Brunei Dollar
Brunei has the Brunei dollar of ringgit Brunei as its official currency. Each dollar is then subdivided into 100 cents (known as sen in Malay). The Brunei dollar is usually denoted with the symbol $, often with a B in front of it, to signify that it is the Brunei dollar and it is recognised in the international markets, by the abbreviation BND.
The Brunei dollar is officially pegged to the Singapore dollar and it is worth one Singapore dollar.
The currency is issued by the very official sounding Brunei Currency and Monetary Board and it is in the form of both coins and notes. Coins are issued in the form of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and notes in $1, 5, 10, 20, 25, 50 and 100. Notes are also issued in denominations of $500, 1,000 and 10,000, but in fact these are hardly ever used.
History of the Brunei Dollar
The Brunei dollar was introduced in 1967 as a replacement for the Malaya and British Borneo dollar after Malaysia was established and Singapore became independent. Until 1973, the Malaysian ringgitt was still exchangeable with the Brunei dollar and indeed even today, the two currencies can be exchanged at par, meaning one Brunei dollar is worth one Malaysian ringgitt, but the currencies are not officially legal tender, nevertheless, the two are often used.
Acquiring Brunei Dollars
Brunei is rich, due to its oil reserves, which may not be vast, but there is enough oil to ensure that people have a very good standard of living and it is to all intents and purposes a developed country. This means that it has excellent facilities and ATM machines are available.
If you venture off the beaten track, you will find that there are fewer ATM machines to be found. However, you can also use your credit card in major hotels as well as the larger shops or department stores.
If you prefer to take travellers cheques then take them in either US dollars or British sterling. This will mean that you have less exchange rates to pay. Banks may sometimes incur quite hefty charge for cashing travellers cheques, so it can be worth asking about charges in a couple of banks, before deciding which one offers you the best value.
Safety Issues
Brunei is a really safe country to visit. It is true that there may be an increased risk of a terrorist threat, than would have been experienced, say 10 years ago, but realistically, this is true for almost all of the world, so Brunei is not any more unsafe than many other destinations.
Due to the fact that it is a wealthy country, many, indeed the vast majority of its citizens experience a fantastic standard of living. It is also an Islamic country, which means that there are very punitive punishments handed out for offences, which keeps the crime rate low. However, since many people in Brunei are actually quite wealthy and even those who are not enjoy a good quality of life, there is no real need to commit crime. So although crimes do exist, they are not usually related to theft and people are generally very honest. That being said, it is wise not to get too complacent and so you should keep an eye on your belongings and not leave them lying around.
Brunei as a country
Brunei as a country is truly fascinating. It has a very high standard of living, a very tolerant approach to westerners (for many years it was under British rule) and it is very much a Muslim country.
One important thing to remember about Brunei is that it is a dry country. Here you will not find alcohol for sale and although you can import alcohol via Malaysia, you have to get a special permit to be able to do this and it is quite a lot of hassle if all you want is a couple of beers of an evening.
Some hotels may sell alcohol, but it is done in a rather low key way. Travellers are advised to make sure that if they want a drink in a hotel, they should only have one or two and not drink too much or be too overt about drinking. In some of the international hotels, rooms may come equipped with a min-bar in addition to the bars in the main areas. But even then these bars are not well equipped by western standards.
Hotel bars (and the provision of mini-bars) are mainly limited to the larger, international hotels. If you stay in discount hotels or pretty basic ones, they will be much less likely to sell alcohol.
Whilst having a few drinks may be regarded by many westerners as an integral part of your holiday, for westerners, it is not something that is approved of in Brunei and it is seen as being anti-Islamic, so it isn't something that should be regarded as being an integral part of your holiday. If you think it is, then perhaps splitting your holiday between Malaysia and Brunei, may help you to enjoy the best of both worlds.
Due to the fact that it is a Muslim country all guests to the country are expected to dress modestly. Women should also cover their heads and shoulders and wear a longer style dress when visiting the mosque. Both male and female guests are expected to remove their shoes if they are visiting a mosque.
One thing that all travellers should be aware of is that in Brunei there is a very hard policy towards drugs. Drug smuggling or taking in any illegal substance has only one sentence: the death sentence. So it is not worth taking any risks. You may hear that they will not kill a foreigner, but this is not a theory that you would necessarily wish to put to the test.
Brunei Costs
Brunei really isn't the cheapest country in south east Asia. Accommodation can be quite expensive, but you do tend to get what you pay for. The accommodation tends to be to a very high standard and although more and more 'discount' hotels are being built, at the top end of the market, the prices remain resolutely high, but the quality and standard of service make the cost seem reasonable and good value.
Due to the fact that Brunei is such a wealthy country and the people do not spend their income on alcohol, they like to spend it on enjoying life. As a result, it is possible to enjoy some fantastic meals out in Brunei at costs that are reasonable, given the quality of the food.
All meat served is halal meat, which means that it has been killed according to the requirements of Islam. For anyone who is very concerned by halal food, eating non-meat dishes will be the only answer.
The capital of Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, often just called Bandar, is perhaps the most expensive place to visit, with cots being slightly lower in other town and cities, but it is still not 'dirt cheap'.
One of the great attractions in Brunei is the water village, which is officially called the Kampong Ayer. The best way to see this is to get a taxi from the main market or along the Brunei river. Agree the price before you get in the taxi and sometimes you may be able to negotiate some kind of discount.
The houses in the village seem to literally float on the water and the people who live in them are generally quite friendly. If you do think that the cost of the water taxi is too high, it is possible to visit the village on foot, but bear in mind that you will only see it from one angle and you really miss out on seeing it at its best, so it is worth indulging in a water taxi.
The Sultan of Brunei's Palace, which has over 1,700 rooms (!) is quite a sight to behold, but unfortunately, due to the fact that it is hidden by a lot of vegetation, it is difficult to get a good view, unless you take a water taxi. If you visit during Ramadan, the month of fasting, then you can gain access to the palace: the downside is that hotel service etc during Ramadan can be poor, since people do not eat when it is daylight.
One very cheap day out (because it is free) is the amazing Royal Regalia building, which is a museum dedicated to displaying all the gifts and items that the Sultan has received over the years. There are various gold plated swords and daggers, the most amazing robes, crowns, even a royal throne on view. It really does give a real sense of just how rich the Sultan really is!
For those who are into wildlife, Brunei also has its share of rainforests and amazing wildlife/jungle experiences. These can be quite expensive, particularly compared to other countries, but they offer a real sense of the power of nature and as such as well worth spending time and money on.
Overview
The country of Brunei is small and the population of the whole country is less than 1 million people. Although it is wealthy, some of the people, particularly those in the water village do live in quite poor conditions and yet they all seem relatively happy!
The Royal family is held in high esteem and there is a real pride in the country. It is not a country where there is a very vibrant nightlife or drunken antics to be had at night, but that being said, it is a very peaceful country to visit and one that has a very contented air about it.
So if you want a destination which is just that little bit different, is quite safe (relatively speaking) then Brunei may well be the destination of choice for you.
For some more advice about travel to Brunei and for a flavour of the culture and the philosophy behind this charming country, the official tourist guide to Brunei is to be found at http://www.tourismbrunei.com