and 9:00pm, and an additional B$0.20 for each subsequent km. Between 9:00pm and 6:00am, the start fare is B$4.50. Be warned that there are only forty taxis throughout Brunei, so the possibility of finding one may be rather slim.
To go from town to town, there are long-distance buses that run between Bandar Seri Begawan and Seria. And that's about all. Did I mention that Brunei is not a budget destination?
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