Overview
Take a trip to Bandar Seri Begawan on your Brunei Darussalam Vacation
Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital of Brunei and is its largest city. Originally known as Brunei Town, it was named after the Sultan’s late father, Omar Ali Saifuddien, in 1970.
Located on the northern bank of the Brunei River, Bandar Seri Begawan is a city of two terrains. Water villages make up some of the city’s historic aquatic districts, with its beaches offering vibrant sea life. On drier land, museums, mosques and historic sites provide a cultural aspect to a Brunei vacation.
The gold-domed Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque was built in 1958 and features an interior of Italian marble walls, carpeting and an elevator. The tunnels in the mosque are frequently used by the Sultan to journey through town.
The James Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, also known as Kiarong Mosque is the largest in Brunei and was built to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sultan’s reign.
Believed to be the world’s largest residential palace, The Istana Nurul Iman Palace is the residence of the Sultan of Brunei. It is located a few kilometres south of the city centre, on a leafy, riverside sprawl of hills.
The Brunei Museum, located on an archeological site at Kota Batu about 5 km from Bandar Seri Begawan, is the largest museum in the country. Officially opened in 1972, the museum focuses on Islamic history, natural history, Brunei artifacts and customs, ceramics and Brunei’s rich oil industry.
Even with a recent geographic expansion, Bandar Seri Begawan is still considered a fairly modest city, while providing interesting sites, found along both water and land on Brunei tours.
The James Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, also known as Kiarong Mosque is the largest in Brunei and was built to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sultan’s reign.
Believed to be the world’s largest residential palace, The Istana Nurul Iman Palace is the residence of the Sultan of Brunei. It is located a few kilometres south of the city centre, on a leafy, riverside sprawl of hills.
The Brunei Museum, located on an archeological site at Kota Batu about 5 km from Bandar Seri Begawan, is the largest museum in the country. Officially opened in 1972, the museum focuses on Islamic history, natural history, Brunei artifacts and customs, ceramics and Brunei’s rich oil industry.
Even with a recent geographic expansion, Bandar Seri Begawan is still considered a fairly modest city, while providing interesting sites, found along both water and land on Brunei tours.
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Brunei Escape
Bandar Seri BegawanStep off the beaten path on this small group journey through Brunei, where golden mosques, royal palaces, and river villages reveal a hidden side of Borneo.
3 days
From US$469/p.p.
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What do the experts say?
Aminah Arif Restaurant is a great local favourite where you can enjoy Brunei's national dish, ambuyat. It's their specialty!
A lesser-known spot I recommend visiting is the Kampong Ayer Stilt Villages. You'll find them just beyond the main tourist areas.
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Daily max temperatureMonthly rainfall
Bandar Seri BegawanOccasional Showers
33°C / 91°F
38mm / 1.5"
Weather data is based on monthly averages.Popularity rating
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The accommodations, transfers, transportation, guides' input and visits' setup met the highest standards and expectations.Nadia & Cristian We recently completed a trip to Crete, Greece - our third trip with GoWay - and I have run out of superlatives to laud their efforts. This was a self drive trip, and as has been our experience with GoWay, we were permitted to customize the standard offered itinerary to suit our personal preferences. Brooke, our agent on this trip, went the extra mile to make all the adjustments we requested, including providing for an English-speaking guide at the Phaistos archeological site. The hotels which Brooke booked on our behalf were truly excellent, and - again, per our wish - just outside of the urban chaos of Heraklion, Rethymno and Chania, but close enough to readily access the cities' benefits. Each hotel was a beachside sanctuary, and we spent several serene, idyllic days never leaving the hotel, and yet there was plenty of time for more distant and adventurous sight seeing.
I cannot overstate how happy we have been with our GoWay experiences - most notably in their willingness to listen to our preferences and make those manifest in the itinerary - and this most recent trip just confirms our already positive opinion of GoWay, and we will be certain to consider them again for our next travel adventure.Frank VenutiVenessa Lloyd at GoWay organized a trip to Africa for us- We just returned last week. It was very well organized and included everything we requested, and more. We did two safaris - one in Tanzania and one in South Africa. They were both excellent, with first class accommodations and guides. We absolutely would recommend GoWay and Vanessa to anyone. SandraOverall, the hotel and tours were amazing. We had issues with communicating with the driver. At times I was asked where, I was gone. The local company handled the situation and there were minor issues after. I would recommend a local English-speaking guide every day. My clients loved the trip. The area we stayed in had many restaurants and local markets nearby. I recommend the cooking class, flamenco dance show, wine tasting and taps tour, and the city tour. Jolynn Tizeno
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