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Bandar Seri Begawan and Kampong Ayer
Capital and largest city of Brunei

Bandar Seri Begawan and Kampong Ayer

Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB) is the capital and largest city of Brunei.

Plan a trip to Bandar Seri Begawan and Kampong Ayer→From Kota Kinabalu

It is officially a municipal area with an area of 100.36 square kilometres (38.75 sq mi) and has a population of 72,133 as of 2025 estimate. It is part of Brunei–Muara District, the smallest yet most populous district which is home to over 70 percent of the country's population. It is the country's largest urban centre and nominally the country's only city. The capital is home to Brunei's seat of government, as well as a commercial and cultural centre. It was formerly known as Brunei Town until it was renamed in 1970 in honour of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the 28th Sultan of Brunei and the father of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

Get in

Getting to Bandar Seri Begawan and Kampong Ayer

See Brunei#Get in for Brunei's entry requirements.

  1. 01
    Brunei International Airport
  2. 02
    Serasa Ferry Terminal at Muara

    The ferry terminal has currency exchange, a small souvenir shop, and a cafe.

See

Worth seeing

Don't expect to find much tasteful and stunning architecture like you would normally find in Southeast Asia. Here, most of the buildings are just plain and box-shaped. However, an interesting twist to the billboards around here, is that the "Jawi" (Arabicized Malay writing) are prevalent among them. Sometimes, foreign names are translated literally, e.g. "Pizza Hut" to "Pondok Pizza".

  1. 01
    Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

    Open to visitors when it is not being used for prayers (opening times are posted by the gate).

  2. 02
    Jame'Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque

    Another mosque, that resembles Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque.

  3. 03
    Kampong Ayer

    The water village is a beautiful sight to see hundreds of houses seemingly floating on water.

  4. 04
    Royal Regalia Museum
  5. 05
    Istana Nurul Iman

    It is usually not possible to enter, yet the huge size of the palace attracts tourists to snap picture in front of the gate.

  6. 06
    Brunei Museum

    Has unfortunately been closed since 2014 undergoing renovations, and as of January 2026 has not reopened.

Do

Things to do

Every year, for three days at the end of Ramadan, the sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, opens his palace (Istana Nurul Iman) to the public. This event is primarily intended for the citizens of Brunei to meet their sultan, but foreigners are welcome too. Prepare to queue up for hours; even the queue for security alone takes over an hour.

Eat

Where to eat

  1. 01
    Kianggeh Market

    You can get Nasi Katok, Teh Tarik, or a kilogram of raw vegetables or sapit.

  2. 02
    Aminah Arif Restaurant

    One of a few local restaurants that features the Bruneian delicacy ambuyat and a pretty good range of other food too.

How locals move

Getting around Bandar Seri Begawan and Kampong Ayer the local way

Almost everyone in Brunei drives, so the public network is thin, cheap and used mainly by foreign workers: one bus terminal on Jalan Cator, a flat one-dollar fare, buses that stop around dusk, and hardly any taxi you can hail. The two transport systems that really work are on water. Water taxis cross the Brunei River to Kampong Ayer all day from any dock on the downtown waterfront, flagged with a wave, and the port authority's licensed passenger boats run seventeen times a day from the Jalan Residency jetty to Bangar in Temburong, though the Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien bridge took most of their traffic in 2020 and one traveller report says the Bangar end has stopped selling return trips. The Serasa ferry terminal at Muara, 25 km out, is the link to Labuan and onward to Sabah. There is no direct bus to Miri any more: you cross the Sungai Tujoh border on foot and re-book on the other side. On Friday, the boats and much else stop for midday prayers.

