Anyone been to Brunei

ASVM

Hi. I am starting a job in Brunei in the new year and was just wondering if anyone had been there. Any sort of information would be useful. For example is the humidity hard to bear, are the snakes there dangerous. Or maybe there is someone on this forum who is already living there and could get in touch. It would be great to know some people before embarking on the big adventure. I am travelling with my family so am obviously concerned about things like climate, food, health issues etc.

Even though I've read lots about it I'd still like to get some views from people who have actually experienced the country.

Thanks:)

Stinicker

I spent three days in Bandar Seri Begawan, the Capital of Brunei this past April. I had been in Kuala Lumpur before this and flew over to Brunei with Air Asia.

I wasn't really that bothered about the place and only went there because I had heard about the Sultan and it was a novelty to go there, I got cheap flights with Air Asia for €75 so I jumped at that.

I found it to be a quite boring city and I took in the Mosques and went to see the locked gates of the Presidential Palace - Istana Nurul Iman, not much to see and you can't see the palace at all properly.

The heat in Brunei is all encompassing and I found it hotter than Kuala Lumpur, the sun blares down and then every so often the heavens will open with a torrential thundershowers for an hour or two and it will dry up again. On my fist night in Brunei I witnessed what was the greatest display of lightning I've ever seen, the noise of it woke me at 3.30am and I got dressed and walked outside it was flickering every 2 or 3 seconds amazing and the rain was so heavy.

Brunei is an islamic country and Alcohol is totally banned, although wine is served under the counter in Restaurants to tourists, I don't drink myself so it didn't bother me while I was there. I found the Bruneians friendly enough. It is far more expensive than Malaysia and as it is a well developed modern country with obvious wealth, but without the lavishness you would see in Dubai for e.g. Petrol was around €0.30/litre so when you live there that will be great and they drive on the left hand side of the road with RHD cars like Ireland.

Brunei was a unique type of place and it is not overrun with tourists either, matter of fact it gets very little and I just went for the novelty, to get the passport stamp and tick it off my list of countries visited, the cheap flights were a clincher, and whilst my Hotel was expensive I think it was worth visiting. Royal Brunei Airlines fly there and I'd consider using Brunei as a stop-over en-route to Australia primarily because the whole place is so laid back and uncongested, the airport there was very quite in contrast to the mega-asian hubs which surround it.

ASVM

Thank you for your answer. You've already given me a good insight into the place. Yeah, I was told to bring an umbrella -bit like Ireland in a strange sort of way!

The humidity doesn't sound too appealing though, or maybe it's just a case of getting used to it - hopefully!

I agree that the driving on the same side as us is a big benefit though apparently they drive like lunatics, breaking red lights that sort of thing.

As for the alcohol apparently foreigners and non Muslims are allowed to cross over the border and bring in two litres of spirits or wine and 16 bottles of beer every 48 hours so at least we can have a drink at home if we want to.

It does sound like a bit of a culture shock though.

Stinicker

ASVM wrote: »

Thank you for your answer. You've already given me a good insight into the place. Yeah, I was told to bring an umbrella -bit like Ireland in a strange sort of way!

The humidity doesn't sound too appealing though, or maybe it's just a case of getting used to it - hopefully!

I agree that the driving on the same side as us is a big benefit though apparently they drive like lunatics, breaking red lights that sort of thing.

As for the alcohol apparently foreigners and non Muslims are allowed to cross over the border and bring in two litres of spirits or wine and 16 bottles of beer every 48 hours so at least we can have a drink at home if we want to.

It does sound like a bit of a culture shock though.

I found their drivers to be quite well behaved, there does seem to be quite a shortage of Taxi drivers and I couldn't just hail one on the street I had to get my hotel reception to book one and maybe wait 10 - 15mins for it to arrive, taxi prices in Brunei are very expensive in comparison to Malaysia and Thailand. Also the Brunei Dollar is interchangeable with the Singapore Dollar as they are pegged to each other and I even received Singapore Dollar notes back as change on some purchases, but for the most part it is Bruneian currency which is used.

You can also bring in 2 litres of Alcohol into Brunei by Air and I noticed people declaring it when I flew in there, if you don't declare it is pretty serious I think. Importation of Drugs can lead to the death penalty and being Gay is illegal and punishable by caning and imprisonment.

There is an English newspaper published daily and English is very common place, especially amongst the educated, many of whom study overseas. http://www.bt.com.bn/

Women in Brunei wear the hijab but you will see the odd woman wearing the niqab also, I seen some female tourists wearing scarves in Hijab and more without so I don't think it is enforced like in Saudi Arabia. In the absense of alcohol the Bruneians tend to congregate at coffee shops and drink coffees etc., smoking of the sheesha water-pipe was another novelty I observed whilst there. I noticed a pretty high rate of obesity amongst young Bruneian teenagers also, there is only 1 McDonalds in the whole country but you'd be mistaken for thinking there was many more.

Tipperary animal lover

Have a look at Brunei tripadvisor, you can post all the questions you want and also check out the areas to live restaurants things to do ...

ballooba

You can BYO on Brunei Air. It's the only alcohol you'll get on board.

ASVM

Thank you all so much for your replies, any information I get before departure is a big bonus!

Hopefully it will work out well for my family and I. The next thing I have to think about is getting the jabs and shipping some stuff out there.

When we get settled there after Christmas I'll put a post on here to tell you how we're getting on ( if anyone is interested to hear)

Oh I did find an Irish connection in Brunei Dermot Mannion ,( don't know him) he used to be with Aer Lingus but is now the Deputy Chairperson( I think ) of Royal Brunei Airlines.It really is a small world for sure!:)

Stinicker

A Cork City FC player was playing in Brunei up until recently too.
http://bigredbench.blogspot.ie/2012/05/cork-city-legend-george-ocallaghan-on.html

brónaim cád??

Did you move to Brunei? I'm thinking applying for a job there.