Top places to visit in Bandar Seri Begawan

• Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

  Mosque · 4.7 rating · about 0.8 h

  Brunei's royal mosque completed in 1958, with a 52m marble minaret and a stone-clad ceremonial barge (replica of a 16th-century royal barge) in the lagoon beside it. Closed to non-Muslim visitors during prayer times.

• Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

  Mosque · 4.8 rating · about 0.8 h

  Brunei's largest mosque, completed 1994 to mark the 25th year of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's reign; 29 golden domes and 4 minarets, in Kampong Kiarong near Gadong.

• Royal Regalia Museum

  Museum · 4.4 rating · about 1 h

  National museum displaying the ceremonial regalia, royal chariot and gifts of Brunei's Sultan; visitors go barefoot/socks-only inside. Free admission.

• Tasek Lama Recreational Park

  Nature · 4.4 rating · about 1 h

  Forested park around a reservoir near downtown BSB with a waterfall, jogging trails and a suspension bridge; managed by the Department of Environment, Parks and Recreation.

• Malay Technology Museum

  Museum · 4.1 rating · about 0.8 h

  Museum near the Brunei Museum in Kota Batu showcasing traditional Malay house architecture, water-village life and traditional crafts.

• Bukit Shahbandar Forest Recreation Park

  Nature · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h

  Forest recreation park with hiking trails through heath forest and viewing towers, in Kampong Jerudong 'B', Brunei-Muara.

• Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery

  Museum · 4.1 rating · about 0.8 h

  Gallery in Kampong Ayer opened 2009, exhibiting handcrafted goods, ceramics, woodworking and weaving from the water village.

• Gadong Night Market (Tamu Gadong)

  Market · 4.3 rating · about 1 h

  Brunei's best-known night market/food bazaar in the Gadong commercial district, with stalls selling Malay/Bruneian street food daily from late afternoon.

• Jerudong Park Playground

  Activity · 4.2 rating · about 2 h

  Amusement/recreation park in Jerudong, ~15 minutes from BSB, originally built as a gift from Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah; scaled back from its 1990s heyday but still operating rides and an amphitheatre.

• Istana Nurul Iman (exterior viewing)

  Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h

  Official residence of the Sultan of Brunei and one of the largest residential palaces in the world; viewable from the Brunei riverfront year-round, open to the public only during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house (2nd-3rd day).

• Tamu Kianggeh

  Market · 4.1 rating · about 0.8 h

  Brunei's oldest wet market, on the bank of the Kianggeh River near downtown, selling fresh produce, fish, herbs and local snacks since the 1960s.

• Brunei Museum

  Museum · 3.9 rating · about 1 h

  Brunei's national museum in Kota Batu covering natural history, Islamic art and Brunei's oil industry.

Things to do

• Proboscis Monkey River Safari Wildlife · 2 h · from BND 85 per person
• Kampong Ayer Water Village Boat Tour Cultural · 1 h
• Brunei River Sunset Cruise Sightseeing · 3 h
• Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque Visit Cultural · 0.8 h
• Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque Visit Cultural · 0.8 h
• Tasek Lama Jungle Walk Nature · 1 h
• Gadong Night Market Food Crawl Food · 1.5 h
• Jerudong Park Playground Visit Activity · 2 h

Where to stay in Bandar Seri Begawan

• City Center about BND 3,000 per night

  Brunei capital with accommodation

Hotels

• K.H. Soon Resthouse 1-star · BND 38 to BND 45 per night
• Radisson Hotel Brunei Darussalam 4-star · BND 128 to BND 280 per night
• Terrace Hotel 3-star · BND 40 to BND 61 per night
• The Brunei Hotel 3-star · BND 44 to BND 71 per night
• The Rizqun International Hotel 5-star · BND 107 to BND 115 per night
• The Empire Brunei (Empire Hotel & Country Club) 5-star · BND 213 to BND 350 per night

Where to eat

• Aminah Arif Restaurant (Kiulap) Bruneian, Malay · about BND 8 per person
• Pondok Sari Wangi (Gadong) Indonesian · about BND 8 per person
• Thien Thien Restaurant (Kiulap) Chinese · about BND 8 per person
• Fratini's Restaurant (Centrepoint, Gadong) Italian · about BND 22 per person
• Gadong Night Market food stalls Bruneian, Malay, Street food · about BND 8 per person
• Tamu Kianggeh food stalls Bruneian, Malay · about BND 8 per person

Getting around

• Boat main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Car With Driver main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Taxi main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Walking

  Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.

Safety and scams to avoid

• Currency exchange poor rate

  Major tourist zones

  Unlicensed money-changers offer suspiciously good rate, then short-change or pass counterfeit.

  How to avoid it: Use licensed money-changers (Maybank, HSBC). Avoid street offers.