1) Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque
On our first day, we walked from our hotel (Radisson) to the Omar Ali Saifuddien mosque. It looked near enough on the map but under the scorching sun I was wishing for a free shuttle service from the hotel. But it was worth the walk as it was one of the most beautiful mosques I've seen. I love the whiteness of the facade, the marble columns, arches and minaret and the dome made of pure gold which was glinting under the fierce afternoon sun. From a distance, it looked like it was floating on the man-made lagoon on which it was built.
The mosque provides robes for those wishing to enter (within the opening hours of course). It's certainly worth doing so as the interiors are as spectacular, if not more, as the facade. From the crystal chandeliers, the stained-glass walls, the intricate carvings and the fine woven carpets, you could see that no expense was spared.
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The mosque by the lagoon |
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Ceiling of the Prayer Hall |
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Dusk in Bandar Seri Begawan |
2) River Safari and Kampong Ayer tour
From the mosque, we walked past the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex to the jetty, from which we got a boat to take us to the mangroves for sightings of the proboscis monkeys as well as to Kampong Ayer. See here.
3) Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
We started our 2nd day with a taxi ride to the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque. It's located on Jalan Tutong, outside of the main tourist drag so you either have to get a taxi or bus. Buses number 1 and 22 leave from the main bus terminal and pass the mosque.
The largest mosque in Brunei, it was built in 1992 to celebrate the 25th year of the current Sultan's reign. If I were to give a single adjective to the two mosques that we saw there, I would say that the Omar Ali mosque is graceful while the Jame' mosque is magnificent. And splendorous. Make it two adjectives. The grounds are extensive, with marble-covered courtyards and fountains. The mosque itself is dominated by four terrazo-tiled minarets and golden domes (the Bruneians love their gold).
To enter the mosque, you would be given a set of robes and also would have to leave your bags in one of the lockers. The black marble flooring felt cold under my feet as I walked to the prayer halls. I would have gotten lost in the maze-like corridors were it not for directions from one of the staff.
The prayer halls are vast, adorned with more marbles and tiles and the carvings of the Quranic verses.
If this is how the mosque is, I cannot imagine how grand the Palace is. The gold-plated taps and bathroom fixtures are not mere rumours then.
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The minarets of Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosque |
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Water features on the extensive grounds |
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Entrance to the mosque compound |
4) Gorging on ambuyat
A dish can hardly be considered as a tourist attraction. But this is no ordinary dish - it is the national dish of Brunei and when you see what it is, you will understand why it was in my to-do list.
This dish is derived from the interior trunk of the sago palm. It is a starchy bland substance that looked more in place in a kindergarten's arts and crafts room than on a dining table. The set that we ordered came with spicy condiments, fried fish and two beef and vegetable dishes. I braced myself, scooped a chunk of ambuyat using the candas (a chopstick-like wooden tool) provided, dipped it in the condiment and popped it in my mouth. And hey, it did not taste that bad. The spiciness of the condiment sort of complemented the bland gooey taste of the ambuyat. But still, it was far from being included in my Favourite Food Around The World list.
We had this ambuyat eating experience in Aminah Arif Restaurant (the most classic Malay name and apparently one of the best places to have ambuyat in Brunei) Tutong branch. It was a walking distance from the Jame' mosque but we had to cross a main road and it was sooo hot that it was no wonder that we were the only people walking. The set for 2 cost BND16.
5) Royal Regalia Museum
After our ambuyat lunch, we got a cab to this museum mainly because it was just across the road from our hotel and the entrance was free. As its name suggests, the museum showcases the life of the current Sultan of Brunei, His Majesty Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu‘izzaddin Waddaulah (phew). It also acts as a repository for the gifts and tributes offered from other Heads of States and dignitaries. Looking at the exhibits, it was like a competition on who could be more extravagant, but I don't envy those who have to think on what to give one of the richest men in the world.
Photography is not allowed except for in the foyer where the centerpiece was the Royal Chariot used during the procession around town at the Sultan’s accession to the throne in 1967.
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Royal Chariot |
6) Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex
We took another walk to this area in the evening. The Yayasan is the largest shopping mall in Brunei with Hua Ho Department Store as its anchor tenant. The home department of the latter looked like King Midas had just run amok in it. Again, the Bruneians love their gold.
The mall was deserted at 6.30pm and we figured it was because of Maghrib prayers (they even had Quran recital in the background). Then it was 8pm...and still it was more or less the same. This was the biggest shopping mall in Brunei on a Sturday night and it felt like Kuala Lumpur's Pertama Complex at 10am. I came to the conclusion that Bruneians love 1) Gold and 2) Family time at home.
Conclusion:
So was it worth making a trip to BSB? Was Brunei boring? Sort of and not really. BSB is small and the number of things you can see and do is admittedly limited but any place that holds fast to its tradition and values and which does not sell its soul to bring in the tourists gets my votes any time.
And if you had time to spare, unlike us, there's always the Ulu Temburong National Park for the real Borneo rainforest experience.
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