  1. 01
    Kampong Ayer water taxis (penambang)water taxi

    Downtown waterfront and the Yayasan jetty across the Brunei River to the stilt villages of Kampong Ayer, and to riverside neighbourhoods such as Kiulap and Kampung Pintu Malim

    Where
    Walk to the river anywhere along the downtown waterfront, the Yayasan complex jetty or the Tamu Kianggeh market steps and wave at a passing boat. They are small outboard speedboats with a single boatman and they will come in to whatever dock you are standing on, so there is no queue and no ticket. Say the name of the landing you want; for the Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery just say the gallery. The crossing is about two minutes. Agree the price before you step in, because the same boat does both jobs: a crossing and a negotiated sightseeing charter around the village and up the mangrove creeks to look for proboscis monkeys. If a driver quotes a charter price when you only want to cross, say so plainly.
    When
    Continuous through the day, no timetable; thinner after dark and during Friday midday prayers
    Fare (2026)
    B$1 per person for a straight crossing according to Wikivoyage, while the national tourism board says rides are B$2 to B$5 and negotiable. A tour is about B$15 for half an hour and B$30 for an hour
    Takes
    About 2 minutes to cross; 30 minutes to an hour for a village or monkey tour
    Season
    Year-round. Boats are open and there is no shelter from rain
    Booking
    None, flag one down and pay the boatman

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · bruneitourism.com (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

  2. 02
    Bandar Seri Begawan to Bangar passenger boatsspeedboat

    Jalan Residency jetty, just east of the city centre across the Sungai Kianggeh bridge, to the Bangar passenger terminal in Temburong, weaving through the channels of Brunei Bay

    Where
    The jetty is by the food stalls on Jalan Residency, a short walk east of the centre over the Kianggeh bridge. Turn up and buy a ticket at the counter; the Maritime and Port Authority tells passengers to be at the terminal 20 minutes before departure. Five licensed operators share a single published rota (KPBT, Syarikat Ampuan Haji Salleh, Haji Tarsat Enterprise, Haji Mohd Salani and Syarikat Haji Mohd Nor), so you take whichever boat is next rather than choosing a company. Life jackets are worn for the whole trip. The route clips Malaysian waters on the way but there are no checkpoints. Charter boats are not on the rota and are arranged separately at the jetty.
    When
    17 departures each way Monday to Thursday and Saturday, first from Bandar at 06:45 and last at 17:15; Sunday similar; Friday reduced to 15 with a break for prayers
    Fare (2019)
    B$7.00 per adult one way on the port authority's published rota
    Takes
    About 45 minutes
    Season
    Year-round, daily. Departure times are stated to be subject to change
    Booking
    None, buy at the jetty counter

    Sources: mpabd.gov.bn (2026-09) · mpabd.gov.bn (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

  3. 03
    Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien bridge, which decides how Temburong is reachedservice status

    Jalan Kota Batu east of Bandar Seri Begawan across Brunei Bay to Temburong district, bypassing Malaysian territory

    Where
    The bridge opened to traffic on 17 March 2020 and is why the district no longer needs the boat or the four immigration checkpoints through Limbang. It matters to a traveller for what it excludes: it is open daily 06:00 to 22:00, only Brunei-registered vehicles in classes I, III, IV and VI may use it, Brunei commercial vehicles need permission from the Bridge Maintenance Office, foreign-registered commercial vehicles are sent back to the AH150 route through Sarawak, and the authorities close it in bad weather. There is no scheduled bus across it. In practice that means a foreign visitor without a Brunei-plated car reaches Temburong either on the passenger boat, on a tour operator's van, or by hiring a Brunei taxi at the fixed inter-district rate.
    When
    Open 06:00 to 22:00 daily; closed at short notice in adverse weather
    Fare
    No toll was in force at opening; the government said it was studying one, and no current toll could be confirmed
    Takes
    About 30 minutes Bandar Seri Begawan to Bangar by road
    Season
    Year-round
    Booking
    None; commercial vehicle permits apply in advance

    Sources: thescoop.co (2020-03) · thescoop.co (2020-03) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

