Chin Heng chips in with yet another guest article, this time detailing my time with him exploring Brunei. This might be useful for any Sailors or indeed any SPL fan who intends to make the trip across to watch an away game in Bandar Seri Begawan. We apologise for not being able to check out more sights as we were only there for 2 days 1 night – till next time!
So you have probably heard the story by now – a few over-enthusiastic fans, including myself, booked a trip to Brunei to watch Sailors play against DPMM on 15th June. We assumed that the game would be in Brunei because, well, the SPL announced that it would be in Brunei when the fixtures were announced. Maybe we shouldn’t have put so much faith in Brunei DPMM and SPL.
An announcement was made that the game would be relocated to Singapore on 18th June, just 8 days before the original date of 15th June. Fortunately, an extra 7 days was apparently more than enough for DPMM to fix the ‘technical issues’ that they couldn’t resolve over the 6 months of the off-season, and they finally played at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium on 22nd June against Geylang. What a game that was too, and I can only imagine what it would be like to watch a game in that majestic stadium ☹.
Anyway, after Eddy and I decided to make lemonade with those Bruneian lemons and spend two days sightseeing in Brunei, we thought it would be a good idea to write some sort of guide to Brunei. DPMM will (probably) be playing the rest of their home games (maybe) in Brunei (perhaps) so our fellow fans could get a sense of what to expect, in case they wanted to make the trip to Bandar Seri Begawan for the next DPMM away game. (spoiler: we think it will be an enjoyable away day experience!)
Currency
You don’t need to visit the money changer before travelling to Brunei because the Brunei dollar is pegged to the Singapore Dollar at par (i.e. 1BND=1SGD).
In Singapore, you may have encountered merchants who do not want to accept Brunei notes, but there is no such issue in Brunei, as Singapore notes and coins are widely circulated there. The only minor inconvenience we encountered was at a parking fee payment machine which did not accept Singapore notes, so we had to run to a nearby restaurant to ask to swap notes. Other than that, every shop we came across accepted Singapore dollars without batting an eyelid.
Note that credit cards are not accepted at many smaller malls and restaurants, so plan the amount of cash you need to bring along accordingly. We also noticed that prices of fast food and major brands (like Nike/Adidas) are similar to or even slightly higher than Singapore, though food options at the night market was very cheap, with the prices of many items starting at a dollar.
Getting to Brunei
There are very few direct flight options from Singapore to Brunei, two to be exact.
Singapore Airlines and Royal Brunei operate 1 daily flight each to a very small Brunei International Airport in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of Brunei. The Singapore Airlines flights have slightly better timings for an away day as it arrives in Brunei in the late morning and flies out of Brunei in the afternoon, ideal for a 2 to 3 day trip over a weekend.
As a result of the limited options, air ticket prices do tend to be on the expensive side for a 2-hour flight, and you can expect to pay between $500-$700 for a flight to Brunei.
A cheaper option is available if you have previously accumulated miles under Singapore Airlines’ Krisflyer programme, subject to redemption availability. Krisflyer also runs occasional ‘Spontaneous Escapes’ promotions with 30% off redemption prices to certain locations, which was what Eddy and I took advantage of.
Do note that some redemptions or purchases under promotions can be non-refundable. Eddy and I found out to our horror that ours was non-refundable, and that’s why we made our way to Brunei despite the game being relocated.
Getting Around Brunei
Once we had the flights sorted, we had to figure out how to get around in Brunei. Bandar Seri Begawan is a small city, but the public transport system is not very well developed. There is no subway system and only a handful of public bus services available. The best way to get around Bandar Seri Begawan is either to rent a car or use their ride hailing app Dart.
We rented a car at $180 for 2 days and it turned out to be a brilliant decision – all major attractions in Bandar Seri Begawan were within a 15-minute drive, parking was cheap and easily available in most places, and at ~50 cents a litre, petrol was literally cheaper than water in Brunei (our petrol expenses added up to a grand total of $4 for the 2 days lol).
With a car you also get the added advantage of leaving your bags inside while you explore the town, and given the super low crime rate in Brunei, this is definitely something we felt safe doing.
The Stadium
Even though the game was postponed, we dropped by the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium anyway, perhaps hoping to pick up hints of the ‘technical issues’ that led to the relocation of the game. (Till today, Eddy and I don’t believe there were really any technical issues, but we have no proof, so … zip)
The stadium was conveniently located next to the airport, and it took us only 7 minutes to drive there after picking up our rental car.
There was nothing going on in the vicinity of the stadium, and we came across more stray dogs than humans in our short walk around the perimeter of the stadium, but what a beautiful stadium it was. The main grandstand to the 28,000 capacity stadium had a fresh coat of white paint with a golden roof, and bright silver letters spelling out the name of the stadium.
