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Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Part 4 - Around the World 06/2015 - 02/2016

By Beyond All Maps - Portraits of our Planet by Thorsten Mehret

July 8^th, 2015

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The Secret of Room "A"

Well I knew that Brunei is a Muslim country, a dry country (no alcohol) and that the Sharia was introduced in 2014, meaning misbehavior can be prosecuted with whipping, stoning, amputating or death depending on the severeness. What I missed out is that it will be Ramadan while I´m there and that it´s forbidden by law to eat and drink during daytime for everyone in Brunei, including tourists. Wowhhh, I thought I can do without eating during daytime but without drinking in that heat, no way. I already saw myself sneaking into public toilets, silently taking sips from a water bottle stored in my backpack.

My surprise was big, when I arrived at the airport in the morning already thinking how I will survive that day and the first thing I saw was an open Burger King and KFC. Well there was nobody sitting around eating but why should they have open. What the hell is going on here, I thought. Was there a revolution overnight, that I missed. I decided to check it out and asked still astonished: “Hello, hey I thought it´s Ramadan and I wonder why you have open during the daytime”. The intimidated answer: “Here takeaway then you go in room A”. I suspected a trap for weak soles like me, for sure behind that door they are already waiting to punish me. I was weighing it up, starving, punishment, starving, punishment, starving,…. oh hell I decided to give it a try. With my takeaway whopper menu I entered the room and….. nothing…..just some tables and chairs and a ritual washing basin. Must have been a prayer room. So, here is the deal as I found out later with the hotel staff. Eating and drinking in public is not allowed, but what you do in private rooms nobody cares (and there seems to be a grey area when it comes to the declaration of private rooms). So all restaurants are open for take aways during daytime and quite some people are using this offers I found out, although most muslim will refrain.

On my flight back I met an teacher from NZ working in Brunei and he told me that the country is also not as dry as claimed. For a drink you go to specific hotels, knock on specific doors (probably marked as rooms B) and there you go. In some places beer is offered in coffee mugs and some Chinese retail stores have special supplies (I guess stored in room C)

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque

A night picture of this mosk a couple of years ago caught my attention and Brunei found it´s way on my lists of countries to visit (well already a long list I have to admit). It´s a relatively unknown country and many people locate it somewhere in the middle east or haven´t even heard about it. No wonder, this tiny country with roughly 400.000 inhabitants has masses of oil and therefore does not rely on tourism at all. The sultan of Brunei is one of the richest person on earth (his palace is currently the biggest of it´s kind with more than 1800 rooms) and his subjects enjoy generous pensions, no income tax, education and medical care free of costs. 50% of the Bruneis are working in the government in well payed jobs. Lot´s of goodies to refrain people asking displeasing questions about the current political system. Hard work or highly qualified work is mainly done by the more than 100.000 guest workers. In the few travel blogs I found about Brunei the country is mostly described as rather boring (not much to do) and this is probably the truth but for 2 days it´s perfectly alright and honestly better than I expected.

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

He makes sure that non muslim won´t enter during ramadan

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Kampong Ayer - Living over Water

Roughly 30.000 locals are still living in the water village. In contrast to the very poor water villages in other countries I´ve seen, e.g. on Mabul, the standard here is much higher with power- and freshwater connection. Nevertheless there are richer areas with concrete buildings and walkways and poorer areas with wooden partly run down houses and walkways that make understand why Brunei is a dry country, otherwise the way home after a couple of drinks would without doubt end in a refreshing bath or mud treatment depending on the tide. I walked more than 3 hours without any plan through the village and enjoyed the atmosphere and the friendly locals. It´s an Eldorado for any photographer and highly recommended.

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

The better corner - solid houses and walkways

The reason why Brunei is a dry country. Imagine to make your way home safely if drunken ;-)

A typical home in the water village

not the best corner in the village

...not the best corner in the village

Low tide reveals what otherwise is hidden

All buildings have fresh water connection....

...and fire hose sockets are located everywhere

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Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Kites are a very popular amusement

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

In a water village all depends on boats. There are jetties all around and a short wink is mostly enough to call a water taxi.

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

This is the biggest mosk in Brunei, build 1992. Unfortunately during Ramadan visiting the mosk inside is not possible for non Muslim. Outside are huge parking areas like with most other relevant building, making the visit in the mosk almost a drive in event. Important in a country, where one car comes on every 2 people (worldwide on of the highest ratios), a bus system barely exists and the few taxis are hard to find. Luckily my hotel offered a free courtesy shuttle, which I widely used to go around. Walking in the wide spread city is not much fun, especially in the heat during daytime.

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

The Day Market

The market is not very big but a good place to wander around for an hour. It was not very busy and the merchants were very friendly and open to chat. A very smart Filipina told me that she is on a two year contract (like most foreign workers). It´s a good place for making money but not for living, she said. She did´t tell why, but my Indonesien driver from the hotel told me that many non muslim feel oppressed as they have to obey many muslim rules and that it´s getting more rigid since the introduction of the Sharia. Beside of that all the money is send home to her family. So she does´t want to extend the contract and hopes to go back and to study afterwards.

Filipina

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Local Saleswoman

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

The Empire Hotel & Country Club

The best hotel in Brunei and therefore the base for all important guests to Brunei. But there can´t be so many, as I have seen not more than 5 guest during my 2 hour walkaround.

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

The Atrium

The Lobby

The Lobby

...behind the scene

The Golf Course in short distance

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

Impressions

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The royal museum

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

There was a big big group of young and sporty looking Koreans around. Unfortunately I could´t get out who they were.

A classical street, clean but characterless

Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

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Brunei and the Secret of Room "A"

© 2026 Beyond All Maps - Portraits of our Planet by Thorsten Mehret

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