  4. 04
    The purple minibusesbus

    Radiating from the Jalan Cator terminal in the city centre; route 01 is the Circle Line, 20 the Business Centres Line, 37, 38 and 39 run east to Pekan Muara, and 33 continues to the Serasa ferry terminal

    Where
    The terminal occupies the ground floor of the multistorey car park on Jalan Cator, in the middle of town. There is a route board at the terminal and each bus carries its route written on the windscreen; the vehicles are large vans seating about twenty and are colour-coded by route. Pay the conductor, or the driver if there is no conductor. There are marked stops, but drivers will pick you up and set you down anywhere on the route if you signal, so stand at the kerb and wave. The catch is timing rather than money: headways are 20 to 40 minutes with no fixed schedule, waits of 30 to 45 minutes are normal, and conductors sometimes ask where everyone is going and then skip part of the route. Buses to the airport leave from a stop reached by a covered walkway at the far end of the car park, and buses towards the ferry terminal start around 06:30.
    When
    Roughly every 20 to 40 minutes, no strict schedule. Wikivoyage says the last buses run about 18:00; the tourism board says the service runs to 20:00
    Fare (2026)
    B$1 flat regardless of distance, B$0.50 for children; B$1 including the transfer from bus 37, 38 or 39 to bus 33 for the ferry terminal, or B$2 on the direct express shuttle to Serasa
    Takes
    20 minutes airport to downtown; up to two hours downtown to the Serasa ferry terminal with a change
    Season
    Year-round
    Booking
    None, pay on board

    Sources: bruneitourism.com (2026-09) · bruneitourism.com (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

  5. 05
    Why the buses are nearly empty, and what that means for youservice status

    Nationwide

    Where
    Brunei averages about two million bus rides a year in a country of under half a million people, and that fell to one million in 2020. The 2014 Land Transport Masterplan found 80 per cent of survey respondents used their cars all the time, 44 per cent of bus users were unhappy with frequency and 40 per cent with reliability. The minister's own summary in the Legislative Council was that buses need an image revamp. In March 2025 the ministry was still tendering for a company to take over managing and operating the whole system, with a contract of up to ten years, so nothing you read about route numbers or timings is guaranteed to survive. The practical consequence: plan on the bus existing but not on it being punctual, do not count on anything after dark, carry small notes, and expect to be offered a lift by a stranger, which happens often and is meant kindly.
    When
    Ongoing; a new operator was being tendered in 2025
    Fare
    No fare change has been announced; the flat bus fare is unchanged
    Takes
    n/a
    Season
    Year-round
    Booking
    n/a

    Sources: thescoop.co (2021-03) · thescoop.co (2021-03) · thescoop.co (2025-03) · confidence high

  6. 06
    Serasa Ferry Terminal to Labuanferry

    Serasa passenger and vehicle ferry terminal at Muara, 25 km from the city, to Labuan, and from Labuan onward by a second boat to Menumbok for Sabah or to Limbang and Lawas in Sarawak

    Where
    Get to Muara early: from the Jalan Cator terminal either take the express shuttle straight to the ferry terminal, which runs roughly every two hours from about 06:30, or a regular bus 37, 38 or 39 to Pekan Muara and change to bus 33. Allow up to two hours for the journey. The terminal has a money changer, a snack bar and a souvenir counter. Buy your ticket at the counter about an hour before sailing; boarding starts half an hour before. Note that the port authority publishes two things and they do not agree: a static schedule page naming Seri Express, Shuttle Hope, Goodwill Star, Kinabalu Express and Ming Hai, and a separate folder of dated daily sheets, which on 28 and 29 September 2026 listed Suria, Sri Labuan Tiga, Joy Star and Express Kinabalu with different times. Use the dated sheet and phone the ticketing counter on the number printed on it.
    When
    Four or five sailings a day to Labuan, first around 08:30 and last around 16:40; the exact list changes
    Fare (2023)
    B$25 one way, plus a terminal tax paid at Serasa
    Takes
    45 minutes to about 2 hours depending on the vessel
    Season
    Year-round; sailings change at short notice and the authority reissues the sheet daily
    Booking
    Buy at the terminal counter; arrive an hour early

