Read this blog: The one where we try Butter Chicken Masala pizza
Monday 10th March 2025
Matilda has been struggling to remember the name of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei Darussalam [the official name of the country] but in various places it is simplified to its initials so we considered adopting this convention.
Various facts were revealed during our research and background reading. Brunei is one of the few dry countries in the world. Shockingly, fuel is cheaper here than drinking water. This might account for the quite aggressive driving style since there is no need to worry about accelerating and breaking gently to conserve fuel. We frequently heard the sort of throaty roar of a petrol engine which Jeremy Clarkson might enjoy. Alternatively it is possible that the driving seemed more aggressive to us after the relative gridlock in Manila where the volume of cars on the road meant that it was not possible to accelerate away from junctions or drive anywhere at any speed.
Despite its vast oil wealth the country has managed to preserve 70% of its forests and owns a cattle farm in Australia which is larger than the country of Brunei itself. The animals are transported to Brunei alive to be slaughtered according to halal requirements so we will be making our menu selections accordingly.
On our first day we decided to visit the Tasek Lama Recreational Park which was very close to our hotel.
The red path is described as a running/jogging route but we could not image doing anything beyond a gentle walk up this incline in the heat and humidity.
This is one of the oldest recognised parks in Brunei and includes an artificial lake and waterfall [see Selfie of the day].
There was also a viewing tower.
However, when we climbed to the top we discovered that the foliage at the highest point had grown so that it obscured the view which was better one flight down.
The park has a colony of macaque monkeys [see also feature photo].
They were rather endearing although we did not want to let them get too close. A group of young monkeys were chasing and playing across the paths and up the trees [see Video of the day] but seemed as wary of us as we were of letting them get too close.
We planned to visit the Royal Regalia Museum next. Matilda thought the air-conditioning might cool us down after a very hot and sweaty walk in the park.
Surprisingly, the building originally opened in 1971 as the Churchill Memorial Building – the first museum dedicated to Britain’s war time leader even though he never visited Brunei. It was commissioned by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III who admired Churchill greatly even though they only met once. At the time the building housed an eight feet (2.4 m) tall bronze statue of Churchill posing with the iconic V for Victory sign and inscribed with the following quote:
These are not dark days.
They are great days.
In 1983 the building was repurposed to house an exhibition about the history and evolution of the Constitution of Brunei Darussalam. In 1992, to mark Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah – the current 29th Sultan’s – Silver Jubilee, the Royal Regalia Museum opened, celebrating the country’s independence.
The building is dome-shaped and now houses crown jewels, the Royal Chariots used for the Coronation and for the Silver Jubilee, ceremonial armour and uniforms, and a replica of the sultan’s throne.
The Royal Regalia Museum raises the art of regifting and recycling unwanted presents to a whole other level. As well as the items mentioned above, the building houses a vast array of gifts received from nations and heads of state.
These included what looked like Airfix models of military vehicles; an Olympic torch; an antique phonograph made by His Master‘s Voice; intricate scale models of famous buildings made out of gold and silver; all manner of receptacles made out of precious metal; works of art and even a didgeridoo. We all know where that came from. No wonder the Sultan could not find space for all of this in his own home. We couldn’t find any gifts from the UK or QE2, maybe they take pride of place in the Sultan’s palace?
The procession for the Silver Jubilee has been recreated including the chariot and [very tall] mannequins dressed as the attendants were on the day.
In another section there is a perfect detailed miniature model of the royal banquet hall as it was decorated for the Silver Jubilee in 1992, complete with the chandeliers and the rows of seats.
The Radisson chain is aiming to reduce its environmental impact and so, instead of providing bottled water, there is a carafe in every room which can be filled from a water point in the corridor. This dispenses cold, ambient and hot as well as sparkling water. As we were visiting during Ramadan we had to take the water to our room to drink rather than consuming this in public. The chilled water was much needed at this point.
We then ventured out to the mosque where we discovered that during Ramadan non-muslims/tourists were welcome to visit between 08:30 and 11:30. We therefore planned to return the following morning.
The Iftar [the meal breaking the fast] celebrations were more muted, but whether this was because it was a Monday or for another reason we were not sure. Families were gathering, staking their claim to the sheltered spots under the awnings and laying out their picnics waiting for the cannon which signalled the end of the fast.
The stalls in the market/car park opposite our hotel were open and various appetising smells were wafting our way but we were not sure we could identify exactly what we were buying nor sure we wished to risk street food so once again, despite being in Asia, we went for the Italian option with an Indian twist [see Dish of the day] which we took back to our room to eat.
Video of the day:
Selfie of the day:
Dish of the day:
Route Map:
