To The "Land Of Unexpected Treasures" - Country No. 71 - Brunei - 31 July 2026

Brunei is nicknamed "Land of Unexpected Treasures". I planned a 72-hour sojourn in Brunei in the cusp of the months of July and August. The visa had to be obtained from the Brunei Embassy in Delhi. My friend, Rajeev Shah, proprietor of Network Travels and Tours, managed it without a fuss, as usual. The visa fee is Rs. 1300 and takes a full week for issue, subject to fast-tracking the application.

I booked a hotel in Bandar Seri Begawan for three nights through booking.com. Budget options are quite limited. I booked the flights through Air India and got decent connections; they were expensive, though. I had two stopovers, one in Delhi and the other in Singapore on the forward leg of the tour.

I reached the Ahmedabad airport nearly five hours ahead of the scheduled departure at 1855 hours. I was surprised to find that the Ahmedabad to Delhi flight was a domestic leg. However, the baggage was booked through to Brunei Darussalam; I had to do immigration in Delhi, though. The guy at the counter was undecided if I would require visa for the changeover in Singapore. I told him that a Singapore transit visa is only if I either have a connection after 24 hours from Changi airport or I intend to complete immigration in Singapore. He confirmed that information with a colleague before processing my boarding passes. He gave me window seats as requested.

The AI flight was 20 minutes late and I worried for my connection from Delhi. When I got to the gate in Delhi comfortably for the flight to Singapore, I realised the maleffects of overthinking. The domestic to international transfer was smooth, both security and immigration. The flight boarded and left on time. I settled down comfortably for the 6-hour flight. I was quite impressed by the etiquette and service of the AI staff. The food was good too. Chicken curry rice on both the legs. The flight landed on schedule in Changi airport.

Singapore's Changi Airport is famous for its resort-like indoor attractions, hyper-efficient operations, and luxury retail and iconic attractions. The feel is like no other airport I've been to anywhere else in the world. The airport has four terminals and there are many free sleeping options in various snooze lounges and quiet zones.

I had a five-hour stopover in Changi enroute to Brunei Darussalam. I used the time to have an awesome breakfast of crispy butter toast with two poached eggs and a cup of heavenly coffee. The entire airport has a festive look to it with so many retail, food and drink options. Even though I was short on sleep I couldn't but walk around the terminal 2 for as long as my legs would hold up the upper part of the body.

The flight to Bandar Seri Begawan, a code share operated by Singapore Airlines, took off right time. The aircraft was spic and span and the smiling and service-oriented staff were a delight. Before landing, the airhostess made an announcement regarding the Brunei Arrival Card. This had completely escaped my attention before leaving India. I had to use a terminal provides by Brunei immigration authorities and file the arrival card. That set me back by about 20 minutes.

After collecting the baggage, I ventured out of arrivals and went in search of a suitable sim card. I checked with three service providers and finally decided on Imagine. However, they had just one person attending to customers and it took me about 45 minutes to get a sim card and get that activated. The 2 GB sim card cost me 8 BND, about Rs. 600. For three days I found that perfect.

Multiple sources at the airport advised me against taking a bus to the city due to its unpredictability. Therefore, I downloaded the DART app and booked a taxi. The driver, Hakim, came in less than 5 minutes and proved to be an excellent conversationalist. He gave me a few tips about sightseeing in Bandar Seri Begawan and pointed out a few prominent buildings along the way.

The Higher Hotel is strategically located. I had made the payment from India. Therefore, I had to only leave a refundable deposit of 100 USD at the desk. After unpacking the bags and a cup of hot coffee, I walked out for what was planned for the evening. The city of Bandar Seri Begawan is not much of a pedestrian-friendly city. Even its public transport is nothing to write home about. Hakim warned me against walking in the night because the streets and roads are poorly lit and there are hardly any pedestrian crossings and dedicated walkways.

I walked nearly 2 km to the Jame ‘Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque. The Mosque was completed in 1994 to mark the monarchy’s 25th year of rule. 29 golden domes of the mosque honour the 29th Sultan of Brunei. Being a Friday the interior of the mosque was closed to visitors. It is known that the mosque’s air-conditioned interiors are spacious enough to accommodate up to 4,000 worshippers at a time.

It is said that only the finest materials imported from all over the world - Philippine hardwood, Italian marble, Persian carpets, and, of course, real gold - have been used in its construction. Even from the outside, the mosque is most impressive. it is the largest in Brunei, situated as it is on a 20-acre property, and is one of the two national mosques in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Opposite Gate 4 of the mosque is situated the The Kampong Kiarong Islamic Cemetery, sometimes referred to as Jame Asr Cemetery. Plastic chairs are provided in the cemetery for people to sit with their beloved departed and pray. Scented water is available at the entrance to the cemetery which people take to water the plants and even the tomb. Flowers and plants are available on sale for those who wish to place or plant them in honour of those they fondly remember. I saw an elderly person sitting beside a tomb and talking to his dearly departed. A heart-rending sight, indeed.

From there I walked to The Mall Gadong, the largest mall in Bandar Seri Begawan, a three-story building sitting on a 24-acre plot of land that includes a 5-star hotel, featuring a gross area around 100,000 square meters along with two basement parking levels. In the Ground Floor, many swanky cars were on display with offers and lucky draws. Youngsters milled around them. The cineplex and the food court seemed to be the most popular within the mall. There are many restaurants and cafes too in the mall. Mobiles and accessories, jewellery and clothing stores also had their share of guests as well.

Quite close to The Mall Gadong is the Pasir Gadong, the Gadong Wet Market. At the time of my visit, the market was being cleaned after a day of hectic sales, it seemed. Fresh fish, prawns and seafood looked to be the most on sale there.

The last stop for the day for me was the Gadong Night Market, just a short walk from The Mall Gadong and the Pasir Gadong. The night market is open from 4 pm to 11 pm. Endless varieties of local snacks and dishes, from grilled meat on skewers, rice topped with chicken and sambal on the side and a whole lot more of Bruneian favourites is where tourists and locals flock to for the cheapest food you can find in Bandar Seri Begawan. The prices are ridiculously low. Most of them are priced between 1 and 3 BND - 1 BND is about Rs. 75.

Food is fresh and prepared in front of you. This is undoubtedly Brunei’s busiest and most buzzing night stop on any day. One has only to be ready to handle the smoke from nearby stalls though, as it can get quite hot and hazy at times.  The specialities are Grilled chicken and fish, local rice and noodle dishes, traditional Malay cakes and snacks, fresh juices and local drinks.

I bought a local must try food, Nasi Katok. It is a portion of rice with two sambals (spicy chilly-based paste or sauce) of your choice and a juicy fried chicken piece. I also picked up an ABC juice, which looked like a rose milk drink. I feasted on them in the hotel room before dropping off in bed, totally exhausted from the nearly seven km walk.