Last updated on May 26th, 2026 at 02:57 pm
Brunei is a tiny sultanate with less than half a million people on the island of Borneo – surrounded by Malaysia’s Sabah and Sarawak. It is one of the smallest countries in Asia and is one of the richest in the world with one of the world’s highest standards of living thanks to all its oil and gas! It definitely might not be the first destination that comes to mind when planning a trip to Southeast Asia, but that’s part of what makes it so interesting. Think of grand mosques, peaceful rivers, rainforest adventures, floating villages, and a slower pace that feels a world away from the busier tourist hotspots of Southeast Asia.
I visited Brunei with my girls as a stopover for a few days between Europe and NZ. (Royal Brunei Airlines were cheap and good!) It had never featured on my list of places I really want to go to, but once I had decided to stopover I was happily surprised by some of the great things to do here – especially for a wild side lover!
This post will give you all the info you need to plan your trip – local tips, excellent tours, what to eat and where to stay!
First a few important links to use when you plan your trip. They are affiliate links, but I use them all for my travels, and if you do too it will help me keep producing this content – and at no extra cost to you. Cheers!
Plan for your trip to Brunei
Flights – use Air Asia or skyscanner or booking.com to find and book your flight – I often find the same flight for a lot cheaper than booking direct with the airline!
Insurance – Use EKTA or SafetyWing. TBH I usually use EKTA – they accept any nationality, any age and its ok if you are already traveling – which is perfect for me!
Accommodation – use booking.com or with Hostelworld – I use both.
Internet – buy a yesim eSim or Airalo before you go. I use both depending on where I am going.
Buses, trains, ferries – 12Go is always my first option for buses, ferries and trains
Car rental – use DiscoverCars – they are my ‘go-to’ car rental site
Hiking – I use AllTrails for online and offline hiking trails – it means you know exactly where you are on the trail and makes getting lost a lot harder!!
Tours and Activities – book with Viator, GetYourGuide, or Eatwith. These are some highly recommended options in Brunei:
- Full Day Trip of Brunei Ulu Temburong National Park including Canopy Walk
- Brunei Full Day City Tour including Tamu Kianggeh, Royal Regalia & Kampung Ayer
- Bandar by night city tour
- Brunei Half Day City Tour with Royal Regalia & Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque
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1. Visit the amazing proboscis monkeys (definitely the best thing to do in Brunei for the wildlife lovers)
You can go it alone and find a boat for hire a boat from the waterfront to take you to see these wonderfully unusual monkeys with their huge noses. Better is to take a tour with a guide to see them.
These tours are perfect if you have a few hours stopover in Brunei, or if you are a wildlife lover like me:
- Proboscis Monkey Tour (Private) – 2 hours
- Proboscis Monkey and Firefly Tour (Private) – 2.5 hours
- Proboscis Monkey & Water Village Tour (Private) – 2.5 hours
Proboscis Monkey Tour (Private) private 2 hour or 2.5 hour tour (2.5 includes the floating village) to see them. (This is perfect if you are on only a few hours stopover.)
Cruise the river for as long as you can – it really is a lot of fun! For me, this was the best equal thing with no. 5 to do in Brunei!
2. …..and the huge floating village – Kampong Ayer
This place is amazing – and said to be the actual original Venice of the East! (In 1521 Magellan was here with a Venetian scholar aboard, Antonio Pigafetta, who found the village to be quite similar to his hometown.) So this place has been around a long time.
The people that live here to this day have all the mod-cons (this is a wealthy nation after all) and get around the ‘villages’ on the 38km of boardwalks connecting the villages that make up Kampong Ayer.
It is definitely worth taking a tour of Kampong Ayer. These are great options:
- Bandar Heritage & Water Village Tour (Private)
- Brunei Full Day City Tour including Tamu Kianggeh, Royal Regalia & Kampung Ayer
- Proboscis Monkey, Water Village and Night Tour (Private)
3. Dive the WWII wrecks – or go snorkelling
There are a heap of options for divers in terms of reefs and wrecks – including the Aussie Wreck. You can find anything from hard and soft corals to barracudas and octopus, lionfish, moray eels and seahorses, and. the occasional dolphin or whale shark! Diving runs from March to October, but best is between May and mid-July. Check out the dive packages with Poni Divers and Oceanic Quest.