We noticed a number of hotels located next to the stadium, perhaps worth considering the next time we come here for an away game. This time round however, we booked our stay at the Radisson Hotel near the Bandar Seri Begawan city centre. We would quickly realize that it doesn’t matter where you stay at in Bandar Seri Begawan because everything was within a 15-minute drive away.
Eating Japanese Food in Brunei – Weird but Wonderful
After taking a few photos at the Hassanal Bolkiah, it was well past noon and we made our way into the city to look for lunch. As Eddy and I are both foodies, we did some research on the best restaurants in Brunei before the trip, and surprisingly the top-rated restaurants were not exactly what you would call authentic Bruneian cuisine.
Our first stop was at one of the highest-rated restaurants in Brunei, Kaizen Sushi Yayasan. Kaizen Sushi is a sushi chain with a handful of stores in Bandar Seri Begawan, and we were a little sceptical that a sushi franchise was a must-visit restaurant in Brunei, but after reading multiple positive blog reviews and seeing the 4.5 star rating on google, we decided it was worth a try. This particular branch was on the 2nd floor of a building along the Brunei River, so we had a great view of the river and the water village (Kampong Ayer) while having our meal.
The menu was literally a few hundred items long and after some quick calculations of available stomach space, we settled on a few sushi/sashimi platters and a cheese seafood rice bowl. We quickly realized what all the hype was about – fresh and flavourful sushi at a reasonable price point (we paid about $40 per person), and the rice bowl was such a heavenly combination of fresh seafood/cheese/Japanese rice that we were already halfway through the bowl before I remembered to snap a picture.
Not a Shopping Paradise
After the satisfying meal, we headed to The Mall Gadong, one of the biggest malls in town, to do a bit of shopping and perhaps try out the local fast food chains (because we love fried chicken). To be honest, we had somewhat high expectations of the mall since it was supposed to be the biggest, but this was no Nex or Vivo.
When we took the escalator up from the carpark, the simple, no-frills design of the interior made us feel like we were walking straight into a mall from the 90s. There was row after row of shop fronts of the same size in a seemingly random order – a café was next to a jewellery store, which was next to an electronics store, which was next to a toy store.
There were no big brands in sight but the mall did seem to have everything you would need, including a food court, a supermarket, and a cinema. Being football fans, we really wanted to track down a store selling football jerseys, and we soon realized that Bruneians love their football. There were multiple jersey stores throughout the mall, selling fake jerseys from all the major leagues for $10-$25. There was a bit of everything from National teams to European leagues to Asian leagues.
Well, everything except local football jerseys – I guess they have the same problem as Singapore then. No Brunei national team shirt, no DPMM shirt, no local league teams.
We had a quick snack at Jollibee after I snagged an AFC Wrexham and AFC Richmond jersey from one of the jersey stores, and we made our way out of the mall.
The Royal Regalia Museum – A Must-Visit
Next, it was time for a short 5-min drive to the Royal Regalia Museum, one of the biggest landmarks and a must-visit attraction in Bandar Seri Begawan. Upon arrival, the museum staff ushered us to the entrance to pay for our $5 museum ticket and briefed us on the rules to follow within the museum – footwear had to be removed at the entrance, belongings stored in lockers, no photos and videos at certain sections of the museum.
We then spent a good two hours wandering the museum halls, learning about the Brunei Sultanate and taking in the impressive views of regalia and gifts from foreign dignitaries over the years. The extravagant heirlooms on display was quite a sight to behold, and this was certainly a good way to spend an afternoon away from the hot Bruneian weather.
It was late afternoon by the time we were done, and we headed over to Radisson Hotel, our accommodations for the night and home to apparently the best Restaurant in Brunei, Riwaz Restaurant.
Riwaz – Highest-rated Restaurant in Brunei
Riwaz is an Indian fine-dining establishment, and just about every Brunei food blog we came across described this as the best restaurant in Brunei. Based on our dinner experience, it was not hard to see why. Apparently this restaurant only has one waiter because every Google review seems to thank the same guy called Himanta, and the service was indeed impeccable from the moment we set foot into the restaurant.
We asked Himanta for some recommendations and eventually settled on the Tandoor Trio as the appetizer and Lamb Roganjosh, Tandoori Chicken, and Naan as our mains, while having a good time watching 10-men Young Lions come back to win against Albirex on my phone.
The lamb dishes had a slightly gamey taste but other than that, every dish was a delectable blend of spices that perfectly complemented the garlic naan. Overall it was a very pleasant dining experience, and I wouldn’t mind coming back here if I visit Brunei again in the future.
There’s Never Enough Eating – Night Market
We were not done feasting for the day though, because once we settled the bill we hopped straight into the car and over to Gadong Night Market. It was around 9pm at this point, and since Google Maps told us that the night market closes at 11pm, we thought that would leave us plenty of time to explore the place.
Unfortunately, when we reached the night market, we saw about half of the stalls already packing up, perhaps ready to close shop once the dinner crowd was gone. Nonetheless, there were some interesting (and cheap!) food still available.
