March 4, 2013

In Photos – A Day Trip To Brunei

Post Categories: Asia | Brunei | Savoir Escape | Savoir Snaps

Souvenir stand in a Brunei Shopping Mall

I’d always wanted to visit The Sultanate of Brunei but somehow it had never happened – until circumstances brought me to the Brunei capital Bendar Seri Begawan on a great value Royal Brunei Airlines flight from Bangkok to London ‘via’ Brunei.

Of course it’s hardly on the way, in fact it’s just over two hours in the wrong direction, but I wasn’t going to argue with a free day trip to Brunei and a unique chance to explore this fascinating nation.

The flight change includes a full day and evening on the ground – which is enough to get a good sense of the country’s pocket-sized city, and that included some amazing photo opportunities…

Shoes outside the Jame’Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque

The Sultan’s own private entrance to the Jame’Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque, the largest Mosque in Brunei

Colourful wooden houses at Kampong Ayer water village

The shoe rack that accommodates up to 5,000 pairs of shoes for Friday prayers

View of a mosque rising behind Kampong Ayer water village

Food stall at Brunei’s night market

Standing guard at the Royal Palace gates

Downtown Brunei at sundown

Life at Kampong Ayer, Brunei’s famous water village

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque by day

A Brunei worker comes up with an ingenious use for a cardboard box

Entrance to the Royal Palace, we can’t see any of its 1700 rooms, alas

Jame’Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque at night

Fellow tourists enjoying the evening portion of their day trip to Brunei

Toyota advert at Kampong Ayer water village

A classic Brunei image of the Jame’Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque

Umbrellas used to shade the Sultan during his Jubilee ceremony, displayed at the Brunei Museum

A fishermen works on his nets at the water village

The Brunei flag is proudly displayed everywhere

Water taxis at Kampong Ayer

Fishing at Kampong Ayer

The Sultan Omar Ali Saiffudien mosque looks even more amazing at night

Ceremonial Royal spears and shields

The transit tours are provided by Sunshine Tours Borneo, and SavoirThere just rocked up at the desk on arrival like any other customer and arranged and paid for her day tour on the spot – and they couldn’t have been nicer to deal with. When they saw how many notes she was taking and what a genuinely nosey journo type she was they kindly invited her on the evening tour as their guest.

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