When In Brunei

I remember booking my first ticket to Brunei few years back. It was originally scheduled on February 2017 but then since I did 15 countries last year, I decided to move it to February 2018 instead. So what exactly is so special about Brunei? My friends would always tell me, “you won’t see anything there” or “you won’t like it in Brunei” but then my gut was telling me that I should still do it. I like adventures and wherever my tummy takes me, I’ll still go for it!

Brunei International Airport

So how did I go to Brunei? I took a plane from Manila to Bandar Seri Begawan via a top budget airline in my country. I got the round trip tickets for less than 40 USD. Not bad huh? I’m really good at seat sales so I always get the best price for each ticket. I usually fly economy because it’s cheaper. I don’t mind actually. I only did two business class flights before.

Inside the Brunei International Airport
Art appreciation anyone?

It was a challenging trip. I was sick during the entire trip but then I wouldn’t back down the challenge. I was down but not out. Why not make the most out of your trip?

So upon arriving at the Brunei International Airport, I did the usual traveler would do. Take as much photos as I can!

Where will my feet take me next?
Just in time for the 34th National Day of Brunei
Did you know that Brunei is a Muslim country?

I was very fortunate enough to join the 34th Brunei Day or the National Parade. It was a very nice feeling to immerse yourself with the local culture. I get to see the King/Sultan too during the parade. It was so cool! I get to wear the traditional Cikar from Zix.Brunei. I sported the Cikar #34 just in time for the Brunei National Day celebration.It was the highlight of my trip.

It starts with a healthy breakfast!
Me being a foodie in action
I’m one of the delegates in the National Parade.
Twinning! haha
During the march…

Foodie as usual!
Loving my Cikar #34

Here are some more of the photos in action in Brunei:

A photo with Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque

Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is one of the major religious buildings in Brunei. Non-Muslim travelers can visit inside the mosque at a certain schedule only. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do it for 3 days. I always arrive early or late.

Production of the Billionth Barrel of Crude Oil monument sponsored by Shell last July 1991.
Don’t mind the foodie belly. Hahaha! My jump shot attempt!

I visited the Jerudong Park. There was so many things you can do there like playing with the horses in the stables, walk around the grounds, play golf, squash and swim.

Hello there horses.

Hope I can ride a horse again soon.

I also visited The Empire Hotel & Country Club. It was one of the most iconic and oldest hotel in Brunei. It was really majestic!

My Titanic moment in the stairs.
Look at my freshly made strawberry gelato with dessicated coconut, chocolate bits and corn crunchies.
Ice cream shot!
Isn’t it pretty?

Me and my ice cream!
Kiss!
Peek a boo!

Much better at night isn’t it?

My watchtower

And of course, I wouldn’t leave Bandar Seri Begawan without trying the local cuisine. I love trying out anything locally made. Here are some of the best:

Roti Kacang Kahwin
Roti Kacang Kahwin – one of my faves at Chop Jing Chew

Chop Jing Chew is one of the oldest and the best breakfast spots in Brunei. I had my breakfast here for few days. I got a nice postcard too.

Kaya Toast

Curry Puff Daging
Teh Tarik
with my friend, Nikie
Honey Lemon was my best friend in Brunei. It’s good for sore throat. Oh and yes, Pandan Cake!

I also tried some treats at Gadong Night Market. It’s really cheap and you’ll find a lot of food finds.

Satay anyone?
My rainbow bread. Was it good? Just colorful.
It was visually tasty!
Soup anyone?

I also visited Soto Pabo. It was a very good restaurant in Kampung Ayer. I ordered Soto Hati Buyah + Ayam.

Soto Hati Buyah
Honey Lemon is my best drink in town!

The food adventure does not stop there. I had murtabak too.

murtabak

Some of other miscellaneous photos from my trip:

Car selfie
Always a time for swimming! It was hot!
Beach is life!
My morning view!
One of the active parks

Coffee in a truck? Why not!

Would I go back to Brunei? Yes because I fell in love with the food as well as the people behind this small yet disciplined country. If there would be one area of improvement, that would be the public transportation.

