What to Do in Brunei: Sights, Activities, and Gems
Chop Jing Chew
Chop Jing Chew is a local restaurant that has been open since 1946. It’s an eatery that specializes in bread. The prices are low, ranging from $1 to $4. I recommend their curry puff ayam (chicken). It’s flaky on the outside with a savory warm chicken curry filling. I also loved the roti cheese which is a sweet bread with cream cheese. Lastly, my personal favorite was roti kuning. Once you bite into the bread you are welcomed by the sweet taste of butter and kaya (coconut jam). My mouth still waters thinking about it to this day.
KOPIFIX
We drove further out in Brunei to find another “specialty” coffee shop. The coffee was good but I wouldn’t consider it specialty. The interior is really nice as it feels cozy and offers various places to sit. Michael had a cappuccino and I had a strawberry matcha latte. It was delicious and very aesthetically pleasing. We liked it and would go back, but if you’re looking for only specialty coffee you don’t need to come all the way out.
Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
This is one of the major mosques in Brunei. It was named after the 29th sultan of Brunei and is a state mosque. You are allowed to take photos and videos, but please remain very respectful. The gold gilding and blue tiles on the exterior glittered beautifully in the sunlight, and the inside was spectacular as well. If you aren’t dressed appropriately for the mosque you may borrow a covering at the entrance. The interior architecture had unique spiral pillars, a geometrically shaped ceiling, and patterned tiling. You could easily spend over an hour admiring the beauty of this mosque.
When visiting mosques, we are generally very careful to follow rules of modesty and be respectful of religious customs. We visited our first mosque in Malaysia and since then we’ve visited many more. It’s fascinating how scared people in western culture can be about Islam, when in reality these places are no more special than a cathedral. Tourists visit mosques all the time, just like cathedrals in Europe. It’s a great way to understand local culture, see amazing architecture and respect others traditions.
Brunei is known internationally as a brutal dictatorship, but our experience showed a different side. There are some backwards laws and things we disagree with, we were surprised by how relaxed people seemed. You may notice Yemisi is not covering her head in the main room of this mosque, the employee actually recommended she take it off for a better photo. In most countries this would be unheard of. The people of Brunei have a surprisingly laid-back approach to life.
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
When you search Brunei this is the iconic picture that pops up. This is the largest mosque in Brunei constructed by the 28th Sultan. The outside is quite exquisite with its simple gold gilding and white walls giving it a royal feel. Check out our other article to hear more about what to do outside. The mosque has only a small area available for the public. I wouldn’t really recommend going inside, but it only takes 5 minutes since it’s such a small area. This picture explains it all.
McDonald’s Lambak
McDonald’s seems like a very Western thing to do in a foreign country. But hear me out, McDonald’s in other countries has exclusive items to their region. This McDonald’s didn’t disappoint. Michael had cakoi (Chinese bread stick) and nasi lemak with spicy ayam goreng (fried seasoned chicken). I got my usual double cheeseburger because I like to use it as a baseline. The location is pretty big and the staff is friendly. The best part is they have merchandise. I got a cute fanny pack that I’m in love with.
Tasek Lama Recreational Park
This is a huge park that offers a variety of hikes, running courses, and nature. Be aware of where you place your belongings because there are wild monkeys. As it was relativity hot that day we didn’t spend too long at the park. There is usually a small, murky waterfall in the park, but it was covered up by vines when we visited.
You may notice that Brunei doesn’t have mountains. In fact, it hardly has any hills. The country is flat and very small so there are hardly any geographic features, so seeing this park was a welcome change. However we were later told that the waterfall isn’t natural, but you take what you can get. Because of the shade and peace and quiet, it’s a great place to hang out in the afternoon. If you are interested in trails and nature this is the place.
The Empire Brunei
The Empire Brunei is one of the few so-called seven-star hotels in the world. We made a reservation for afternoon tea at the Lobby Lounge. Reservations can be made by phone or online. We ordered one tea set which feeds two, and added an extra drink. The tea set offers a tiered tray with sandwiches, scones, and pastries. The portion is large so I suggest sharing between two people unless you’re incredibly hungry. During tea, they offered us nuts, cookies, and infused water as well. The dining area has huge windows that let in so much natural lighting, giving it a soft atmosphere.
The hotel itself is massive with extravagant vaulted ceilings and imposing marble columns. After we finished our tea we made our way to the bottom of the lobby and took a short stroll outside. The hotel is just off the beach, with a massive park and swimming pool. There is a natural sand beach, as well as a pool for kayaking. One day if we visit Brunei we would love to try to spend a night here.
Tanjung Batu Beach
We wanted to watch the sunset at a beach and chose this one at random. It was the best choice because that evening we saw the best sunset in our lives. There is a very long beach with clean water for miles and a nice concrete pier for walking. There are a few beaches that are much closer to the city center, so we got the impression this was more for locals. But the beach itself looked amazing for swimming.
We decided to take a stroll to the end, where we turned the corner and our mind was blown. On one side was a brilliant sunset unfolding, on the other side was a massive storm over the ocean. Looking back to the beach we saw a vibrant rainbow arcing over the beach. All in a moment it went from rain to rainbow, to glorious sunset. It was one of our favorite spots in Brunei.
Jerudong Park
We finished the day by visiting the country’s only amusement park. There are several ticket options available, allowing you to either purchase tickets for a specific number of rides or just for entrance. Since we didn’t have much time and just wanted to walk around, we opted for an entrance-only ticket. Luckily, our ticket included mini golf, and while we waited to start we met a cute friend named Baby Love. What a welcoming kitty!
The lines at the amusement park were really short when we went in the evening so you could ride as many times as your tickets allowed. If we had more time we definitely would have ridden some rides, as they actually looked pretty enjoyable. I wish we could have spent more time and it was one of our highlights.
Final Thoughts
Brunei is a misunderstood country. While there are valid criticisms, our visit far exceeded our expectations. The architecture was beautiful, atmosphere was peaceful, and most importantly the people were amazing. Everywhere we went we encountered happy and welcoming people. If you are in the area, I highly recommend you consider Brunei as a stop for a very unique destination.
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