We stopped by a drinks stall with Milo Shakes, Bandung, Chendol, and various juices available, all at just a dollar each for a big cup. We also tried out a few grilled skewers also priced at a dollar each – BBQ Hati Buyah (Beef Lung) with a chewy, bakkwa like texture, and Ayam Tongking (Chicken Tail) which had an addictive, slightly spicy seasoning.
At this point, we realized more and more stalls were packing up, so we decided to call it a day and head back to the hotel. If you ever visit Gadong Night Market, make sure to go early to leave plenty of time to explore the food, as it seems like hardly anything in Brunei operates beyond 10 or 11pm.
The Mosques
On the way back from Gadong Night Market, we took a few detours to snap pictures of the Mosques in the city. Over the course of the day, we kept driving past beautiful mosques wherever we went, so we took note of the major mosques in the area so that we could circle back at night to check out the night view. The traditional architecture illuminated under the night sky was a quite sight to behold, and the day and night views each had their own charm.
Make sure to check out the mosques if you visit Brunei (we will make time to go in next time), I think I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves:
Kampong Ayer – the Water Villages
The next morning, we were off to a tour of Kampong Ayer, the water village along the Brunei River. Nicknamed ‘Venice of the East’, this water village was a self-sufficient settlement home to close to 15,000 residents, with its own schools, mosques, and a fire station. The village comprised of hundreds of houses built on stilts above the water, with a network of bridges connecting all the houses together.
We met up with our guide Sofree at the hotel lobby, who drove us to a jetty where a small boat was waiting to pick us up. Once onboard, Sofree expertly navigated the boat through the narrow waterways in the village, explaining to us the origins of the village and how government planning allowed a sustainable settlement to be built, much like HDB estates in Singapore.
After moving past the village, the boat headed towards the mangroves further down the river for us to indulge in some animal-spotting. We spent an hour or so on the boat in the mangrove area just observing our surroundings, watching a crocodile lazing in the sun, proboscis monkeys climbing around on the trees, and two families of otters fighting in the water.
The 2-hour Kampong Ayer tour was thoroughly enjoyable, and our guide Sofree was knowledgeable and friendly. We asked for his contact information before bidding our goodbyes, hopefully to arrange another tour with him if we ever come back to Bandar Seri Begawan.
More Eating (Chop Jing Chew)
It was late morning by this point, and we were coming to the end of the trip with our flight back home coming up at 4pm, so it was time for brunch and some last minute shopping before heading to the airport. The restaurant of choice was once again a highly rated spot in the area, a bakery/restaurant called Chop Jing Chew.
We ordered a few variations of French toast and buns, but the highlight of the meal was undoubtedly the Roti Kacang Kahwin, a basic yet amazing combination of peanuts, kaya and butter stuffed into a fluffy toasted bun.
Bruneian Snacks
On the way to the airport, we made a last stop at a supermarket to look for some snacks to bring home. I bought myself two boxes of traditional snacks, Kuih Chin Chin (ring crackers made with rice flour and palm sugar) and Kuih Moor (powdered nuts and flour, covered in icing sugar), before heading to our car drop-off point and checking in for an uneventful flight home.
I have since tried the snacks after coming back from Brunei. The Kuih Chin Chin was decent, crunchy with a light sweetness, but the Kuih Moor really blew me away. It was a pleasant blend of savoury and sweet tastes in a little, powdery, melt-in-your-mouth balls of flour. I finished the whole box within 5 minutes of opening it and before I knew it, I was asking around if this was available in Singapore, while looking up air tickets for the next Brunei trip so I could get my hands on these again. Seems like it’s similar to something else called Kueh Makmur in Singapore – will try this too when I can!
Conclusion
With a population of just under 450,000, Brunei is a sparsely populated country that is also one of the least visited countries in Asia, so it was quite a novel experience that is different from your typical holiday location. Despite making the trip there over the weekend, we never saw crowds at any of the tourist attractions, restaurants, or malls, and never had to queue more than a few minutes for anything.
The city of Bandar Seri Begawan is nothing flashy – it doesn’t have skyscrapers, theme parks, or Michelin Star restaurants. However, it comes across as a laid-back city which greets you with a sense of tranquility and peace that is hard to find in more densely populated countries. If you have never been to Brunei before, you would probably find it to be an enjoyable destination for a 2-3 days trip, especially as part of an away day.
As a result of how short our trip was, we were not able to see as many attractions as we wanted.
I am already planning to purchase air tickets for our next Brunei away game in Jan 2025, hopefully this time I will actually get to watch a football game!
Surely lightning doesn’t strike twice…right?
Written by Tan Chin Heng
Edited by Eddy Hirono
If you wanna watch more about the Brunei trip, check out our vlog!
If you’d like to support the work we do here at SailorFanTalk, you may want to visit https://ko-fi.com/sailorfantalk and leave us a tip!
