8 Top Things To Do In Brunei & Bandar Seri Begawan

by David & Intan

Brunei is a tiny, oil rich Muslim country on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, and its capital city (Bandar Seri Begawan) only has a population of about 100,000 people.

This entire country is mostly overlooked by tourists, but itโ€™s still a cool place to check out, with its interesting museums and mosques that are open to the public for free.

You can also do things like visit a museum, or go on a river safari to spot monkeys and other wildlife. Here are 8 of the best things to do in Brunei and Bandar Seri Begawan!


Where To Stay In Brunei

 
 

Top Things To Do In Brunei & Bandar Seri Begawan

1. Brunei Airport Mosque

This is an easy one. The first thing you see after arriving in Bandar Seri Begawan is the Brunei International Airport Mosque. This is a smaller mosque with a big blue dome and three minarets, right next to the airport doors. It isnโ€™t open to tourists, but youโ€™re welcome to snap some photos from the outside!

Dome and walls of the Brunei Airport Mosque
 
 

2. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

This mosque is the most famous monument in Brunei, and itโ€™s easily the most photogenic too. The mosque has a huge dome of pure gold, and cost as much as $10 Million USD to build!

Read More: Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

Water reflection and boat at the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Brunei
 
 

3. Jameโ€™Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

This huge mosque is another iconic monument of Bandar Seri Begawan, with its golden domes and 60 meter (200 foot) tall minarets. You can also tour the inside on certain days of the week, and the inside looks just as impressive as the outside.

Read More: Jameโ€™Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

Domes of the Jameโ€™Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque in Brunei
 
 

4. Royal Regalia Museum

Bruneiโ€™s biggest and most popular museum is the Royal Regalia Museum in the city center, where you can see exhibits from the countryโ€™s history. Itโ€™s free to enter, but sadly they donโ€™t allow phones or cameras inside. Free lockers are provided for storing your stuff.

Top things to do in Brunei and Bandar Seri Begawan

ยฉ Shutterstock


 

5. Mangrove River Safari

Take a wildlife sighting cruise on the Brunei River! During a 2 hour boat trip you can see Borneoโ€™s Proboscis monkeys and mangrove forests, and visit a local water village on stilts. Viator has boat tour packages for this starting at 70 Brunei dollars ($52 USD) with pickup included.

Book now: Brunei River Safari

Top things to do in Brunei and Bandar Seri Begawan

ยฉ Shutterstock


 

6. Gadong Mall

Also known as โ€œThe Mallโ€, this is one of Bandar Seri Begawanโ€™s prime shopping centers. I wouldnโ€™t say itโ€™s anything spectacular like the malls in Dubai, but itโ€™s a good place to escape the midday heat and look for some good deals on electronics, souvenirs and essentials.

Top things to do in Brunei and Bandar Seri Begawan

ยฉ Shutterstock


 

7. Pick Up Some Brunei Swag

As far as tourist destinations go, Bandar Seri Begawan is probably one of the more obscure cities in the world, so be sure to pick up some fridge magnets and other souvenirs! Even the Bruneian Dollar bills look pretty cool.

Hand holding a $10 Dollar Bruneian money note
 
 

8. Try Durian Ice Cream

The Dairy Queen in Brunei sells blizzards made out of the notoriously weird smelling Durian fruit. The flavor is incredibly bad. You have to try it, even just to say you did!

Durian ice cream sign at a Dairy Queen
 
 

More Brunei Travel Tips

Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed this list of the top things to do in Brunei and Bandar Seri Begawan.

Donโ€™t forget to check out my complete Brunei Travel Guide with tips, info, photos, and more!
 

Brunei Hotels

 

Where I Stayed

I stayed at Qing Yun Resthouse Bandar near the BSB riverfront, in a private air-conditioned room for $33 USD per night. Brunei is not the cheapest country to travel, so this was a pretty good deal.

The location was perfect. The hotel was just a 5 minute walk from the famous Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and Royal Regalia Museum. It was also right on top of a shopping complex with lots of restaurants.

Prices may fluctuate from time to time, so just keep an eye out for a good deal.

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