Brunei Travel InformationGetting To Brunei
By Air: Brunei International Airport is located at Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital. Royal Brunei Airlines flies to 20 major cities in Asia-Pacific, South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Brunei International Airport is connected to destinations worldwide by other airlines, including Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Philippines Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.
Airport Tax: BND $5 for flights to Malaysia,Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia, BND $12 to all others.
By Sea: The main ferry terminal in Brunei is the Serasa Ferry Terminal at Muara. There are regular express boats which connect Bandar Seri Begawan to Limbang and Lawas (both in Sarawak, in Malaysia) and to the island of Labuan, off Sabah.
By Road: visitors can enter Brunei from Miri in Sarawak, and from Limbang at Kuala Lurah. Both these crossings have drive-through immigration checkpoints at the border.
Visas
German, Malaysians, Singaporeans and British nationals with right of abode in the United Kingdom and New Zealand are exempted from the requirement to obtain a visa for visits not exceeding 30 days. American passport holders can enter Brunei Darussalam for 90 Days without visas. For nationals of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Republic of Maldives, The Netherlands, Norway, Oman, The Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and The Principality of Liechtenstein, visas are waived for 14-day visits. Nationals of Australia are issued visas on arrival at the Brunei International Airport for visits not exceeding 14 days.
All other visitors entering Brunei Darussalam must have visas obtainable from any Brunei Darussalam diplomatic mission abroad. These Visas are normally issued for a two-week stay but can be renewed in Brunei.
Passport/Visa Note:Travellers must have all documents necessary for their next destination and return air tickets. Passports must be valid at least six months beyond period of stay if a visa is required.
Custom Regulation
Duty-Free: Visitors will not be charged duty for carrying up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 227 grams of tobacco; two bottles of liquor plus 12 cans of beer (by non-Muslims for personal consumption only); and a reasonable quantity of perfumes.
Money
Currency: Brunei Dollar (BND$) = 100 cents. Notes are in the denominations BND $1000, $500, $100, $50, $10, $5 and $1. Coins are in the denominations 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 cents. The Brunei Dollar is equivalent to the Singapore Dollar and you can actually use Singapore Dollars in Brunei anywhere you go. For exchange rates click here
Credit Cards: All major credit cards Visa, American Express, MasterCard, Diner’s Club are accepted widely throughout Brunei.
Banking: Banks are open from 9am to 4pm on weekdays and 9am to 11am on Saturdays. Both cash as well as travellers cheques of most of the major foreign currencies can easily be exchanged at authorized currency exchange counters in banks, and most banks offer ATMs.
Getting Around Brunei
Taxi and Bus: In the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, taxis are located at the multi-storey car park at Jalan Cator. You can also find taxis at most hotels, shopping centres and the airport. Fares are usually metered; if not, they should be agreed before the journey. Buses are regular, comfortable and inexpensive. There are six bus routes in daily operation in Bandar Seri Begawan, with buses running every 15 to 20 minutes. Visitors can also opt for chauffeur-driven and self driven cars, which are on rental from major hotels and the airport.
Ferry And Water Taxi: Water taxis are used to get around the water village, which is located near the capital. Water taxis can be hailed from the numerous `docking ports' along the riverbanks of the Brunei River and fares are negotiable. Visitors to the Malaysian Federal Territory of Labuan and the Malaysian towns of Sundar and Lawas can board the ferries at Serasa Terminal, Muara. Services start from 7.45
Hotels & Accommodation
There is a wide choice of hotels, guesthouses and serviced apartments in the capital and throughout the country. Hotel accommodation in Brunei rangers from luxury to business to tourist class. From the extravagant Empire Hotel & Country Club or the business class style of the Sheraton Utama, to a number of mid-range and budget hotels and guesthouses throughout the country.
Food
Food stalls offer Malay cuisine, such as satay (barbecued meat on a skewer) and local dishes such as banana fritters, yam fritters, prawn fritters, noodles, hotdogs, burgers, roast chicken, barbequed fish and stuffed squids, chicken and chips, fish and chips and even Spaghetti Bolognaise. Chinese, European and Indian cuisines are also available.
Brunei Nightlife
Brunei does not have a night life as in the West. They have no bars, casinos or night clubs as alcohol is banned. This is in accordance with the muslim way of life and the local people seem to like it this way. The only night life would be in Jerudong Park, and walk around the Sultan Omar Ali Saiffudin Mosque at night enjoying the fresh air and the green lights of the mosque. The only other thing to do at night would be to head down to the coffee bars in Gadong.
Shopping
The capital has several shopping complexes that include the popular Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, offering shoppers a wide choice of goods. The Mall, located in Gadong is one of the more popular spots to shop and spend some leisure time. With 150 stores which includes a fitness and spa centre, cafes, eateries, a food court and many more.
Communication
Country code: 673. Service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US. There are both coin and card operated public telephones in Brunei. Telephone cards can be obtained at post offices or at the Telecom office. Mobile Phones Work on the GSM 900 network. Coverage is good around main cities and business areas.
Internet
Internet cafes are available in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Internet country code: .bn
Television
Radio Television Brunei has nightly news bulletins and a range of popular entertainment in both English and Malay. Cable network and Malaysian television programmes can also be received.
Newspapers
There are two local daily newspapers namely: The Borneo Bulletin (English) and Media Permata (malay). Other regional and international publications are also available at newsstands.
Health & Security
Take basic precautions like drinking only boiled or bottled water and eating freshly cooked food. Brunei has a number of private clinics, and a major public hospital. Major crime is virtually non-existent, and even petty theft is very low. All you need to do is to keep an eye on your valuables, especially in a crowded area and not to leave your room unlocked.