Check out my other travel related articles

  1. My Eatalian Trip
  2. 1 euro meal at 100 Montaditos Colosseo
  3. “Fol” in love with popcorn
  4. Nutella Crepe at Le Chapeau Bistrot
  5. Authentic Italian Experience at Talea
  6. Christmas Market in Frankfurt
  7. What to do in Bruges (Brugge)
  8. What to do in Brussels
  9. What to do in Oslo
  10. What to do in Budapest
  11. When In Paris

Till my next trip! Watch this space for more updates.

The Tennis Foodie 🙂

 

67 thoughts on “When In Brunei”

  1. I’m with you, I follow my tummie. AND I take a ton of pictures when traveling. 😉

  2. Wow! I’m so sorry that you weren’t feeling well during your trip, but it looks like you still had an amazing time! I love you “foodie in action” shot! So true!

  3. I am sorry to hear you were sick on your trip, it looks like you had a really good time regardless. The Brunei National Day celebration sounds like a great experience.

  4. You have so many interesting and fascinating pictures from the place. Thank you for sharing them. I have almost never even heard about the place, but now I know more about it.

  5. I don’t know anything about Brunei, but I know delicious food when I see it. It looks like you had an amazing trip, I love reading about the places you visit!

  6. I’ve never heard of Brunei before, but man it looks beautiful! And of course all of your food looked absolutely amazing <3

  7. This place looks like an amazing place to spend a holiday. There are so many tasty looking dishes and I definitely would have to try that freshly made gelato and ice cream.

  8. Wow your trip looks absolutely amazing! I love all of the beautiful photographs you shared with us from your travels!

  9. Looks and sounds like you had an amazing time! The march looks super fun and there are some seriously nice pics of food!

  10. It looks like you had a great time even though you were not feeling to good. Love the pics. Looks like a very interesting place. I’m glad you chose to go even though some friends said there was nothing there!

    1. Surely Brunei seems an interesting place . I haven’t been there as it is not much popular among the travelers . But the food pictures are luring . I had heard about it from my frd who was staying there and she said it has good beaches too . Would love to visit someday

  11. So many amazing things to see and do in Brunei, I had no idea!
    Great to see that you had so much fun even though you were quite sick. But what I like the most is the delicious looking food. There are some really “Yummies” I see there, for example the Soto Hati Buyah or the Pandan Cake. Your article made me very curios about Brunei, thank you for sharing!

  12. First of all, that gelato looks amazing!!! I love the fact that there was art on display at the airport, and who knew that there’s a monument for the billionth barrel of crude oil from Shell? I’m really glad that despite getting sick, you had such a blast and got to experience all the things that the negative talkers missed out on!

  13. Round trip ticket to Brunei for 40USD?! That is freaking a huge deal! I used to make a travel arrangement for my consultants to Brunei and believe me it is expensive. However, if you are a party person, Brunei might not me your kind of place. Indeed, the city is enormously gorgeous!

  14. Isolated in its own corner of the Borneo Island, Brunei is that country all people forget that it’s a part of Southeast Asia. Not too many people visit this place and it’s, in fact, one of the least visited countries in Asia. I’m glad you decided to visit. Thank you for sharing your experience.

  15. Isolated in its own corner of the Borneo Island, Brunei is that country all people forget that it’s a part of Southeast Asia. Not too many people visit this place and it’s, in fact, one of the least visited countries in Asia. I’m glad you decided to visit. Thank you for sharing your experience.

  16. I am looking at visiting Brunei next year and this post sure helps me plan better. Good to know you can get some budget airlines to fly into the capital from other countries in Asia. The food looks amazing and I was wondering what there is to see and do and this post gives some great pointers. The most famous no doubt is the Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque and something to marvel at

  17. I knew it was kaya toast when I saw the first picture of you with the traditional Cikar. I wonder if it’s as good as the one in Singapore. Mmm… you made me drooling. The satay looks good, and I really want to try that Roti Kacang Kahwin. And, so lucky you were able to join their National Parade in their traditional dress.

  18. Great to learn that you followed your heart and got to Brunei. We had heard similar things when we were in Malaysia and contemplating a visit here. Falling sick can be daunting on a trip but nice you made the best of the time you had. Totally loved this virtual tour of Brunei and even though we did not go there, I am happy to discover it through your post!

