I had a business tour to the capital city of the Sultanate of Brunei – ‘Bandar Seri Begawan’. It was formally called as the ‘Brunei Town’. Being the largest city of all Brunei, it had a variety of tourist attractions. Since my tour included a weekend I decided to visit a couple of those attractions as well. I did some searching regarding the town and the country and I came to know that, Brunei is one of the oldest kingdoms in Asia. It was the heart of a huge empire. Its borders were extended as far as up to the Philippines. Though the country became smaller due to many political reasons, its oil reserves still keep them rich.
My stay was at ‘The Capital Residence Suites’. No place can be better than this. By selecting this hotel for my accommodation, people at my office did the right thing. From the moment I stepped into this hotel, I was treated like an honourable guest. That’s their style of service. The rooms were spacious, clean and maintained well, and they also had a great shower. They had security boxes for the guests along with a fridge, TV and a washing machine. The most important factor was the Wi-Fi connection. It was comparatively the fastest and way better than most of the Asian countries I’ve been before. I certainly will recommend this place to not only the business travellers but also for the others as well.
As the first thing in the Saturday morning, I went out to visit the great ‘Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque’. This is the key monument and also the main tourist attraction of the very country. Construction of this mosque was initiated by Brunei’s 28th Sultan – ‘Omar Ali Saifuddien III’. Now you know how this mosque got its name. Pure gold was applied to the huge main dome – Rich! The building was huge and stands about 170 feet. Virtually, it can be seen anywhere and within the proximity of Bandar Seri Begawan.
For lunch, I got into a nearby restaurant and wanted to try something traditional. All these days I didn’t try any native food items. I know Curry and Rice are famous cuisines in Asian countries. So, I went with it and to accompany the main meal, I ordered a dish named ‘Ayam Penyet’. The entire meal was mouth-watering! The flavours, spices, smell and the taste – words will be never sufficient to explain it. I was also worried that I didn’t try these anytime sooner. ‘Ayam Penyet’ was an Indonesian dish with fried and then smashed chicken. It was the best addition to the meal.
Borneo Trekker was my next day activity. I made online bookings for the canopy tour. Overall, it was a well-organized trip. Our safety was their topmost priority. The guide was walking among us while showing around and elucidating the views. Being a guide is not an easy job. Letting people just see the attractions and making them know about the attractions are two different things. Our guide made sure we learn stuff in a real fun way. If I get a chance, I’ll return to this lovely town again.
Finally, I must thank my colleagues for choosing ‘Travel Center UK’ as the travel agents for this tour. I felt that this tour as a completely planned one. They are a set of professionals in this game. Well Done, ‘Travel Center UK’!