Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
Located in Bandar Seri Begawan, this is the most iconic landmark of Brunei. Surrounded by a lagoon, this mosque is situated close to the Brunei River and the water village of Kampong Ayer. Non-muslim tourists are allowed to visit inside the mosque on Saturdays to Wednesdays from 8.30 am to 12 noon, 1.30 to 3 pm and 4.30 to 5.30 pm and on Fridays from 4.30 to 5.30 pm only. Thursdays are closed for non-muslim visitors.
Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
This is a more recent built mosque and is named after the current ruler of Brunei. It is the largest mosque in the country and was built in 1992 to celebrate the 25th year of the reign of the current Sultan. The mosque is so huge that it’s gilded dome and four minarets never seem to go out of vision while you are in the city. There are 29 golden domes in this mosque in honour of the 29th ruler of the country.
Kampong Ayer
The experience one has in this historical floating village of Brunei is something that cannot be had anywhere else in this world. In this world’s largest stilted settlement, there are 34 villages connected by a network of wooden walkways. There are a total of 20,000 people living in these villages of Kampong Ayer and each has its own school, mosque and shops. The largest building in each village is the school. There are speedboats plying between villages to ferry people and tourists from one village to another. Tourists can spend a few hours strolling through the floating villages. However, not all homes are welcoming, hence the best idea is to book a tour with a local travel agent who would take you to those houses that welcome tourists with their signature hospitality and traditional food.
This story is from the May 2020 edition of Touriosity Travelmag.
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This story is from the May 2020 edition of Touriosity Travelmag.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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10 Must Visit Food Streets Of India
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If you are looking for a fun-filled vacation, this is not an article to please you. This is for those who like to experiment with new and unique experiences. Spending time behind bars in a dark prison cell, wearing a jail uniform made of khaki and having the basic jail food there, may be a nightmare for most, but adventure enthusiasts are increasingly being drawn to prison tourism of this kind globally. India too has caught up to the race and today there are a few prisons in India which are tourist attractions for various reasons. While some are famous historically, others have interesting museums and yet others provide pay and stay facilities. One does not really need to commit a crime to experience these prisons nor a bail for release.
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