The Ultimate Guide to 2 Nights in Brunei Darussalam
As part of our 1-week journey across Borneo in August 2024, I made a perhaps slightly unusual decision – to visit one of Southeast Asia’s most overlooked destinations: Brunei Darussalam.
Why? Well, if im being honest it was initially to help me along my journey to visit every country on earth. But wow – this place surprised me.
In this Sloth Travel Guide to Brunei, i’ll walk you through how to make the most of 3 days in this intriguing, oil-rich nation (especially if you’re a Scuba Diver into wreck diving!).
Why Visit Brunei?
Located on the island of Borneo, Brunei Darussalam is a tiny nation sandwiched within the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Best known for its insanely wealthy Royal family (the Sultan of Brunei has a car collection worth over $5 billion), this predominantly Muslim, oil producing nation is often dismissed as “not worth visiting”.
I categorically disagree with this belief. While it might not have the characteristics of other Southeast Asian hotspots, it offers something unique: an authentic, uncrowded experience of Malay-Islamic culture, and some of the world’s best wreck diving.
Seriously.
💡 Sloth Suggestion: Brunei is also perfect for those looking at ways to get from Malaysia (mainland and Sarawak) to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and the Wildlife in the north! Read on to find out how!
VERY IMPORTANT: What to Be Aware of Before Visting Brunei
Before you visit Brunei, it’s essential to understand the country’s strict laws, Islamic traditions, and unique cultural norms. While Brunei is safe and welcoming, some behaviours that are legal elsewhere might lead to serious penalties here — even if you’re just passing through. Here’s what you need to know to stay respectful and out of trouble.
Brunei Is a Strict Islamic Country
Islam is the official religion of Brunei, and Sharia Law is in place. You must respect local customs, religion, and laws, especially during religious periods like Ramadan.
Avoid public displays of affection, criticism of the royal family, and immodest clothing — especially in public buildings and religious sites.
What’s Illegal in Brunei:
Criticising the Royal Family: Publicly speaking ill of the Sultan or royal family is a serious offence.
Relationships Outside Marriage: Adultery or private intimacy between unmarried people (if one is Muslim) is illegal.
Pornographic Material: Possession is strictly forbidden — even on personal devices.
Weapons and Fireworks: Firearms, bullets (even blanks), and fireworks are banned, including replicas.
Illegal Drugs: Brunei has some of the harshest drug laws in the world, including the death penalty.
Alcohol: It’s illegal to buy alcohol, but non-Muslim visitors aged 17+ can bring a limited amount for private use (must be declared at customs).
LGBTQ+ Rights: Same-sex relations and transgender expression are criminalised. While enforcement is rare and the death penalty is under moratorium, LGBTQ+ travellers should take caution.
Smoking & Vaping: Brunei has strict anti-smoking laws. Smoking or vaping is banned in: Shopping centres, restaurants, public transport areas and near buildings.
How to Get to Brunei (The Smart Way)
Sure, you can fly directly to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei’s capital, but I wholeheartedly recommend the route we took… (it is also cheaper, and comes with a convenient tour of the main sights…).
With that in mind, here is what we suggest you do:
✈️ Fly into Miri, Sarawak (MYY) – We flew from Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines for just $40 / £30! (Air Asia also fly this route for cheap!)
🚖 After arrival, grab a Bolt taxi to your accommodation in Miri (around $5 / £4).
Where to Stay in Miri Before Crossing into Brunei
Miri is a small city with limited hotel options—but we loved the Room Hotel. For just $15 a night, we got a clean, comfy room—don’t be put off by the 4.1-star Google rating. Genuinely great (and I care about this stuff!).
If you’re arriving early enough, get dinner at Kebaya Story, rated 4.8 stars and just around the corner.
Then… get an early night. Tomorrow’s a long day!
Itinerary
Sloth Suggested Itinerary - Day 1: Brunei's Main Sights
Now, since Covid, there are no buses running between Miri and Brunei’s capital city, Bandar Seri Bagawan. Thus, we needed to get creative.
An Affordable Private Tour Across the Border
Whilst searching online, I found a company known as FindMe Logistics, ran by the amazing Pauline. For just $40/£30 per person (we travelled as a pair), she picked us up in Miri, Malaysia and drove us into Brunei.
But there’s more… included for the fee (which for a private 3 hour taxi was already pretty good!), she took us to all of Brunei’s main attractions along the way to our homestay. Unreal value.
What We Saw On the Way:
1) 1 Billionth Barrel Monument – an interesting little monument dedicated, of course, to Brunei’s 1 Billionth Barrel of Oil.
2) Jerudong Park (where Michael Jackson once performed) and one of the world’s only 7 Star hotels – The Empire Hotel. This was a lovely little surprise, and the staff let us wander the grounds freely.
3) Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque – The main public Mosque in the country today. Please remember to dress appropriately here (they will, however, provide you with robes to wear).