    Sources: mpabd.gov.bn (2026-09) · drive.google.com (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

  7. 07
    Taxis and Dart, the only ride-hailing app hereprivate hire

    Anywhere in Brunei; fixed published rates from the airport and fixed rates to the Malaysian border posts

    Where
    You will almost never hail a taxi on the street. There is a small rank just north of the bus terminal, a few cars at the airport, and otherwise you telephone: +673 222 2214 or +673 222 6853 in town, +673 234 3671 for the airport service, +673 333 4581 in Kuala Belait. The tourism board publishes a meter tariff, while older traveller accounts say drivers have no meters and quote fixed prices, so agree the figure before you start. The airport publishes a fixed fare sheet by destination, which is the one document worth having: most downtown hotels are B$20 to B$25 by day, the Empire is B$35, Muara jetty B$40, Temburong town B$70, Kuala Belait B$130, the Sungai Tujoh border B$160, Miri city or airport B$200, Kuala Lurah B$60, Limbang town B$120 and Kota Kinabalu B$400. Dart is the local ride-hailing app and is much cheaper into town; it may pick up at the airport only from the P2 car park, a signposted five-minute covered walk. Grab and Gojek do not operate in Brunei at all.
    When
    On demand; taxis are scarce at morning and afternoon peaks
    Fare (2026)
    Meter from B$3.50 for the first km or minute then B$0.20 per 250 m, plus B$3 to or from the airport, B$8 between districts and 50 per cent extra 18:00 to 06:00. Dart from the airport to the waterfront is about B$11 against about B$25 by taxi
    Takes
    20 minutes airport to the waterfront
    Season
    Year-round
    Booking
    Phone the taxi numbers, or book in the Dart app

    Sources: bruneitourism.com (2026-09) · bruneitourism.com (2026-02) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence high

  8. 08
    Renting a car, and what the country is like without onevehicle hire

    The single coastal dual carriageway from Muara through Bandar Seri Begawan, Tutong and Seria to Kuala Belait and the Sarawak border, plus the Labi road into the interior

    Where
    Brunei has one motorway and very high car ownership, and almost everything outside the small walkable centre of Bandar assumes you are driving. Rental runs about B$60 to B$100 a day and is easiest booked before arrival; Avis, Hertz and several local firms operate. Two local traps: only some petrol stations are allowed to sell fuel to foreign-plated cars because of the fuel subsidy, so keep the tank topped up, and pedestrian crossing buttons in town often do not change the lights, so cross on the car signals. Without a car you are limited to the bus network's 06:00 to 18:00 window, the water taxis, and taxis or Dart for anything else. Bruneians frequently offer visitors lifts unprompted, and hitchhiking is reported as workable.
    When
    On demand
    Fare (2026)
    B$60 to B$100 per day depending on vehicle size
    Takes
    About 2 hours Bandar Seri Begawan to Kuala Belait
    Season
    Year-round
    Booking
    Book online before arrival for the best choice

    Sources: bruneitourism.com (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

  9. 09
    Sungai Tujoh for Miri, Kuala Lurah for Limbangborder crossing

    Sungai Tujoh control post near Kuala Belait for Miri in Sarawak; Kuala Lurah, called Tedungan on the Malaysian side, near Bandar for Limbang; Labu and Ujong Jalan in Temburong for Lawas and Sabah

