Where to stay in Bandar Seri Begawan — pick the right hotel, book in 3 clicks

Local dishes to try in Bandar Seri Begawan

1. 1🍢

   Ambuyat

   A sticky sago-starch paste twirled around bamboo sticks and dipped in a tangy 'cacah' sauce, served with sides — the one true Bruneian food experience to try.

   📍 National dish
2. 2🍗

   Nasi Katok

   Hot rice, fried chicken and sweet-spicy sambal in a cheap paper parcel, sold all over the city around the clock. Genuinely tasty and great value.

   📍 Unofficial fast food
3. 3🍜

   Malay-style mains

   Bruneian cooking blends Malay, Indonesian and Chinese roots — coconut, turmeric, lemongrass and chilli — in dishes like nasi goreng and grilled fish, found everywhere.

   📍 Everyday eats
4. 4🌃

   Gadong Night Market

   Brunei's liveliest night market in Gadong, with grilled and fried snacks and local sweets set up every evening at friendly prices.

   📍 Street food
5. 5🐟

   Tamu Kianggeh

   A laid-back riverside market in the city centre selling fruit, snacks and cooked food — one of the best, cheapest spots for authentic Bruneian flavours.

   📍 Riverside market
6. 6🥥

   Kuih & kek lapis

   Colourful 'kuih' made from rice flour, coconut and palm sugar, plus Brunei's famous layered kek lapis cakes — easy to pick up as edible souvenirs.

   📍 Sweets

1. 1🕌

   Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque

   Brunei's signature golden-domed mosque, completed in 1958, floating on an artificial lagoon with a ceremonial stone barge. Best at golden hour and after dark when it's lit up.

   📍 Top landmark
2. 2🛶

   Kampong Ayer

   The world's largest water village. Take a water taxi across the river to wander wooden walkways past stilt homes, schools, mosques and a small heritage museum.

   📍 Water village
3. 3👑

   Royal Regalia Museum

   Gilded ceremonial chariots, coronation thrones and gifts to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah from around the world — a glittering window into the monarchy's wealth.

   📍 Free entry
4. 4🕌

   Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque

   Brunei's largest mosque, with 29 golden domes and four minarets, built to mark the Sultan's silver jubilee. Spectacular when floodlit at night.

   📍 29 gold domes
5. 5🏰

   Istana Nurul Iman

   The world's largest residential palace — 1,788 rooms — and home to the Sultan. View it from outside, or step inside during the Hari Raya open house.

   📍 Sultan's palace
6. 6🐒

   Proboscis Monkey River Safari

   Board a boat at the Yayasan jetty into mangrove waterways to spot proboscis monkeys, crocodiles and birdlife — late afternoon gives the best sightings.

   📍 Borneo wildlife
7. 7🌿

   Tasek Lama Recreational Park

   A hilly forest park in town with short jungle trails, a small waterfall and viewpoints — walkable from downtown and popular with locals for exercise.

   📍 City green escape
8. 8🌳

   Ulu Temburong National Park

   Untouched Borneo rainforest reached by speedboat, with a canopy walkway high above the trees. Doable as a long day trip from the capital.

   📍 Pristine rainforest