Well you’ve heard the phrase “The Venice of Asia” a lot of times, you might even have read about it twice on my blog when I visited Tai O (Hong Kong’s Venice) and Pingjianglu in Suzhou (China’s Venice). A lot of places get given this Venice of Asia moniker and today it’s all about Kampong Ayer in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

Getting to Kampong Ayer in Bandar Seri Begawan

Head to the waterfront of Bandar Seri Begawan at any time during the day and guys on boats will shout up at you asking if you want a boat. Tell them you’re heading across the water, directly to Kampong Ayer. They all speak English and rely on tourists so you’ll have no problems. Failing all else just point to where you want to go.

How much should you pay to get to Kampong Ayer?

A single journey across to Kampong Ayer from Bandar Seri Begawan will cost $1 Brunei Dollar and that’s it. You need to pay exactly the same price on the way back. It’s a set and fixed fee so don’t be paying any more than that. There are no tickets – it’s pay in cash on the spot.

What are the main attractions of Kampong Ayer?

The best thing about visiting Kampong Ayer is it’s totally free! You arrive there and then have the place to yourself to walk around and enjoy it. It’s a great place!

1. The Houses – The Houses on Kampong Ayer are fantastic. They are all built on water and are a work of art in themselves. You can walk all around admiring them and taking photos. They are a range of colours and sizes and if you’re lucky you might be able to get into a house by asking a local.

2. Mosques – Brunei is a staunch Muslim State and Mosques are everywhere – even built on the stilt villages at Kampong Ayer. We found two Mosques but there may be more.

3. Get Talking to the local people – the people who live here on Kampong Ayer are all very friendly and willing to talk to visitors. You’ll be able to join them for a chat and a photo.

4. Sweet Shop – There is a magnificent old style sweet shop on Kampong Ayer. This is a great chance to pretend you are young again and buy some tooth destroying candy and sweets!

They sell the sort of sweets I had as a child growing up in Bangor in Northern Ireland! The beauty of it is that it’s also really cheap!

Another reason I did this was because entrance to Kampong Ayer is free and it felt good to spend some money there and help the locals – they’re not rich at all – don’t let the fact Brunei is rich in oil fool you. These people work hard to earn their crust.

5. Walking – The best thing is just to walk round and explore it on your own – there is no set route and you can find all sorts of paths past houses and mosques. It’s a feast for the eyes and a great place to see.

So that is my top 5 for Kampong Ayer in Bandar Seri Begawan. It is a great place and lives up to it’s “Venice of the East” moniker. You will enjoy it and it’s cheap. After you’ve seen Kampong Ayer, head back to the main part of Bandar Seri Begawan where you can explore the rest of Brunei.