DCFever’s blog here seems to have some issues or a word limit set, as I just couldn’t post “Brunei Notes 1” no matter what, so if you haven’t read it and are interested, please go to http://garcia-in-germany.blogspot.com/2018/05/1.html instead~
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Among the few Chinese-language travel blogs about Brunei, one senior traveler once mentioned, “If possible, you should stay at a homestay with the water villagers,” but offered no further information. Others asked Ob but got no response, so I initially just read it and moved on.
When I was scared off by the prices of those millions of hotel options and turned to Airbnb instead, my very first choice turned out to be an overwater homestay run by the river folks！
Judging from the photos, nothing too special; but the reviews—so many glowing ones flooding in like the Yellow River bursting its banks, absolutely uncontrollable！It didn’t seem fake at all, so why not give it a try？
As it turned out, those two days and nights became one of the best accommodation experiences of my travel life！I could even say this little riverside house made my trip to Brunei warm and unforgettable！I stayed in my dream home！
Even without the owner Andrew’s permission, sorry about that, but allow me to write a few words to praise your place～
https://www.airbnb.com.hk/rooms/6265100?location=Brunei%20Muara%20District%2C%20%E6%B1%B6%E8%90%8A%E9%81%94%E9%AD%AF%E8%96%A9%E8%98%AD%E5%9C%8B&s=D44_-s4K
Brunei’s capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, can be roughly divided by the Brunei River into the downtown area in the north and the water village in the south；
The downtown is the political and financial center, like Central in Hong Kong；the Water Village is somewhat like a lower-income area (actually not that poor, probably wealthier than me……), and the housing style is a bit like Tai O.
We need to take a boat to get to Tai O, so how could it be any different here～
As mentioned in the previous post T?玻??范家晕???系氖砍鋈牖岷眠矸奖悖?阒??聪蹈龊盟?忍逖辋
Just go to the riverside and wave your hand, and the boatmen shuttling on the river will naturally zip over in a V??易钅投贾幌凳怨?缺分钟～
Moreover, these water taxis are extremely fast. Though not as stomach-churning as the speedboats mentioned in the previous post T?植溃??加型嫦憬洞?雀芯酰?笤钾ッ胍芽扇サ矫袼匏?诘牟号码头，收费1文莱元 = $6 HKD (locals pay half), super convenient！
The only thing to watch out for is the stairs near the water at the pier—they’re dangerously slippery……and I’ve heard the water villagers’ waste goes straight into the water……
Once you reach Pier 2, look straight ahead at the first house that catches your eye—that’s the one！
On the first night when I arrived, I wasn’t 100% sure. The whole place was pitch dark, and no one answered the door. Just as I was about to show them my booking receipt, someone came out V?甭胪防醋笠患胰耍?鞫?镂铱?⒖?牛?薪樯苈窦湮莴点我住边间房
I naturally assumed Ob was the owner, but he said he was just a relative of the owner！He was just helping me get in because the owner hadn’t returned yet and saw me, a solo backpacker, standing around V?捕俸孟取??
Ah……Normally you wouldn’t let a stranger into your house……let alone someone else’s home……I don’t know if Ob is just too kind or too trusting……
Anyway, after the auntie left and the owner still wasn’t back, and there were clearly no other guests in the house……I could’ve done backflips and somersaults and no one would’ve noticed~~~~~~~~~~
Let’s talk about that je~~~~~~~~~~
At a time like this, the best thing is to slowly check out the house and take some satisfying photos ga～
Theoretically, the lower-income area should be kind of run-down, and from what we learned as kids in geography, overwater houses must be damp and moldy, plus full of mosquitoes tim
But this house totally defies the laws of nature—it’s not just clean, dry, and mosquito-free, the decor is also very elegant～
The carpet and a variety of differently shaped sofas create a warm atmosphere in the living room, and the wall decorations have a very Bruneian style
What’s the Bruneian style? Beats me～ But I do know that putting up the King’s big portrait doesn’t feel out of place at all～
It’s like someone putting up Mao Zedong’s portrait at home and it looking totally fine—the decor must scream Tiananmen！
(I love this half-reclining sofa the most—the owner also said Ob often sleeps on it～)
The rooms are very simple, with 3-4 rooms, each with 3 beds. Of course, since there aren’t many travelers, they’re never fully booked～
No air-con but there are big fans, and besides, it’s not too hot at night in the water village. During the day it was 35-36°C, but at night even I, who hate heat, felt a bit cold with just the fan on—so no problem at all～
The kitchen and toilet are clean and tidy with no unpleasant odors—better than many European hostels!
"Hey~ what's up V?a wor~"
Yup, up to this point, it’s just your average, clean, not-too-shabby accommodation.
Don’t worry, the best is yet to come!
The biggest highlight of the whole place is ------------------- the spacious sea-view terrace outside!
Where’s the sea????!!!!??? Well, let’s just say… ~~~~~
This terrace offers a view of downtown Seri Begawan, the palace, and the mosque. During the day, you can enjoy the sunshine under the blue sky and white clouds (if you’re not afraid of getting sunburned), or take shelter from the heat under the eaves. At night, you can sip a drink while admiring the colorful city lights across the river.
It’s like having a big veranda at home where you step out and see the Victoria Harbour night view—how could it not be amazing??
Or like what happened to my friend—I ended up chatting with him for ages, sipping drinks by the window, watching the lights flicker on one by one... so relaxing.
Of course, I had to strike a pose and take some photos!!!~~~~~~~~~~
Another huge highlight of this homestay is definitely the super friendly and hospitable owner, Andrew!
So I listened to the rain for a whole hour, and by around 9 PM, Ob still hadn’t shown up. I had to borrow a passerby’s phone to call him, and he was like, “I’m having dinner with a friend and will be back late. Just make yourself at home~”
Hey~~~~~~ that’s trusting a stranger a bit too much, don’t you think!!!!????? I’m King Kong over here!!!
In the end, I went back into town to eat, then came back again more than an hour later, and didn’t see Ob until almost midnight!
Andrew is an extremely helpful, enthusiastic, and chatty person!
When I told him my rough itinerary, Ob not only carefully helped me plan it but also adjusted the details based on my requests.
“I heard most travelers go to the mangroves to see the monkeys, wor.” “Today’s weather’s a bit iffy, why not go with a friend instead? That way, it’ll be more fun.”
“I’m thinking two days in Brunei might be too little—should I stay longer?” “Brunei really doesn’t have that much to do. Two days is plenty~”
“What time are you waking up?” “No way!! You have to wake up at 7:30 AM!! I’m making breakfast!”
That’s just the kind of considerate and enthusiastic person Ob is…
And in the evening, Andrew will also chat with you for ages~
From Ob, I learned that this house was originally his wife’s ancestral home. The three-person room I stayed in used to be where the whole family lived—that is, what I saw as a “cozy space” was actually a “cage home” 40–50 years ago.
Later, as Brunei became more prosperous, the whole family moved out to the city, leaving only Andrew and his wife. So they renovated the place extensively, and it became the homestay you see today~
“Where are the other rooms?” “I have three floors outside. I only come here when I have guests~”
Um………what should I even say…………
Anyway, I really learned a lot about Bruneian culture from Ob, and his humor definitely made the conversation anything but boring.
Although the side effect is that I ended up staying up way too late to sleep………..
Anyway, if you don’t have someone as laid-back and welcoming as Ob, I really think you’d miss out on a lot—and miss Andrew!
(We talked until after 2 AM both nights.)
Price-wise, it’s not super cheap, averaging HK$350 per night including breakfast. But for Brunei, which is generally quite pricey, it’s actually quite good value. And it’s super worth it~
If you want something even cheaper, I saw some single rooms on Airbnb for just over a hundred bucks a night, and they look pretty clean and tidy~
(Originally it was 10 times more, but I asked for just the egg sausage, which was still plenty, and I ended up really full)
Weird, right? I don’t usually like staying in hostels much~
Actually, according to the information, there’s only one hostel in Brunei called Pusat Belia, and it’s always closed + fully booked + not available for online booking—super mysterious and unreliable!
But while I was out for a walk, I happened to spot this AE Backpackers Hostel that was about to open—truly a blessing for backpackers!!
But Ob’s place is so far from the city center, I wonder how their business is doing...
If you’ve got deep pockets, I’d actually strongly recommend staying at Brunei’s most famous hotel, The Empire Hotel and Country Club
This six-star hotel is only about $1500 HKD a night, and it even includes transfers all around Brunei—what an amazing deal!
Plus, it’s also a must-visit attraction in Brunei!
But anyway, enough about that—let’s move on to the next two posts~
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