BORNEO’S GREEN HEART Brunei
A touch of exoticism, verdant rainforest, a living stilted water village, royal palaces and one of Asia’s top fi ve-star-pus resorts – there’s plenty of scope for selling Brunei, says Ben Lerwill
stopover destination. Its location and onward air connections see it ideally placed for clients heading Down Under or exploring Borneo, but unlike many of its regional counterparts – the likes of Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur – it struggles to register in the consciousness of most British travellers. Such is the lack of awareness around it,
B
in fact, that people regularly assume it to be somewhere in the Middle East. They
runei, it seems, is engaged in an ongoing struggle to shake off its tag as Southeast Asia’s 'forgotten'
may have heard of its headline-grabbing Sultan, whose oil wealth still supports the country, but ask them to point it out on a map and you’ll likely be in for rather a long wait. But then it’s not the easiest to identify. Occupying two tiny slivers of land on the northwest corner of the island of Borneo, Brunei is the smallest country in Southeast Asia. But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in originality. It’s not the place to recommend for bustling street life and wide beaches, but if the idea of untouched rainforest, royal opulence and a rich Islamic culture
appeals then it’s a
fascinating option for a two- or three-night stay. The capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan, is on first
impression a smart but unremarkable sort of place. When you scratch the surface, however, there are some memorable attractions.
Kampong Ayer, for example, is a vast
network of stilted water villages that is home to up 25,000 people, while the gargantuan Jame’Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque – built in honour of the current Sultan – is one of the most impressive
buildings of its kind. On the edge of the city, meanwhile, the Empire Hotel & Country Club is a fabulous resort property, an ultra-
luxurious hotel that’s welcomed everyone from Jenson Button to Pamela Anderson. But Brunei’s most impressive gifts are
not of the man-made kind. Almost three-quarters of the country
is made up of rainforest, and the 50,000-hectare Ulu Temburong National Park is notable not just for its unspoilt scenery and colourful wildlife but for
www.sellinglonghaul.com • April 2011 47
Selling Tip Brunei is a value-for-
money stopover en route to Australia and New Zealand
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