  19. Happy to know that you had a great time to Brunei. It has been one of our favorite countries though I think it has been 8 years since we last visited. Can’t wait to be back soon.

  20. It’s pretty cool you got to take part in the 34th Brunei National Day dressed in the local gear! Good to know the Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque needs to be scheduled in for Non-Muslims. The Empire Hotel & Country Club looks super grand! I nearly went to Brunei last month but decided I need to do more research first, great to hear your advice.

  21. I stay in Kuala Lumpur and believe it or not, I have not been to Brunei. Everyone tells me the same things “there’s nothing to do” and the government is so restrictive that it doesn’t really represent as an ideal destination to visit, but this post might just change my mind. Thanks for sharing!

  22. Brunei has always sounded very exotic and fascinating to me and good on you for not listening to people saying there’s nothing there… usually the more I hear this kind of comments, the more I want to see the place 🙂 The food at the tGadong Night Market looks super delicious, I wonder how that rainbow bread tasted like!
    Also, how amazing that you got to see the Sultan at the parade!

  23. Brunei seems like an interesting country. I skipped it during my last trip to Borneo. But after this post, I would love to visit someday

  24. Brunei looks interesting and there are many things to do here. Trying some treats at Gadong Night Market would be my first thing to do here. It is great to wear the national dress of the place you visit and you look great in Cikar #34. The Empire Hotel & Country Club is really majestic.

  25. Contrary to what you had heard, I actually have been hearing great things about Brunei and that there is a lot to do and see there, it’s a beautiful country! I am glad your experience echoed that, you were lucky to get the tickets so cheap! I would love to try the local cuisine there, I am not even sure what exactly the dishes are but I usually love Southeast Asian cuisine and it seems I will love the food in Brunei too.

  26. Brunei is a country that is not often highlighted when it should be! It’s unfortunate that you were sick during your trip, but I’m happy that you powered through and were able to experience some surreal experiences. I would love to mimic your itinerary and visit during Brunei’s National Day celebration. I think that offers a true, authentic glimpse into the country’s culture and traditions. Definitely a great way to meet locals and get involved

  27. When I read the title of the post, I found myself asking the same thing: What’s so special about Brunei? I had never heard of it before, but, after reading this, I find myself wishing to go there.

  28. Brunei has actually been on my bucket list for several years. I’ve wanted to go there ever since a friend to a trip and raved about it.

  29. Brumei looks like a beautiful place with tons of wonderful sights to see and lots of delicious food to enjoy! I’d love to visit. Thanks for sharing!

  30. I have yet to visit Brunei, but it’s definitely on my list. I love all the pictures and it looks like you totally Travel Won with arriving for the National Parade (love the twinning comment lol). Great post!

  31. Oh my goodness, this place looks beautiful! Although I’ve never been to Brunei before myself, I would love to make my way over in the near future. Thanks for sharing all of this! 🙂

  32. Brunei seems to have a lot of fun things to offer. Your pictures are way too good! You must be having a time of your life.

  33. Brunei looks amazing! I would love to travel there 😍. I’m so sorry you got sick but I’m glad you had a good time otherwise! Thank you for sharing you experiences with us 😊

  34. I have heard about Brunei a lot but never been there. Loved the food and I appreciate you being a foodie. You can taste different kinds of food. The natural beauty is also amazing.

  35. Good photos. I know Brunei is famous for different varieties of food. Understand you were not keeping well, yet the memories you captured are excellent.

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  37. I have never been there but I have friends working in Brunei and they told me to visit the place. Because aside from having a beautiful places to visit and explore, they’re food are delicious, too.

  38. Wow! What an awesome trip you had.. My uncle who once stayed there for work told me that exploring Brunei is almost like exploring our country too so the adjustment is not really that challenging. So lucky of you to be able to wear that Cikar.. I wonder if a tourist can freely wear that when it is not their National day..
    Thank you for sharing this journey with us. I’m pretty sure you had a blast

  39. Seems like you’ve had fun! Brunei indeed has a rich culture and you will be able to indulge to it once you visit their country. I would love to visit there soon after everything goes back to normal, hopefully.

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