Brunei Darussalam
Links to Brunei Darussalam Embassies and Consulates
Fast Facts
Coutntry Full name: |
Weights & Measures: Metric |
| Population: 322,000 |
Country Dialing Code: +673 |
| Languages Spoken: Official - Malay |
Time Zones: GMT/UTC +8 |
Electric Plugs: 220V-240V 50Hz |
Currency: Name: Brunei Dollar Code: BND Symbol: B$ |
Exchange rate:
Weather
Weather's not much of a consideration when heading for Brunei - whenever you go it's bound to be warm and wet. September to January is the official wet season, when things are even warmer and wetter. Things tend to close down during Ramadan, when all Muslims must fast between dawn and dusk for a month, so it's worth checking if your visit will fall in this period.
Brunei doesn't have marked wet and dry seasons. Rainfall occurs throughout the year, but is heaviest between September and January. Average annual rainfall is about 3295mm. Temperatures are consistently between 24°C (75°F) and 31°C (88°F). Average humidity is 79%, making it a pretty warm and sticky place.
Money & Cost
Compared to the rest of Southeast Asia, accommodation in Brunei can be fiercely expensive. There is only one budget option in BSB, the Pusat Belia (youth hostel), and while it does have a swimming pool you can't always rely on getting a bed if local school groups are in town. Mid-range accommodation is rarely worth the price tag, but on the plus side, some top-end hotels are not that much more expensive than the equivalent in Malaysia. Transport and food are more expensive than in Peninsular Malaysia, but not outrageously so.
Although the official currency is the Brunei dollar, Singapore dollars are equally exchanged and can be used. It's comparatively easy to change both cash and travellers cheques, but banks often impose a maximum transaction limit and charge hefty fees for travellers cheques.
Currency
Name: Brunei Dollar
Symbol: B$
Average Room Prices |
|||
Low |
Mid |
High |
Deluxe |
B$10-80 |
B$80-170 |
B$170-300 |
B$300+ |
Average Meal Prices |
|||
Low |
Mid |
High |
Deluxe |
B$3-9 |
B$9-20 |
B$20-30 |
B$30+ |
Getting there and around
Getting There
Most visitors fly into and out of Bandar Seri Begawan. Brunei has direct air connections to around 30 destinations, including regional Asian capitals and a number of Australian cities. Because of the difference in exchange rates, it can be 40% cheaper to fly to Brunei from Malaysia than vice versa if you buy your ticket locally. Airport departure tax is US$3.00 to Malaysia and Singapore and US$7.50 to all other destinations.
There are express boats from BSB to Lawas and Limbang in Sarawak, and to the duty-free island of Labuan, off Sabah, where you can connect with boats to Kota Kinabalu. The main overland route from Sarawak is via bus from Miri, but it's also possible (although fairly expensive) to travel overland between Limbang or Lawas and Bangar, in the Temburong district of Brunei.
Getting Around
Transport around Brunei is by bus, hire car or taxi. The public bus system is cheap and reliable but only in and around the capital. If you want to explore the hinterland you'll probably need to hire a car, though there is a fast, regular boat service from BSB to Bangar.
History
Pre-20th-Century History
Early Bruneian history is cloaked in mystery, although it is believed trade links existed with China in the sixth century AD. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Brunei was a considerable regional power, controlling not only most of Borneo but parts of the Philippines as well, mainly due to its success as a port. Brunei's power waned following the arrival of the European powers to the region. The Spanish and the Portuguese were the first to arrive, but it was the British, who arrived in the region in the 17th and 18th centuries, who began to erode Brunei's influence. Sarawak was ceded in the 19th century and a series of 'treaties' were forced on the Sultan as James Brooke, the first White Raja of Sarawak, consolidated his power base. In 1888, the sultanate itself became a British protectorate. Brunei's territory was gradually whittled away piecemeal until, with one last flourish of absurdity, Limbang was ceded to Sarawak in 1890, thus dividing the country in half.
Modern History
A British 'adviser' was assigned to the court in 1906, yet another compromise of the sultanate's independence. In 1929, however, just as Brunei was about to be swallowed up entirely, oil was discovered off the coast. British plans to make Brunei a part of the Malaysian Federation were quashed by a revolt in 1962, moving the sultan to suspend the constitution and opt for independence. The two countries signed a treaty in 1971 confirming that Britain would retain control of Brunei's external affairs. The country has been under emergency laws ever since the 1962 revolt, and no elections have taken place since that date. In 1984, Brunei became completely independent, and underlined its new independence from Britain by joining ASEAN. In 1991, as part of a move towards full Islamic law, the sale of alcohol was banned and stricter dress codes were introduced.
Recent History
Modern fashions and mores have undoubtedly had an impact on Brunei, particularly where its young people are concerned, and in recent years pockets of disaffection have begun to challenge the status quo. Arguments for change have been aided by royal scandals involving the profligate spending of the sultan's younger brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah. In 2000, the polo-playing playboy was charged over misappropriation of US$16,000,000,000 of state funds, money the Brunei Investment Agency is still trying to chase up through the courts while Jefri languishes in enforced exile in London on a 'pittance' of US$500,000 a year.
Recent efforts to diversify the economy haven't yet come to much, but it's hoped new offshore exploration will uncover further deposits to keep the hydrocarbons flowing for a few more years. In any case, the sultan earns more from foreign investments than from oil. In the last couple of years there have been some signs that the sultan's benevolent but firm autocracy is starting to thaw. In September 2004, 21 years after it was disbanded, the sultan reopened parliament with 21 hand-picked members, only to dissolve and reform it again with 29 members (including a woman and a non-Muslim) in 2005. A new opposition party has been permitted to form, headed by a former convicted dissident, and the Education Minister was recently fired for pushing too much Islam in schools, quite a turnaround. At the same time, though, the sultan has had the constitution rewritten to pronounce himself infallible both personally and politically, so for the moment no real change is expected.
Source: www.lonelyplanet.com
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