I’m Colin and I was raised in Brunei Darussalam as a half breed; a mix of Chinese and the indigenous ethnic tribe of Lun Bawang.
I’m Colin and I was raised in Brunei Darussalam as a half breed; a mix of Chinese and the indigenous ethnic tribe of Lun Bawang. One dear friend still makes fun of me and refers to me as a head hunter because of the tribe I was born into – just to be clear, there is no such initiation to manhood in this 21st century.
Turn on your car engine, because I’m taking you on a tour. But on a serious note, you do need a car to go around Brunei, especially to the places I’m going tell you about in this article, and if you’re planning to go from one end of the country to the other. Here we go.
Brunei is home to a majority of Malay followed by Chinese, indigenous and other ethnicities. We are a small population of about 428,000 people compared to Singapore’s 5.39 million. However, we are larger in geographic terms and we preserve about 70% of Brunei’s rainforests. Islam is the main religion and yes, this is the country that has made headline news for implementing Shariah laws but things are normal here, really.
I always have people dishing me odd comments about Brunei, like when one turns on the tap, oil flows out and that is why everyone is so rich here. This is no doubt a myth, my dear friends. Although our economy runs heavily on oil and gas, the majority of our population live on median income.
The government looks after the less fortunate population by providing affordable government housing schemes, and Brunei is a quiet place if you’re looking for peace but want to still be in contact with modern civilisation.
Bu hikaye ASIAN Geographic dergisinin AG 119 2016 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye ASIAN Geographic dergisinin AG 119 2016 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Revealed Doctor Yellow
Japan Railways' special lemony Shinkansen is a rare sight to behold
The Mighty Yellow
Over 5,000 kilometres long and flowing through nine provinces and autonomous regions, the Yellow River is China's second largest, after the Yangtze, while its basin is deemed the cradle of Chinese civilisation
Wildlife Big Yellow Beauty
The popular "amelanistic" form of the Burmese python is considered among the most beautiful snakes - if that's your sort of thing
All That Glitters Is Gold
From Turkey to China, the yellow metal plays a central role in cultural practices and is coveted as a symbol of affluence and status
Chengdu Hotel Spotlight TRIKA TSANG INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
For an authentic taste of Tibet in the heart of Chengdu, the most luxurious option is the majestic Trika Tsang International Hotel.
Conservation Yellow in Peril
While the demand for use in traditional Chinese medicine is putting seahorses under pressure, it is damaging non-selective fishing that is driving depletion
History Spiritual Rebirth
During the Spanish Golden Age, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan achieved the first European navigation to Asia via the Pacific, arriving in the Philippines in 1521 and claiming the islands for Spain. But by converting the first Filipinos to Catholicism, Magellan also instigated the Christianisation of the entire archipelago, a spiritual rebirth celebrated through the two most important festivals in the Philippines - Fiesta Señor and Sinulog.
Green Dreams
With its tea plantations and rice paddies, dense jungles and expansive forests, the region is well known as a green paradise. But many of the most impressive Asian landscapes have names you may never have heard of. Journey with us as we reveal just some of the incredible locations that make the rest of the world green with envy!
Life On The Edge
In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, in the remote northern Russian Far East, indigenous ethnic groups like the Chukchi and the Yupik live in the most extreme conditions, hunting seals in their traditional kayaks as they have for millennia
The Karakoram Anomaly Decoded
For decades, scientists have believed that glaciers in the Karakoram Range are defying the trend of those across the globe-resisting glacial melt due to human-induced global warming. But as we trek up the Karakoram's second-longest glacier in July, as the United Nations announces the world's hottest ever month on record, does the melting ice beneath our feet suggest the so-called Karakoram Anomaly is slowing? Or is there a ray of hope it will continue to delay the inevitable?