My Travel Adventures

Since I had seen everything I had planned to see in Brunei on my first day, I could not escape having to make some last minute plans. That very afternoon, I stopped by a tourist office close to my hotel to book a river cruise. Since it was set to depart early in the morning, I decided to buy some durian crackers for breakfast instead of eating at my hotel. I also bought a whole bag of rambutans for only one dollar fifty, which – despite my best efforts – I was not able to finish by the time I checked out. That evening, I ate dinner at an Indian diner, having given up on trying to find local vegetarian options. The fresh garlic naan was one of the best I ever had, which is sad considering I do not foresee ever returning to Brunei.

Planning a weekend trip to Bandar Seri Begawan from Bangkok is not easy. As far as I can tell, the only direct flights are operated by Royal Brunei, the island country’s national carrier. While the airline schedules four flights a week, the timing around the weekend is a bit awkward, as the plane flies in on Saturday afternoon and departs on Sunday evening, leaving a visitor less than 24 hours to explore. That being the case, I decided to fly to Brunei through Malaysia: I arrived on Friday evening, stayed at an airport hotel, and left for Bandar Seri Begawan early next morning.