Brunei Darussalem

By Bill Honer, the Travel Professor


Brunei Darussalem is located on the island of Borneo. Part of the island is comprised of two provinces of Malaysia, which are still rural and primitive in character. Brunei, in contrast, has a per capita income of $18,000 a year and is clearly a first world nation, with a high literacy rate aspired to by the United States. It does, however, have lush jungles: I took a safari trip with two guides through a mangrove swamp in search of proboscis monkeys in the wild.

After leaving the river, we proceeded into the mangrove swamp. There were placentas in plastic bags hanging from tree branches, a symbolic offering to the Gods. Although the boat was motorized, it glided quietly and gently through the swamp. I searched diligently for monkey sightings. After about a half an hour, I saw a proboscis monkey sitting on a tree branch.

When we had traveled about 2 miles inland from the river, the guide turned the boat around and we traveled back to the river entrance. On the return trip, we passed a large village built on stilts over the water. It was located directly across from the main city of Bandar Sri Begawan. One could see the school buildings and mosques among the houses that extended out over the river. It certainly made sense to avoid battling the jungle growth when choosing a housing site. Sleek motorized taxis moved swiftly between Bandar Sri Begawan and the water village.

Should you have some questions concerning a trip to Brunei, please let me know.
Best wishes, Bill Honer, (The Travel Professor).