Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei (part 1)
Brunei (or otherwise referred to as Negara Brunei Darussalam) is a small sultanate, just a tiny speck in the map surrounded by Malaysia. Not much is known about the country except that it has a vast oil reserve and that the royal family became rich because of it.
In my teens, I remembered a local scandal in the Philippines concerning actresses who were embroiled in the "Brunei-yuki" issue (umm, beautiful women 'entertaining' the male members of the royal family) and that scandal is what is stuck in my mind if someone asks....what do you know about Brunei? lol
Brunei has actually so much more to offer when it comes to the beauty of its mosques, their clean and organized streets which is a much needed respite from the traffic back in the Philippines. The Sultanate also have a very long and colorful history, with the same family reigning the country for more than 6 centuries.
This trip being a birthday treat to myself, I was so happy and excited when I got off from the ferry terminal in Muara.
Only to realize later on that there is only 1 bus waiting for passengers to take to BSB and apparently there are only 3 schedules per day and that was the last bus, diosko po! And since its an approx 25-30kms to the city, taking a taxi to go there will mean an exorbitant fare. I was initially quoted 60BND however after much haggling it went down to 30 BND, and after the very lively conversation between me and the driver while on the road (with him trying his Tagalog on me hahahaha) he even reduced it further to just 20 BND (1USD = 1.2 BND).
What a great introduction to the country! Smiling, honest, and generous taxi drivers.....I honestly believe, taxi drivers are what makes a difference between a relaxing holiday and a nightmarish one.
I initially planned on staying at a guesthouse in Kampung Ayer but when I alighted near the promenade area and realized that I have to jump into a swaying boat with my heavy backpack just to go there.....ummm, I changed my mind. lol
I called up a childhood friend who is based in BSB and while waiting for her to pick me up, I went around the area. Love it! The streets are so quiet with only a few cars around.
After leaving my backpack in my friend's apartment (I will be staying with them overnight), we went out for a traditional Bruneian dinner spiced up with some Malay dishes. Some of their Pinoy friends came over to join us. Maraming salamat talaga sa inyo for such a warm welcome!
They took me for a night tour around the city. It can really be a problem going around the city at night, there are no taxis or buses in sight. It seems like all the residents have cars!
First stop was the very opulent and majestic Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque (it even has escalators to go up....pag tinamad mag stairs!) which was built to commemorate the current Sultan's 25th year reign. It also has 29 golden minarets as the current Sultan is the 29th Sultan. The mosque grounds is so huge. We only went around the front area and did not venture inside the mosque anymore.
Of course, a trip to Brunei will not be complete without a peek at the Istana Nurul Iman. As in hanggang gate lang talaga kami hahahaha. Although as my hosts (both teachers in private schools here in BSB) said, the doors of the palace opens at least once a year wherein the Sultan will invite all employees from different teaching institutions in the country. Otherwise the palace is open to the public for 3 days during the Hari Raya festival.
The palace is the official residence of the reigning Sultan and has 1,531 rooms (and almost 300 bathrooms). Our claim to Pinoy pride is the Filipino architect Leandro Locsin who designed the palace.
.jpg)
And here I thought the opulence stops with the Jame' Asr Hassanil Mosque, yun pala our last stop will be the icing on the cake. We went back to the center of the city to visit the postcard-pretty Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and............. whoa!!!
The mosque was named after the 28th Sultan (the current Sultan is the 29th) and built from 1958-1958. I was really in awe by how perfectly beautiful it is, so romantic with its reflecting pool as if leaping out from the pages of a fairy tale book. The ceremonial barge is a replica of a traditional royal barge called mahligai.
My first day in Brunei ended with a bang! Amazing architectural beauties and meeting fantastic people, what else do I need???
In my teens, I remembered a local scandal in the Philippines concerning actresses who were embroiled in the "Brunei-yuki" issue (umm, beautiful women 'entertaining' the male members of the royal family) and that scandal is what is stuck in my mind if someone asks....what do you know about Brunei? lol
Brunei has actually so much more to offer when it comes to the beauty of its mosques, their clean and organized streets which is a much needed respite from the traffic back in the Philippines. The Sultanate also have a very long and colorful history, with the same family reigning the country for more than 6 centuries.
This trip being a birthday treat to myself, I was so happy and excited when I got off from the ferry terminal in Muara.
 |
| The wide smile says it all......Me and my backpack are soooo back in action! hahaha |
What a great introduction to the country! Smiling, honest, and generous taxi drivers.....I honestly believe, taxi drivers are what makes a difference between a relaxing holiday and a nightmarish one.
I initially planned on staying at a guesthouse in Kampung Ayer but when I alighted near the promenade area and realized that I have to jump into a swaying boat with my heavy backpack just to go there.....ummm, I changed my mind. lol
I called up a childhood friend who is based in BSB and while waiting for her to pick me up, I went around the area. Love it! The streets are so quiet with only a few cars around.
After leaving my backpack in my friend's apartment (I will be staying with them overnight), we went out for a traditional Bruneian dinner spiced up with some Malay dishes. Some of their Pinoy friends came over to join us. Maraming salamat talaga sa inyo for such a warm welcome!
They took me for a night tour around the city. It can really be a problem going around the city at night, there are no taxis or buses in sight. It seems like all the residents have cars!
First stop was the very opulent and majestic Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque (it even has escalators to go up....pag tinamad mag stairs!) which was built to commemorate the current Sultan's 25th year reign. It also has 29 golden minarets as the current Sultan is the 29th Sultan. The mosque grounds is so huge. We only went around the front area and did not venture inside the mosque anymore.
 |
| With my hosts, Amie and Anelyn |
The palace is the official residence of the reigning Sultan and has 1,531 rooms (and almost 300 bathrooms). Our claim to Pinoy pride is the Filipino architect Leandro Locsin who designed the palace.
 |
| The entrance towards the palace....as in malayo pa talaga ang royal palace lol |
The mosque was named after the 28th Sultan (the current Sultan is the 29th) and built from 1958-1958. I was really in awe by how perfectly beautiful it is, so romantic with its reflecting pool as if leaping out from the pages of a fairy tale book. The ceremonial barge is a replica of a traditional royal barge called mahligai.
My first day in Brunei ended with a bang! Amazing architectural beauties and meeting fantastic people, what else do I need???
Comments