    Where
    There has been no direct bus between Bandar Seri Begawan and Miri since around 2022. Doing it on public transport means a chain: local bus from Jalan Cator to Seria, change for Kuala Belait, then a taxi or Dart to the Sungai Tujoh post, walk the roughly one kilometre of no-man's-land, and pick up a taxi or Grab on the Malaysian side into Miri. Start early; the local buses are slow. A private car or shuttle for the whole run costs around B$60. For Limbang, take the local minibus from Jalan Cator to the Kuala Lurah checkpoint, walk across into Tedungan and catch a Syarikat Bas Limbang bus marked Batu Danau. Queues at both drive-through posts are long at weekends, when Bruneians cross to shop. If you need a visa on arrival, note that Sungai Tujoh has no ATM and takes only Brunei or Singapore dollars in cash, and that Brunei asks for proof of onward travel.
    When
    Local buses to Kuala Lurah run through the day; the Seria and Kuala Belait chain is infrequent and slow
    Fare (2023)
    B$1 Bandar to Kuala Lurah; B$6 Bandar to Seria and B$1 Seria to Kuala Belait; about B$60 for a private car or shuttle to Miri
    Takes
    About 3 hours Bandar Seri Begawan to Miri including the border
    Season
    Year-round; heaviest at weekends and school holidays
    Booking
    None for the buses; private shuttles are arranged through hotels and agents

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · bruneitourism.com (2026-09) · confidence medium

  10. 10
    The one coach a day to Kota Kinabalubus

    Bandar Seri Begawan waterfront, near the main bus terminal, to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah via Limbang, Lawas and Sipitang, with four or five sets of immigration formalities

    Where
    One coach a day in each direction. Sources disagree on where it picks up in Bandar: the city article says the waterfront beside the main bus terminal, the country article says Gadong Night Market. Ask the agent. It leaves at 08:00; be there by 07:30 to buy the ticket from the agent, since there is no advance booking counter. In Kota Kinabalu it starts from the city bus terminal. Sipitang Express has run the service; its website no longer resolves, so confirm in person the day before or ask at a hotel. The alternative, if the coach is full or not running, is the chain described on the Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land itinerary: bus to Lawas, taxi to the Labu border, Brunei taxi to Bangar, then the passenger boat to Bandar, which is the variant that avoids two extra immigration posts.
    When
    Once a day each way
    Fare (2019)
    B$45 one way, last confirmed in 2019
    Takes
    6 to 8 hours
    Season
    Year-round
    Booking
    Buy from the agent at the waterfront on the morning of travel; arrive 07:30

    Sources: en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2025-09) · confidence low

  11. 11
    Brunei International Airport and its short-haul networkscheduled flight

    BWN, 8 km from the city centre, hub of Royal Brunei Airlines

    Where
    One terminal, compact and quick through immigration. Royal Brunei is the home carrier and reaches about 22 destinations; the useful short-haul ones for a regional trip are Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Manila and Jakarta, with AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, Singapore Airlines from Singapore and Cebu Pacific from Manila. Fares transiting Brunei are often cheap. Landside there are ATMs at departures but none airside or at arrivals, so change or withdraw before you clear immigration, which also matters if you need to pay for a visa on arrival in cash. For the city, turn left out of the terminal for the bus stop, or right and down the covered walkway to the far end of the car park for the bus to town; Dart picks up from P2 only. The old brunei-airport.com address is now a parked domain, so treat any schedule found through it with suspicion.
    When
    Daily on the main Royal Brunei routes; Miri in Sarawak is a cheaper alternative gateway about 3 hours away by road
    Fare (2026)
    Airport bus B$1; taxi about B$25; Dart about B$11
    Takes
    20 minutes to downtown by road
    Season
    Year-round
    Booking
    Airline websites; proof of onward travel is officially required to check in for a flight to Brunei

    Sources: bruneitourism.com (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · confidence medium

