Bandar Seri BegawanCapital
Brunei · Country profile
Bandar Seri Begawan is the calm, wealthy capital of the tiny sultanate of Brunei, a tranquil city of gold-domed mosques, air-conditioned malls and miles of tropical greenery that lines the banks of the Brunei River at the heart of the country of the north coast of Borneo. The famous mosque of the city, with its marble minarets and its gilded dome, and the sprawling water village of the Kampong Ayer, the ancient stilted settlement of the river, set the two faces of the capital against each other. The royal regalia building, the balanced museum of the history and the gift of the enormous sultanate give the city its official layers, while the river taxis, the crocodile spotting and the seafood of the waterfront keep the local life. Small, clean, orderly and thoroughly polite, it is one of the calmest capitals of the world of the tropics.
About Bandar Seri Begawan
Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital of Brunei. The city's documented population is around 50,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Brunei Dollar (BND) and Malay is spoken; the dialling code is +673.
The Golden Capital of the River and the Water Village
Bandar Seri Begawan is a small, clean, deeply calm capital where the golden mosque, the water village on stilts and the serene river define the whole rhythm of the visit. The days move between the royal and the Islamic landmarks, the air-conditioned malls, the river cruises and the enormous weekend market, all of it easy and unhurried. The sultanate is quiet by design, with no nightlife to speak of and a gentle, family-friendly street life, and the visitor slides easily into its pace. It is the neat, prosperous and unmistakably polite door to the rainforests and the beaches of the little country.
The Monsoon Calendar, the Modest Dress and the Mosques of the City
The climate is hot and humid all year, with the monsoonal rains of the winter months and the brighter gaps of the middle of the year, so the showers are simply part of the packing. The Brunei dollar is the currency, the Malay the language and the English widely used, and the cards cover everything in the city. The mosque dress rules ask for the modest covering of the arms and the legs and the removal of the shoes, and the visit times of the non-Muslims are limited to the set hours. The river taxis and the main boulevards cover the sights, and the weekend market and the water village are the two unmissable experiences of the capital.
The Omar Ali Saifuddien, the Kampong Ayer and the Weekend Market
The golden dome of the great mosque of the city, the Omar Ali Saifuddien, and the sea-beach mosque of the Jame Asr Hassanil Bolkiah are the two marble giants of the sacred skyline of the capital. The water village of the Kampong Ayer, reached by the wooden boardwalks and the river taxis, is the extraordinary stilted old town where a large part of the population still lives, and the cultural village brings its houses and its crafts together for the visitor. The royal regalia building holds the extraordinary objects of the coronation and the royal journeys, and the river cruises at dusk, with the mangroves and the proboscis monkeys of the delta, end the day of the serene capital on the water.
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- Country
- Brunei
- Population
- 50,000
- Capital
- Bandar Seri Begawan
- Region
- Asia
- Currency
- Brunei Dollar (BND)
- Languages
- Malay
- Calling code
- +673
- Country code
- BN
Entry requirements for Brunei
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting Brunei for tourism.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bandar Seri Begawan the capital of Brunei?
Yes — Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital of Brunei.
What currency do I need in Bandar Seri Begawan?
The local currency is the Brunei Dollar (BND). Languages spoken in Brunei include Malay.
What is the dialling code for Brunei?
The international dialling code for Brunei is +673.
Do I need a visa to visit Brunei?
It depends on your passport. Among the origins we track, travellers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy currently enter Brunei visa-free for tourism. Use the entry requirements tool to check your own nationality and purpose of travel.
Flying out of Bandar Seri Begawan? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.