Brunei Darussalam, tucked into a corner of Borneo, is one of Southeast Asia’s better-kept secrets, with a rich and fascinating culture.
I am visiting Brunei on a Norwegian Cruise Line excursion. I am sailing from Taiwan to Singapore on the Norwegian Jewel.
All along the Brunei River are brightly painted villages like shacks on thin stilts ready to topple into the water. The appearance is correct; the inside of the “shacks” is anything but.
More than 30,000 people live in thousands of structures built on stilts in the river. The villages have a fantastic assortment of homes, restaurants, mosques, shops, and hospitals, all connected by wooden boardwalks. Amazingly, people have lived in the water villages for more than 1,300 years, making it one of the most historic areas in Brunei.
We walk along a boardwalk over the water. We enjoy homemade desserts at a bright pink home before touring the house.
Thick carpets, expensive furnishings and decor, original paintings, and jewelry displays are inside. The family seems anxious to show off their mini-palace. Bright-eyed children act as tour guides, and their parents smile at the compliments we all pay as we walk from room to room.
Traveling is such a privilege and a window to other cultures.
Click here for information on sailing in Asia with Norwegian Cruise Line.
