Bandar Seri Bagawan, Brunei

We left KK for Brunei at dusk. We were extremely disappointed to find the KKIA terminal undergoing a remodeling that had closed ALL the shops. Once past security, there was no food, water, or anything to be purchased. We had counted on getting dinner at the airport, and on buying a bottle of wine to bring into Brunei, which is a dry country. Right from the start I realized that Brunei Darusalam is a bit different from any other country I've ever been to. We flew Royal Brunei Air which was staffed by an elegantly head scarfed flight attendant. Before taking off the video screens played an Imam melodically intoning a blessing from the Quran for a safe trip. This was followed by an informational video on Brunei which stated a penalty of DEATH for drug traffickers. As alcohol sales are illegal in Brunei, none were offered on board.
The short flight passed over oil rigs and oil tankers plying the South China Sea. We swooped low over a massive golden mosque just before landing. Customs were a snap, and I was pleased to find the Avis rental agent waiting for me right outside. I was about to operate a right hand side steering wheel/left side drive vehicle for the first time. I had managed to avoid driving in Australia and in numerous previous trips to the UK. It turned out to be pretty easy after the first backwards clockwise roundabouts. I find that if you swerve all over the road, people tend to get out of your way. You just have to make it clear to anyone following you that you have no idea what you are doing, and they'll usually give you a wide berth.

I had a surprise for Lindso next. For once I had not booked the cheapest room in town. I had found a good deal on a room at the Empire Hotel, Brunei's purported "seven-star" resort. The hotel has been built at a cost of over one billion dollars by the Sultan of Brunei's brother. After a few wrong turns we found it, and it did not disappoint. The lobby featured a 100 foot high ceiling. In our room, even the toilet paper holder was gold plated. By far the nicest place we've ever stayed, and for only $138.We awoke to pouring rain. After it abated we ran along the golf course down to the beach, where I jumped in the South China Sea. As some thunder rolled in, we got away from the water and back to our palatial room to watch the downpour. If we were going to be trapped in a hotel room, this was the place to be!
As the sun broke through the clouds, we drove off to see Bandar Seri Bagawan, the capitol city of Brunei. Our Nissan Sunny hummed along the smooth highway past manicured trees and crisply painted new houses. We could tell that Brunei is doing quite well with it's oil wealth.
Brunei has been controlled by the same family for over 700 years. For much of the last three centuries it was a British protectorate, but the Sultan never relinquished power. Brunei almost joined with the Malay states when Malaysia was first created, but the sultan changed his mind at the eleventh hour and decided to go it alone with his oil riches. He made the right choice. As recently as 1997 he was the richest man in the world, with 55 billion dollars. The Daily Mirror (UK) reported on October 26, 2007 that the Sultan owned 531 Mercedes-Benzes, 367 Ferraris, 362 Bentleys, 185 BMWs, 177 Jaguars, 160 Porsches, 130 Rolls-Royces, and 20 Lamborghinis. His official residence is the Istana Nurul Iman, with 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, and a floor area of 2,152,782 square feet, indisputably the world's largest palace. He has complete control over all government decisions. His picture is on every denomination of currency, and his portrait hangs in every shop and restaurant. This was our first trip to a country listed as "Not Free" by Freedom House, the acknowledged authority on political rights and civil liberties worldwide.
The Sultan does seem to have done well by his countrymen. Bruneians pay no income tax, have free health care and education. The Sultan even offers subsidized housing and cars. Beyond that, the country is just beautiful. It's rain forests are intact. Roads are smooth. The capitol is lined with flowers and banners. Buildings are freshly painted, and gleaming mosques abound. Smiling, friendly locals are driving new cars. Manual labor is completed by Bangladeshi guest workers

After exploring the small city on foot, with the requisite breaks inside air conditioned shopping malls to recover from the heat, we opted for a water taxi tour of the Kampung Ayer water village. We were barely within sight of the waterfront when our boatman spotted us and hailed us for a ride. For twenty Brunei Dollars ($14 USD) we got an hour tour in a long, narrow, outboard, wooden skiff. We chugged beneath a dense mangrove jungle, and zoomed under bridges connecting the stilt houses where 40,000 of BSB's population lives.

Brunei is not on any one's tourism radar. Perhaps it is the total lack of political freedom that scares people. We heard the current #1 hit song "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry with the word "Girl" blanked out, leaving the listener wonder what exactly she did kiss? Maybe it's the fact that you cannot get a beer anywhere in the country. Possibly people have it confused with Bahrain, and expect desert and camels. Regardless, Brunei is a must see for anyone passing though the island of Borneo. It has natural beauty, history (Magellan's fleet landed here in 1521), great architecture, luxury resorts, great food, and friendly people. Now if they'd just reconsider a local microbrewery...