Is Brunei worth visiting?
Video summary of 24h in Brunei
Hello good people!
Earlier this year I went on a trip to a part of Southeast Asia and I managed to spend 24h in Brunei. Is Brunei worth visiting you ask? Well, I’ve recorded a short video to answer that very question.
Below are some general facts about Brunei and a few of my impressions:
💵Brunei is a fairly rich country (GDP per capita >$30k, similar level to Spain) and boasts the 2nd highest Human Development Index score in SE Asia, after Singapore. Bruneians pay no income, sales or value added tax (VAT) - pretty amazing. Relatively small in size, Brunei is home to less than 500,000 people. The country is a member of ASEAN.
🤝 I found Brunei really safe and welcoming - I found the people very relaxed and helpful. Pretty much everyone spoke at least some English and was keen to chat about the country, but also to ask me questions about my background, which was nice. If you enjoy your drink and smoke on holiday though, Brunei is not the place to do it, given its absolute Muslim monarchy and the resulting laws. Do your research and be respectful.
🤯Barely anyone walks and almost everyone drives (well, at least in the capital). Taking a bus to the city centre was not very cheap and taking a bus not very straightforward. This can be explained by the Brunei’s petroleum industry, which contributes massively to the economy. While on a walk through the city I saw just a few people - all of them tourists…
Have you been to Brunei, or maybe you were thinking of going? In either case, feel free to reach out with questions or comments.
Till next time!
CJ
P.S. Feel free to check out my IG profile for more frequent short updates - https://www.instagram.com/globetrottingaffairs/