There are many unique treasures that can be found in Brunei, including earthenware ornaments, gilded curios, exotic furniture designs, Chinese urns, brocade tablecloths, mats and door hangings, Indian finery, Thai haute couture, the latest electronics – all of these and more can be found tucked away in some corner of a dusty shop or glittering department store.

It is easy to shop in the Sultanate because all major credit cards (American Express, VISA, Diner’s Club and MasterCard) are widely accepted. ]]> http://www.tourismbrunei.com/activities/shopping/shopping-in-brunei/feed/ 0 http://www.tourismbrunei.com/activities/sports-and-recreation/other-activities/ http://www.tourismbrunei.com/activities/sports-and-recreation/other-activities/#comments Sat, 23 Oct 2010 06:44:57 +0000 admin http://tourismbrunei.com/?p=100 Brunei offers a wide range of sports and recreational opportunities. Among these are golf, bowling, squash, tennis, swimming, badminton, kite-flying, snooker, soccer, aerobics, and countless others. For traditional sporting activities, the Hassanal Bolkiah National Complex in Bandar Seri Begawan features a well-maintained athletic field as well as track, football stadium, tennis courts, squash courts, jogging tracks and swimming pool.

Bowling
The Empire Hotel and Country Club Bowling Lane is an 8-lane 10-pin bowling centre that provides challenging hours of fun and entertainment. Operating hours are 10:00am to 10:00 pm daily and prices are B$5 per game per person.

The Utama Bowling Alley is located on Jalan Tutong near Soon Lee Megamart in Bandar Seri Begawan. It opens daily from 9am to 11pm. Charges per game are B$4 on weekdays and B$5 on weekends.

Badminton
One of the nation’s most popular pastimes, badminton is a highly-attended sporting event in Brunei. Courts are available at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, the Youth Centre in Bandar Seri Begawan and at Mumong Sports Complex at Kuala Belait. A nominal entry fee is charged.

Horseback Riding
The Trijaya Equestrian Park offers first-rate facilities including the world’s largest indoor arena that can accommodate up to 50 horses at a time. With horses imported from Argentina, TJEP caters to all ages and abilities, offering lessons for beginners and trail rides and tandem rides through well-planned tracks leading through dense jungle to nearby beaches and Jerudong Park. Children can enjoy the novelty of being driven through the park by carriage and adults can enjoy polo lessons in a truly one-of-a-kind setting in Asia.

Tennis
For tennis fans, the courts available at the Youth and Welfare Complex on Jalan Berakas and at the Brunei Tennis Centre offer a choice of clay, synthetic grass and cement playing surfaces.

Swimming
Visitors may dive into the public swimming pools at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium in Bandar Seri Begawan, and at the Mumong Sports Complex in Kuala Belait. Nominal fees are charged.

Squash
For a moderate fee, squash courts are available for hire at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium. Bookings can be made at the Stadium. The courts are available daily except for Friday and Sunday.

FLAG: Yellow with two diagonal bands: white (top band, double-width) and black (starting from the upper hoist side). The national emblem is superimposed in red at the flag’s centre. The emblem includes the following components:
•	Swallow-tailed flag, representing Royalty
•	The Royal umbrella
•	Winged column, symbolizing the protection of justice, tranquillity, prosperity and peace
•	Two upraised hands, signifying the Government’s pledge to promote welfare, peace and prosperity
•	An upturned crescent, symbol of Islam, the national religion of Brunei
•	Embodied within the crescent in yellow Arabic script is the nation’s motto, which can be roughly translated: Always in Service by God’s Guidance
•	A scroll beneath the crest with Arabic script reading “Brunei Darussalam” or “Brunei, the Abode of Peace”

LOCATION:
Located on the northern shore of the Island of Borneo, between longitudes 114’04″ and 114’23″ East and latitudes 4’00″ and 5’05″ North. Brunei, although occupying less than 1% of Borneo’s land area, is the only sovereign country on the island, which it shares with the Indonesian provinces of West, East, South and Central Kalimantan and the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.

LAND AREA: 5,765 sq. km.

POPULATION: 372,360 (2005 est.)

DENSITY: 65 persons/sq. km.

CAPITAL CITY: Bandar Seri Begawan

POPULATION: 236,200 (district)

ETHNIC GROUPS: Malay: 67%; Chinese: 15%, indigenous tribes: 6%; other: 12%

LANGUAGE:
Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the official language, but English is widely spoken. Mandarin, Chinese dialects and native languages of Borneo are also spoken by segments of the population.

RELIGIONS:
Islam (official): 67%; Buddhism: 13%; Christianity: 10%; indigenous beliefs and other: 10%

NATIONAL PHILOSOPHY:
Since gaining independence from the British in 1984, Brunei has adopted the national philosophy of the Malay Islamic Monarchy (Melayu Islam Beraja), a system that encompasses strong Malay cultural influences, stressing the importance of Islam in daily life and governance, and respect for the monarchy as represented by His Majesty The Sultan. It is a philosophy of tolerance, which allows other cultures to follow individual traditions and to practice other religions.

CLIMATE:
Temperate equatorial climate year round, characterized by temperatures ranging between 23 to 32 degrees Celsius, and an average annual rainfall of 320 cm. There is no distinct rainy season, though the period from November to March tends to bring heavier rains.

