Organiser: Official Magazine: Educational Tour Sponsor: Supporting Partner:except for some rays breaking through the
clouds at about 7am. Though disappointed,
we felt that it was a good peaceful morning
to simply reflect on life and get away from
the constant stress of city life.
Our final stop in Temburong brought
us to a modern Iban longhouse where the
indigenous people lived. Zul explained
that the Ibans were formerly pirates and
fishermen, and were ruthless headhunters
on the island of Borneo. However, all that
has changed and their descendants are
generous, hospitable and peaceful locals
who open up their homes for home stay
visits to tourist who are interested to learn
about their heritage.Heart of Brunei economy
Brunei is a small yet wealthy country, with
its economy relying largely on the oil and
gas industry. We learnt more about it during
our Seria Oilfield Tour as we explored
West Brunei. The first stop was at Sungai
Liang Forestry Centre, an education and
conservation centre with rich information
of the Brunei rainforest and its many
uses. Then, it was a trip to the Oil & Gas
Discovery Centre, a place likely to appeal
to young scientist for a fun yet educational
outing. Photo stops were also made at the
Billionth Barrel Monument and the gates
of the Seria Oil Terminal after seeing the
mechanics of a pumpjack, otherwise known
as the nodding donkey. Before leaving, we
spotted the Brunei Liquefied Natural Gas
(LNG) plant, which opened in 1972 and
is one of the world’s largest plants. Brunei
Shell Petroleum, together with the Brunei
Government and the Royal Dutch groupcompanies, monopolise the oil and gas
industry in Brunei.“OUR GUIDE WAS FILLED WITH
EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE THAT
IMPROVED OUR CONCRETE
UNDERSTANDING OF BRUNEI
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE
THAT.” – ZHEN YUThe final city tour
In a blink of an eye, the final day had arrived.
Even though we were jetting back home that
very day, there was a full-day city and water
village tour planned for us to optimise our time
in Brunei. We paid visit to the majestic Jame Asr
Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque once again and learnt
about its interior décor, Kianggeh Market, Royal
Regalia Building, Malay Technology Museum
and last but not least, Kampong Ayer. Kampong
Ayer, also known as the water village within
Bandar Seri Begawan, consists of 30,000 residents
who live, work and play there. It was a whole
new world and we could only imagine the
uniqueness and vast difference in livelihood on
water instead of land.“OUTDOOR LEARNING IS
DEFINITELY MORE EFFECTIVE AND
LASTING COMPARED TO USUAL
CLASSROOM LESSONS.” – KAIROSGood times never last and it was so as we
bade farewell to our gracious guide and driver
at the airport before catching our plane back
home to Singapore. I think the boys all agree
that it had been an enriching and memorable
outdoor learning experience for them, one
they will remember for a long while. ßKianggeh Market is an open concept market that
sells everything from craft materials to wedding
gifts and daily food consumption items. It is also
highly frequented by locals.
Water Taxi rides are common for Brunei citizens to
get across from capital to the water village. Each
ride cost approximately S$1.Our reward after
a 300m hike at
the national park- a mesmeris-
ing view of the
surrounding
rainforest at
canopy level.