4) Istana Nurul Iman (The Sultan’s Palace) – Unsurprisingly, the world’s biggest house (2000 bedrooms and 200 bathrooms!) cannot be visited, but this was a great opportunity for some photos in front of the gates. We even saw the Princess of Brunei leave in a rather nice Jag!
5) Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque – In my opinion, this is the most beautiful mosque on earth. Spend some time enjoying the tranquility and don’t miss the photo frame outside.
6) Kampong Ayer Boat Tour – For the next stop, Pauline took us to the pier for a boat tour of the world’s largest floating city – Kampong Ayer. We (or Pauline) negotiated with a local water taxi, and for about $10 he took all of us on a 30-minute ride up the river and past Istana Nurul Iman (the house!), and through Kampong Ayer. This was awesome, and we loved seeing the floating fire station, mosque, and schools!
7) Lunch by the Brunei River – Finally, we went for some food at a local restaurant by the river. Here we ate Brunei’s national dish – a starchy substance known as Ambuyat. This was, erm, not quite like eating Argentinian steak, but together with dried fish, it made for an interesting meal. Deffo worth experiencing!
Where to Stay in Brunei
As we were diving the next day, Pauline kindly dropped us off at our lovely little homestay – Poni Homestay.
Accommodation in Brunei isn’t exactly plentiful, especially for those on a budget. Poni Homestay, however, was perfectly located for scuba, and was very affordable, costing just $30/£25 a night for a private room, with breakfast.
For those less concerned about their wallets, however, you could of course stay in the Empire Hotel ($200/night). For those wanting to be closer to the central sights, the Radisson Hotel ($120/night) also comes recommended.
💡Sloth Scoop: For those wanting a really unique stay, we hear good things about Kunyit 7 Lodge – located in Kampong Ayer! Make sure to book ahead earlier though!
Sloth Suggested Itinerary - Day 2: Sloths go Scuba
Don’t get me wrong, the sights from the previous day are wonderful. But the best thing you can do in Brunei is, so long as you have the qualifications, is Scuba Dive the AWESOME WW2 wrecks off the coast.
We (dove?? dived?? dunno) went diving with an awesome company called Oceanic Quest. They are the ONLY 5 star PADI centre in Brunei – DO NOT DIVE WITH PONI DIVERS, THEY HAD THEIR 5 STAR PADI LICENSE REVOKED.
Diving Brunei's Wrecks:
For about $140 you will get three amazing dives – picture huge Navy vessels with bullet casings etc (see below).
This is pretty advanced diving – the weather was cloudy, there are oil rigs next to you, and there is low visibility…. but holy schmoly, was this fun.
💡Sloth Scoop: Yes, I am aware that we stayed at an accomodation owned by the diving school i do not recommend. Just keep it hush hush that you are diving with Oceanic!
(Substitute) Sloth Suggested Itinerary - Day 2: Jungle
Not a diver? No worries. Brunei has some of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world.
Brunei's Top Nature Spots:
- Ulu Temburong National Park – 50,000 hectares of untouched jungle, this park is renowned globally for its exceptional biodiversity, and also preserves the heritage of Borneo’s indigenous longhouse communities, whose traditional ways of life are deeply rooted in the surrounding environment.
- Damuan Recreational Park – Peaceful walkways lined with neatly kept shrubs and sculptures, offering beautiful views of Istana Nurul Iman.
- Tasek Lama Park – A calming waterfall and elevated vantage points over Kampong Ayer.
- Bukit Shahbandar Recreational Park – 70 hectares of rolling hills and diverse forest trails, making it one of the most accessible rainforests in the country for outdoor enthusiasts.
To visit these places, please message Pauline from FindMe Logistics or check www.bruneitourism.com.
Prefer Culture?
Check out the:
- Royal Regalia Museum – Gold, gifts, and possessions from the Sultan’s life.
- Kampong Ayer Cultural & Tourism Gallery – Learn more about the “Venice of the East”.
Sloth Suggested Itinerary - Day 3: Bus to Kota Kinabulu
As part of our Borneo journey, we left Brunei after 2 nights. Our destination was Kota Kinabalu in Malaysian Sabah. Now, of course you could fly there…. but we say take the bus (for around $35/£28, from here).
Why? Its quite simple – you will get 8 passport stamps!
It is admittedly quite a long bus, but the geography of the region makes it an interesting journey…
Stamp 1: Exit Brunei
Stamp 2: Enter Malaysian Sarawak
Stamp 3: Exit Malaysian Sarawak
Stamp 4: Re-enter (!) Brunei
Stamp 5: Exit Brunei
Stamp 6: Re-entering Malaysian Sarawak
Stamp 7: Exit Malaysian Sarawak
Stamp 8: Entering Malaysian Sabah
What an adventure! You may not agree, but I think that is quite good fun (for a bus journey!)
To read about our full Borneo journey, please follow the link here *once written ;).
Thank you for reading our Brunei Itinerary. This is such a unique SEA nation, so we hope you enjoy!
Sloths of Love, Team Sloth <3
