Ok, I admit that being en-route to the other half of Borneo is only part of the reason we decide to go to Brunei - we also wanted the stamps in our passports. We have a week left on Borneo and want to visit Mulu National Park, which is on the other side of the tiny sultanate, officially named 'Nation of Brunei, Abode of Peace'. We plan to stay for just two nights in the capital of Bandar Seri Begawan, enough time to see the palace (the largest residence in the world with over 1000 rooms), the mosque (the tallest building in Brunei) and Kampung Ayer (the largest stilt village in the world). A you noticing a theme? Brunei seems to be compensating for something - despite being one of the smallest countries in the world, about the size of Delaware, it is also one of the richest, with the largest oil fields in south east Asia (petrol is 25p a litre) and the most rapidly developing in terms of life expectancy, income and education.
Unfortunately we find out that the palace is only open to the during Hari Raya (the south east Asian name for Eid, the four days of celebration at the end of Ramadan), which ended the day before we arrive. It also turns out that the mosque on will be closed until the day after we leave... somehow also for Hari Raya. Surely the entire stilt village can't be closed too? As we head down to the water front to find a boat we are approached by a woman with flyers for tours on her husband's boat. Her name is Wann - "Like the number!"- and she gives us a "very good price" of 20 Brunei dollars (£10) for an hour around the village, which is what I would have paid anyway,
We speed past the schools, police stations, mosques and homes of the 42 villages which make up Kampung Ayer. It all looks very stable, raised out of the water on huge concrete pillars (unlike Mabul where everything was made of sticks). Apparently the houses never fall into the water (again, unlike Mabul) which is lucky as Wann tells us that most people can't swim - "They don't need too, that's what the stilts are for".
About half an hour into our tour the boat stops and a dock and we all get out to explore some of the board walks. Wann asks if we want to see inside one of the homes and ushers us into what on the outisde looks like a tiny hut but is infact a huge house. There is air conditioning, a flat screen tv between enormous speakers, a dinning room table and six huge sofas. We are brought cokes an introductions are made between us and the fifteen members of the family. The children watch us shyly, pushing each other to come and sit next to us, and the adults take pictures of us on their i-pads.
On the coffee table there are about 20 different bowls and jars filled with sweets, biscuits and crisps. Wann tells us to make ourselves at home and insists that we try them all. Watched in silence by the entire family we make our way through them, taking a tiny bit of each. Most are normal sponge cakes and sweets, but some taste very fishy, literally; one was a mixture of cornflakes, peanuts, honey and... anchovies, obviously. I ask if all the food is there to celebrate Hari Raya; "No, there is just nothing to do in Brunei except eat" says Waan, tucking into a sardine muffin.
After lots more photos, thank-yous, nodding and more thank-yous we leave to explore more of the village. The board walks are very well maintained, no gaps or sticking out nails. We pass more huge homes as well as shops and cafes. Several people stop Wann and ask if we will come into their homes for a drink, but, much to their disappointment and initially ours, she tells them that we haven't got time. The people in Brunei are a lot more friendly than in the rest of south east Asia - when we stand on the pavement cars actually stop and wave us across the road. When we walk down the street people call "Hello, welcome to Brunei!".
Kampung Ayer is home to over 30,000 people, 10% of the population of Brunei, and so our excellent tour shows us much more of Brunei than we would experience in the largest residence in the world or the tallest building in Brunei (although an invitation to the palace of the richest man in the world would have been nice).
Unfortunately we find out that the palace is only open to the during Hari Raya (the south east Asian name for Eid, the four days of celebration at the end of Ramadan), which ended the day before we arrive. It also turns out that the mosque on will be closed until the day after we leave... somehow also for Hari Raya. Surely the entire stilt village can't be closed too? As we head down to the water front to find a boat we are approached by a woman with flyers for tours on her husband's boat. Her name is Wann - "Like the number!"- and she gives us a "very good price" of 20 Brunei dollars (£10) for an hour around the village, which is what I would have paid anyway,
We speed past the schools, police stations, mosques and homes of the 42 villages which make up Kampung Ayer. It all looks very stable, raised out of the water on huge concrete pillars (unlike Mabul where everything was made of sticks). Apparently the houses never fall into the water (again, unlike Mabul) which is lucky as Wann tells us that most people can't swim - "They don't need too, that's what the stilts are for".
About half an hour into our tour the boat stops and a dock and we all get out to explore some of the board walks. Wann asks if we want to see inside one of the homes and ushers us into what on the outisde looks like a tiny hut but is infact a huge house. There is air conditioning, a flat screen tv between enormous speakers, a dinning room table and six huge sofas. We are brought cokes an introductions are made between us and the fifteen members of the family. The children watch us shyly, pushing each other to come and sit next to us, and the adults take pictures of us on their i-pads.
On the coffee table there are about 20 different bowls and jars filled with sweets, biscuits and crisps. Wann tells us to make ourselves at home and insists that we try them all. Watched in silence by the entire family we make our way through them, taking a tiny bit of each. Most are normal sponge cakes and sweets, but some taste very fishy, literally; one was a mixture of cornflakes, peanuts, honey and... anchovies, obviously. I ask if all the food is there to celebrate Hari Raya; "No, there is just nothing to do in Brunei except eat" says Waan, tucking into a sardine muffin.
After lots more photos, thank-yous, nodding and more thank-yous we leave to explore more of the village. The board walks are very well maintained, no gaps or sticking out nails. We pass more huge homes as well as shops and cafes. Several people stop Wann and ask if we will come into their homes for a drink, but, much to their disappointment and initially ours, she tells them that we haven't got time. The people in Brunei are a lot more friendly than in the rest of south east Asia - when we stand on the pavement cars actually stop and wave us across the road. When we walk down the street people call "Hello, welcome to Brunei!".
Kampung Ayer is home to over 30,000 people, 10% of the population of Brunei, and so our excellent tour shows us much more of Brunei than we would experience in the largest residence in the world or the tallest building in Brunei (although an invitation to the palace of the richest man in the world would have been nice).
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