  12. 12
    Friday prayers, which stop thingsservice status

    Nationwide, and specifically the Temburong passenger boats

    Where
    Plan Friday around the middle of the day. The Maritime and Port Authority publishes a separate Friday rota for the Bandar to Bangar passenger boats in which the 12:15, 13:00 and 13:45 sailings are simply struck out in both directions, with a note that the service closes from 12:15 to 13:45. The first boat back from Bangar also leaves fifteen minutes later than on other days. Shops and government offices close for the same window, and visitor attractions follow: the Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery, otherwise open 09:00 to 17:00, shuts from 11:00 to 14:30 on Friday. Mosques are closed to non-Muslim visitors around prayer times generally. If you are travelling on a Friday, move in the morning or after mid-afternoon, and do not expect to buy a ticket or a meal in between.
    When
    Every Friday, roughly 12:00 to 14:00, with the boat break running 12:15 to 13:45
    Fare
    No change to fares; the missing sailings are simply not run
    Takes
    About 90 minutes
    Season
    Year-round, weekly
    Booking
    n/a

    Sources: mpabd.gov.bn (2026-09) · en.wikivoyage.org (2026-09) · mpabd.gov.bn (2026-09) · confidence high

Not yet confirmed: The water taxi fare is the one number two good sources disagree on. Wikivoyage has said B$1 per person for a crossing for years; Brunei Tourism's own Getting Around page in 2026 says B$2 to B$5 and negotiable. Nobody publishes a regulated penambang tariff. Ask at the Yayasan waterfront or the tourist information centre on the waterfront what a crossing to the gallery costs before you wave a boat in.; Whether the Bangar end of the passenger boat still sells return trips is unresolved. The Maritime and Port Authority still publishes a full 17-sailing rota in both directions with a B$7 adult fare, but the Wikivoyage Bangar article states that as of 2024 boats no longer run from Bangar back to Bandar Seri Begawan and that the main Bangar pier is now owned by Radio Television Brunei. Phone the head of the Bangar jetty terminal unit on +673 522 0031, the number the authority gives, before relying on a return boat.; The port authority's Temburong boat schedules are PDFs uploaded in 2019 and still linked from its current site, so the B$7 fare and the departure times are official but undated in any recent sense. The Serasa ferry page has the same problem: its static vessel list (Seri Express, Shuttle Hope, Goodwill Star, Kinabalu Express, Ming Hai) does not match the dated daily sheet for 28 and 29 September 2026 (Suria, Sri Labuan Tiga, Joy Star, Express Kinabalu).; The Kota Kinabalu coach could not be confirmed as still running. The B$45 fare and 08:00 departure are from 2019, Sipitang Express's website returns a server error and Wikivoyage flags its link as dead. Ask at the Jalan Cator terminal or a Bandar hotel the day before.; Correction to the brief: the airport website given in guidebooks, brunei-airport.com, is no longer an airport site. It now serves a redirect to a domain parking lander. The Department of Civil Aviation address dca.gov.bn returns a 404 on its documented home page, so there is currently no working official BWN flight-information page that could be found.; Correction to the brief: there is no bus at all across the Temburong bridge, and foreign-registered and non-Brunei-plated vehicles are excluded from it, so the bridge did not simply replace the boat for visitors. For someone without a Brunei-plated car the boat, a tour van or a taxi at the fixed inter-district rate remain the options.; Brunei Tourism publishes a metered taxi tariff while Wikivoyage states flatly that no taxi has a meter and that drivers use fixed prices. Both may be true of different vehicles. Agree a price before starting, and carry the airport fixed-fare sheet.; The Limbang speedboat from the Bandar jetty, described on the Kota Kinabalu to Brunei by land itinerary as leaving when full and finishing around 16:30, could not be confirmed as still operating and is not on any port authority schedule page. Ask at the Jalan Residency jetty.; borneobulletin.com.bn, the country's main English daily, returned 403 to every request including its WordPress REST endpoint, over both HTTP/2 and HTTP/1.1 with a browser user agent. biz-brunei.com and marine.gov.bn did not resolve. thescoop.co and the government sites mpabd.gov.bn, jpd.gov.bn and bruneitourism.com were all reachable and are the better sources anyway..

The field note on Bandar Seri Begawan and Kampong Ayer reads this entry in full, one option at a time, with every source beside it.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.