BORDERS:
Bounded on all sides by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, except for a 161 km long stretch of coastline along the South China Sea to the north.

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
4 Districts: Brunei-Muara (housing the capital city), Tutong, Belait, and Temburong

HEAD OF STATE:
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. His Majesty is the 29th ruler of his line, which began with Sultan Muhammad in 1405.

SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT:
Independent sovereign constitutional Sultanate, with His Majesty The Sultan as the supreme executive authority. His Majesty is advised by an appointed Council of Cabinet Ministers, Religious Council, Privy Council, a Council of Succession and a Legislative Council.

ECONOMY:
With a total GDP of around US$6.5 billion and a per capita GDP of around US$18.3 thousand (2002), Brunei’s resource-rich (oil & natural gas) economy affords its population high living standards, resulting in positive social indicators such as high literacy rates, longer life expectancy, and low unemployment and crime rates. The government provides for all medical services and subsidizes rice and housing.

Government, construction, services, retail and some light manufacturing are the other major sectors in Brunei’s economy. The government is currently working towards economic diversification — in which tourism plays an important role — as well as encouraging foreign investment and developing education and human resources. These measures are designed to prepare the nation for the challenges of the future when the oil and gas reserves will have been depleted and new sources of income will be needed to maintain the current high standards of living enjoyed by Bruneians.

TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE:
With over 2,500 rooms spread among 30 establishments ranging from guesthouses to the super luxurious “7-star” Empire Hotel and Country Club, and with a dozen or so active inbound tour operators, Brunei has a well-established, yet underutilized tourism infrastructure attracting an increasing number of regional and international visitors.

TOURISM ARRIVALS:
Brunei recorded approximately 1 million foreign visitors in 2003, the vast majority arriving from Malaysia through land entry points. Based on estimates derived from hotel occupancy rates and on market intelligence gathered from inbound operators, Brunei Tourism estimates the number of bona fide leisure and business tourists to be around 100,000 in 2003, with a 3-day average length of stay. Most of these tourists originated from the short- and medium-haul markets, though a significant portion originated from long-haul markets, mainly UK and Germany. Brunei Tourism’s objective is to increase international tourist arrivals by a minimum average rate of 7% yearly, as well as to increase average length of stay and expenditure.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT LINKAGES:
Brunei enjoys a convenient location at the heart of Southeast Asia and is well-connected to destinations worldwide.

Air:
Royal Brunei Airlines, the nation’s flagship carrier, flies non-stop or direct to most major Asia-Pacific destinations and the Middle East, as well as to Europe via London and Frankfurt. Meanwhile, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Dragonair and Philippines Airlines serve Bandar Seri Begawan and offer one-stop connections to the rest of the world through their hubs in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Manila.

Sea:
Ferries link Brunei with the Malaysian island of Labuan off the coast of Sabah, and to the Malaysian towns of Limbang and Lawas in Sarawak.

Road:
An extensive overland road network also connects Brunei to Sarawak and Sabah, while the Indonesian province of Kalimantan can be reached by road, air or boat via Sarawak or Sabah.

HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY:
Brunei is free from malaria and other tropical diseases, is outside the typhoon belt, has no volcanoes, and is not prone to earthquakes or other major natural disasters. The country also enjoys government stability and economic prosperity, resulting in a very low crime rate.

• Tourists should observe the local dress code and dress modestly. Clothing comfortable for hot weather is acceptable, except when visiting places of worship or for social and business functions.
• Bruneians shake hands by lightly touching the hands and then bringing the hand to the chest. Some people do not to shake hands with members of the opposite sex.
• You should not point with your finger; instead, use the thumb of your right hand with the four fingers folded beneath it.
• When visiting a mosque, all visitors should remove their shoes. Women should cover their heads and not have their knees or arms exposed. You should not pass in front of a person in prayer or touch the Koran.
• Gifts (particularly food) should only be passed with the right hand, although it is acceptable to use the left hand to support the right wrist.
• It is polite to accept even just a little food and drink when offered. When refusing anything offered, it is polite to touch the plate lightly with the right hand.
• During the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, Muslims do not take food from sunrise to sundown. It would be inconsiderate to eat or drink in their presence during this period.
• In deference to the Muslim majority, alcohol is not sold in Brunei, but private consumption by non-Muslims is allowed. Non-Muslim tourists are allowed a generous duty-free allowance of 2 bottles of alcohol (wine, spirits, etc) and 12 cans of beer per entry, and may consume alcohol with sensible discretion in hotels and some restaurants.

Private offices are generally open from 8am to 5pm on weekdays and from 8am to 12pm on Saturdays.

Banks typically operate from 9am to 3pm on weekdays and 9am to 11am on Saturdays.

Most shopping centres are open daily from 10am to 9.30pm.

Visitors should note that during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month, most offices and businesses will operate on abbreviated daily schedules.

Any small effort to demonstrate your enthusiasm for learning Brunei’s culture will be most appreciated by the Bruneians, who have a deep respect for their centuries-rich Malay culture. While no Bruneian expects a visitor to have mastered the Malay language and most speak at least conversational English, a few useful words and phrases will help make your stay even more enjoyable.