Brunei, land of Bornean wildlife,
dense rainforest and a multitude of
heritage and cultural sites, is especially
underrated in the tourism industry. It has so
much to offer despite being a tiny nation
on the island of Borneo. Even though the
population stands at a mere 422,000 (of which
only 300,000 are locals), the people here are
filled with big hearts and smiles when they
embrace new visitors into the country.
Our travel party included Lhui Kay Kin
Clyde, Koh Jia Jun Kairos and Chia Zhen
Yu, students from Catholic High School,
chaperone and teacher Mr Tan Teck Nam
as well as myself. Upon arrival into Brunei
International Airport, we were shortly greeted
by Zul and Roman, our personal guide
and driver respectively from Freme Travel- Brunei’s leading tour company, as kindly
arranged by the Brunei Tourism Board.
Photography Hotspots
The House of Bolkiah is the ruling royal
family of Brunei Darussalam. Sultan Hassanal
Bolkiah is the head of state, absolute monarch
of Brunei, as well as the head of governmentB
in his capacity as the Prime Minister. Sultan
Bolkiah possesses a huge private fortune but
is also generous to his people, evident through
the opulent mega architectures funded by him.
Our first photo stop landed us at the
fences of the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin
Mosque, one of the most exquisite mosques
within the Asia Pacific region. It was named
after the 28th Sultan of Brunei (the late
father of the current sultan) as he had
initiated the construction of this mosque as
a symbol of Islamic faith in Brunei. Its grand
façade and artificial lagoon dominate
the landscape of Bandar Seri BegawanAll smiles aboard the longboat ride to
Ulu Temburong National Park.The complete travel party, including
our knowledgable guide and driver.