Where to Stay in Bandar Seri Begawan, Daerah Brunei dan Muara

What is Bandar Seri Begawan known for?

It is the country's only city, holding the seat of government, the commercial life, and the ceremony of the sultanate all in one compact place. The Royal Regalia Museum displays the golden regalia and coronation treasures of the ruling house, while the Old Lapau preserves the traditional ceremonial hall of the state. The city carries the name of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the sultan honoured when the old Brunei Town was renamed.

It anchors Brunei-Muara.

What are the main landmarks in Bandar Seri Begawan?

The court sets the tone. Grandest of the landmarks of Bandar Seri Begawan is the Royal Regalia Museum, its galleries filled with the golden regalia, chariots, and coronation gifts of the sultanate that make it the pride of the capital of Brunei. Nearby stands the Old Lapau, the ceremonial hall where royal occasions were once held.

Faith takes another form at the Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. Out on the edges sit the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex Indoor Stadium and the Utama Bowling Centre, the city's larger venues for sport.

What is the history of Bandar Seri Begawan?

Bandar Seri Begawan grew from the old settlement of Brunei Town, the seat of the Bruneian sultanate. For centuries the sultans ruled from this place at the mouth of the country's rivers, once commanding a realm that reached far along the coasts of the region. The town was the political and ceremonial centre of the state through all its long history, and the Old Lapau, the traditional hall of council, stands as a survival of that older order.

The modern name came in 1970. In that year Brunei Town was renamed Bandar Seri Begawan in honour of Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the twenty-eighth sultan and the father of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who had led the country through its mid-century modernisation. The change marked the city's passage into its role as the capital of an independent Brunei.

Government buildings, museums, and the Royal Regalia Museum among them rose to house the institutions of the state, and the city took its place as the political and commercial hub of Brunei-Muara and the country as a whole.

Where is Bandar Seri Begawan?

Bandar Seri Begawan lies in the north of Brunei, the capital and only city of the small sultanate. It sits within Brunei-Muara, the smallest of the country's districts but the one that holds most of its people. The ground is low.

Its municipal area covers about 100 square kilometres of tropical land, and from this compact stretch the city serves as the seat of the state while the rest of Brunei-Muara wraps around it toward the coast. It is the urban heart of a country with few large towns.

What is the climate of Bandar Seri Begawan?

Bandar Seri Begawan has a hot and humid tropical climate. The city lies near the equator, so the air stays warm through every month and the seasons barely shift in temperature. Rain is heavy.

Tropical downpours can arrive in any month, and the wetter stretches bring frequent afternoon storms over the capital of Brunei. Humidity stays high across the year. Between the showers the skies clear quickly, and the long dry spells of cooler latitudes never come to this part of Brunei-Muara.

How do you get to Bandar Seri Begawan?

Most travellers reach Bandar Seri Begawan by air. The country's international airport sits within Brunei-Muara, a short drive from the capital, and carries the scheduled flights into Brunei. Roads then do the rest.

Highways run from the airport into the city centre and out across the district, linking the capital to the port and the coast. Once in town the compact centre is easily walked, with the Royal Regalia Museum and the main landmarks close together in the ceremonial core.