Anyone who says Brunei is sterile and boring should spend three days in Manila before arriving in the tiny sultanate. It is the best place on earth for deManilafying. Bandar Seri Bagawan is the antithesis of Manila. The traffic is benign; it is spotless; there is no pee on the pavements; everything works; it is a small and wealthy city; and the food is great. No more pot noodles purchased from the 7eleven, YAY!! The hotel is quiet, and there is no construction site around the corner using angle grinders at midnight. Even the water is clean.
The only bad smell we come across during our stay is when walking through a cemetery past something which has been partly dug up and is in a horrible state of decay, but this is by no means the norm around here.
Unfortunately we only have time to stay for one full day so don't
Bruneiget any further than exploring the capital. Brunei has some incredible virgin rain forest which we would have loved to have inspected, but we were already booked on a flight to KK and so we will have to go back some time on a more in-depth expedition.
Bagawan is a compact little city, which is actually just a town. Two beautiful mosques and the Sultan's palace are worth a visit to oooh at the architecture; but the most interesting parts of town are the over water kampongs. They can be reached by bridge or boat and are wonderful to wander around. The faded colourful houses, often made out of up cycled bits and bobs, stand on stilts over the river and are joined to each other by wooden walkways. The communities are really friendly and everyone shouts a welcoming hello from their kitchens as we pass by. There is no shortage of opportunities to smile at people who are smiling at you and to wave enthusiastically at children. Even the boatmen are easy going, friendly and accommodating.
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