If like me, your ears stop you from diving, you can go snorkeling with both these operators too – and even get a BBQ! The snorkeling is pretty good.
4. …or just have a beach break
There are plenty of beaches eg Muara Beach, Meragang Beach, Seri Kenangan Beach, and Tanjong Batu Beach – good for strolls, BBQs, picnics, sunsets etc. Serasa Beach is popular and known for activity – jet-skiing, windsurfing and kayaking! Muara Tutong Beach and Teluk Belanga Beaches are both good for swimming and snorkeling.
5. Spending a couple of days and nights in the heart of Ulu Temburong National Park – our other favorite thing to do in Brunei
It is so worth it – even for the long ride up the river into the heart of the jungle. We just loved it. There are many tour options depending on what you want to do. Many are great day trips like this one: Full Day Trip of Brunei Ulu Temburong National Park including Canopy Walk
Key highlights are the canopy walk (with about 800 stairs), the sunrise hike, rafting, and the waterfall swim – it really is excellent fun and probably overall the best thing to do in Brunei (apart from the monkeys)! It is also fun to do with your kids – I did this with mine on a 5 day stopover and we all had a great time.
6. Explore Bandar Seri Begawan and the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
There’s a bit to see in the city. Of course, the highlight is the very beautiful golden mosque – the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque.
When I say Golden Mosque – I mean GOLDen. The dome is actually painted with real gold, and some of the inside area is too (24k gold at that)!! You can go inside – with appropriate clothing but no cameras. (There is also one of those frames for photo taking if you want it!)
Another mosque to see is the Jame Asr’ Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque which was built in 1992 and is quite ornate and grand – stunning really – especially the mosaics. It also allows visitors but check the times before heading there.
The Teng Yung Chinese Temple is also lovely to see – small and beautiful with its tiles and artwork – maybe more so because its in amongst a mass of boring modern city buildings.
The Royal Regalia Museum will leave you in awe of all the royal regalia – jewel encrusted crowns and thrones and robes, and a recreation of the coronation of the Sultan! Its all a bit crazy!
Istana Nurul Iman – the official residence of His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei is another highlight. It is the world’s largest residential palace and the seat of the Brunei government.
To make it easy, or if you are short on time, there are half to full day city tours which are very informative and cover the main sights. These are all highly rated:
- Full Brunei Experience – City Excursion – Water Village and Mangrove Safari
- Brunei Half Day City Tour with Royal Regalia, Istana Nurul Iman & Kampung Ayer
- Brunei Half Day City Tour with Royal Regalia & Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque
I also highly recommend this night tour that covers the city, the river, the floating village, and the night market – great fun and informative!
7. Drive over the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge
This is new – built during covid to join Bandar Seri Begawan with Temburong without having to go through Malaysia (check a map to see how Brunei is divided). The bridge is 30km long with three towers. I would love to drive over this very cool bridge, but haven’t yet – hopefully, if you have a car, you will!
8. Eat at the markets – definitely one of the best things to do in Brunei
Definitely get down to the Gadong Night Market – preferably in a hungry state! You can walk around trying all sorts of delicious goodies like deep friend bananas, satay, grilled fish, curry puffs, local red durian, noodles……. It opens from 4-9pm but get there before 8 to not miss out – the locals love it after work too. When it comes to eating rather than sightseeing, then this is the best thing to do in Brunei! So delicious! You can take this private Bandar by night city tour that takes you to the highlights including the water village, and then onto the night market for food sampling!
Also worth visiting, for an traditional fruit and veg market with the locals busy shopping, is the Tamu Kianggeh market near the river – it is great for fresh and delicious tropical fruit.
9. Have a massage!
While you are exploring, keep an eye out for massage as well! I had some of the best massages ever – at cheap rates in the city. I literally just walked into one near my hotel, and it turned out to be fantastic. I may have just struck it lucky, but the repeats were all great too!
