GLOBE TROTTER
Welcome to your one-page destination guide SO, WHERE ARE WE GOING THIS MONTH? The tiny Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, in South East Asia. WHY, EXACTLY? The Sultan’s penchant for lavish spending means the country is dotted with world-class hotels, golf courses and landmarks. Sure, we have those in the UAE, but Brunei also has empty beaches, untouched rainforest (covering more than 80 per cent of the country) and more wildlife than you can shake an proboscis monkey at. OK, YOU’VE SOLD ME. WELL, THE MONKEYS AND THE RAINFOREST SOLD ME. TELL ME MORE. Brunei is a nature lover’s paradise. Pretty much everywhere you look you will see green, not to mention hoards of wild animals and trees as big as the Burj Al Arab. As a Muslim country, Brunei has been an alcohol-no-go zone since 1990, so be aware that you can't buy booze. WE’LL NEED SOMEWHERE TO SLEEP. As Brunei is still not quite on the tourist radar, you can pretty much have your pick of hotels. If you’ve grown accustomed to UAE-style luxury, then the first on your list should be the spectacularly lavish (yet surprisingly affordable) Empire Hotel (theempirehotel.com). If you’re less a resort person and want to be in the centre of the action, then the Centrepoint Hotel (thecentrepointhotel.com) in the shopping district of Gadong is your best bet. For a price that you won’t bat an eyelid at, it’s the city centre’s Jubilee Hotel. TALK TO ME ABOUT THE FOOD. For the best local cuisine it is well worth heading to the night market in Gadong, where an array of stalls cook up a serious feast, including satay dishes and char kway teow (a dish of flat rice noodles) – but we personally recommend the traditional workers’ dish nasi lamak (curry, rice and salted fish) and roti kosong (flatbread). Other excellent places to eat are Tien Hock restaurant in Gadong, which boasts the best fish-head curry in town, and CA Mohammad restaurant in the Yayasan complex in the city centre, Bandar. WHAT SHOULD WE BE SPENDING OUR POCKET MONEY ON? Despite having gained international infamy for its ruling family flashing the cash – including gold statues, private jets and a fleet of warships – Brunei isn’t a shoppers, paradise. You’re best off spending your money on excursions and day trips. Head to the centre of Bandar for tours of the stunning Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque or jump into a water taxi and take a tour around the water village, Kampong Air, to get a feel for traditional Bruneian life. WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO DO? Definitely spend a couple of days in the district of Temburong, which is home to the country’s largest national park. Take a boat there, and make the Ulu-Ulu resort (uluuluresort.com) your base. From there you can explore the virgin rainforest by kayaking along the Belalong River, climbing up above the treetops or going on a night trek – it is absolutely one not to miss.
NEED TO KNOW
Flight time: seven hours Time zone: four hours ahead of the UAE Currency: B$1 = Dhs2.93 Royal Brunei Airlines flies to Bandar Seri Begawan daily from Dhs2,560 bruneiair.com
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