On the day that my Brunei friend was not free to show me around, I decided to be adventurous and try out the public transport system. You know, so that I can write a review on it.

The main bus terminal where all long-distance and local buses leave from and arrive is at Jalan Cator in the city centre. If you are arriving from the international airport, which is located about 8km north of central Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB), you can take the purple minibus (B$1) to the city centre which is available until about 5.30pm.

Jerudong Park Playground

For my day trip, I decided to visit the Jerudong area. Kids will love Jerudong Park Playground, a Prince Jefri project which first opened in 1994 and was completely revamped in 2014. The new attractions – in neatly manicured grounds – include a carousel, a junior roller coaster and an immaculate mini golf course. The entrance fee covers unlimited rides and admission to a mini water park. However, in the past, the amusement park was free and even attracted tourists from neighbouring Malaysia, so my friend was lamenting about how this park is not so attractive anymore.

the Sultan loves his horses

How to get there? Take bus 55 (B$1) from the main bus terminal in BSB for about one hour. There is also bus 57 which goes to Empire Hotel and Country Club. Wait times for the buses can go up to one hour as the frequency of the public buses is not that great. The driver dropped me off at the entrance of Jerudong park. It was late morning and the park was not open for operation yet. I strolled around the massive grounds, admiring the various rides. I also passed by stables with horses grazing lazily under the scorching sun. Apparently the sultan loves playing polo and has his stead of horses for his games.

From Jerudong, I decided to walk to Empire hotel as it did not seem too far on the map.Since it opened in year 2000, Empire hotel has become synonymous with Brunei: reflecting the country’s majestic and cultural heritage. I had lunch at a local place and walked along the beach until I reached the luxurious hotel in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the South China Sea. While both Singapore and Brunei are surrounded by the South China Sea, I preferred the view here in Brunei because it is not obstructed by container ships and I had the whole beach to myself.

such blue skies and tall trees to provide shade

Doesn’t the swimming pool look gorgeous?

Interior of the Empire hotel