If you want to book ahead, then these are both highly rated massage spas: Kedai Urut Seminyak Brunei (Gadong Central Branch) and Blissful Bodyworks.
10. Do some crafts with a local
Definitely not what I thought I’d do, but this Mother of Pearl Lazy Susan Crafting Workshop was good value and fun! This Batik Painting Workshop also looks great. It is a nice way to meet and interact with some locals.
Frequently asked questions about travel to Brunei
Q: Is Brunei worth visiting?
A: Yes, but note that Brunei is a different type of Southeast Asia destination. It is not a backpacker party destination but a more chill place to visit – peaceful, clean, and uncrowded. Its a good place for a stopover between Australia / NZ and Europe too. It is good for wildlife and rainforest experiences, beautiful mosques, local food markets and authentic water villages.
Q: How many days do you need in Brunei?
A: Two if you are staying in the city area, 3-5 days if going to the rainforest.
Q: How do I get to Brunei?
A: Book a flight with AirAsia or skyscanner. You can also drive to and from Sarawak, Malaysia. There is a bus from Pontianak in Kalimantan and Kuching in Sarawak.
Q: Do you need a visa for Brunei?
A: You need to fill in a pre-arrival E-arrival card before departing to Brunei. Visa requirements vary for different nationalities – up to date information is here.
Q: Is Brunei expensive?
A: Not as cheap as Indonesia or Vietnam, but cheaper than Singapore! I’d call it medium!
Q: Can tourists drink alcohol in Brunei?
A: You cannot buy alcohol in Brunei but you can bring some into the country for personal use. At the time of writing it is up to 2 litres of spirits or wine and up to 12 cans of beer, but do check. Do declare it at customs.
Q: Is Brunei safe for tourists?
A: Yes – its one of the safest countries in Asia.
Q: Can you visit Brunei as a stopover?
A: Yes. Even stopping for a few hours is a great idea. There are some great short tours you can take advantage of and get to know a little about the country.
Q: Do you need a car in Brunei?
A: Not necessarily. If you are happy to go on a couple of tours, walk and use rideshares, then you do not need a car, unless you really want to explore outside of the city independently. This is a good idea if you are staying a few days.
Q: What should tourists wear in Brunei?
A: Brunei is conservative. Wear lightweight clothing with covered shoulders and longer shorts or trousers. Women do not generally need head coverings outside mosques but this modest clothing is appreciated – men and women.
Travel Tips for Brunei
- Brunei has a tropical humid environment. Oct to Jan and May to July are the wettest months – but all year round you will have sunny weather with a chance of rain!
- There are plenty of ATMS, and the Brunei dollar is equivalent to the Singapore dollar, which is also accepted in Brunei.
- Brunei is a Muslim country – dress modestly.
- The sale of alcohol is prohibited in Brunei. But you can bring limited alcohol into the country and drink in your hotel room.
- Bruneians shake hands by lightly touching the hands and then bringing the hand to the chest. Don’t shake hands with the opposite sex unless they offer their hand to you first.
- The food is fabulous. Try: ambuyat (Brunei’s national dish), nasi katok, satay, seafood dishes, and kuih desserts. Also try all sorts at the local night market food!
- Everything is closed from 12 – 2pm on Fridays – for prayer observance. During Ramadan things are different. Eating or drinking publicly during fasting hours may be restricted, and many businesses operate reduced hours – its probably good to avoid visiting during Ramadan if you can.
Where to stay in Brunei
I suggest a hotel with a pool in Bandar Seri Begawan is a good idea if you have the budget!
Book your hotel with booking.com or with Hostelworld. There are lots of options but these are great starting points at different budget levels as they are all rated at least 9/10 in the reviews at the time of writing unless noted:
Higher end – The Empire Brunei
Mid range – The Brunei Hotel or Roomz Hotel
For budget stays – the Qing Yun Rest House or there are a couple of hostels in Bandar Seri Begawan – lower ratings but read the reviews as recent guests have given much higher ratings than the overall rating! There is also this First Avenue Male Hostel BSB!
For a great value 3-bedroom house try a private host like this one.
In Ulu Temburong National Park – the cheap and cheerful Sumbiling Eco Village
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