Travel guide · Golden mosques, a village on the water and rainforest

Travelling to Brunei

Name: Ambuyat
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Brunei
Ingredients: 200 g sago (or tapioca) starch; 200 ml cold water; 800 ml boiling water; Sauce: 2 red chillies, 1 shallot, juice of 2 limes, 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste, salt and sugar; To serve: fried fish and stir-fried vegetables

The golden-domed mosques of Bandar Seri Begawan, Kampong Ayer, the largest water village in the world, and the pristine rainforest of Temburong. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 18 October 2026 · How we make our guides

Best time: from April to October
Where to eat: a night market or a nasi katok stall

Photo: sam garza from Los Angeles, USA · CC BY 2.0

Brunei in 30 seconds

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Brunei are from April to October.
To eat like a local: a night market or a nasi katok stall. Don’t leave without trying: Ambuyat, Nasi katok, Satay.

Brunei in November

You can go, with a few caveats: more rain. You can go all year round; February to April is usually the driest time.

November
More rain

With the north-east monsoon there’s more rain, especially in the afternoons.

What to do: You can go all year round; February to April is usually the driest time.

November is one of the months when people search most for travelling to Brunei: book early. More destinations for November

When to travel to Brunei

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Brunei are from April to October.

Jan with warnings
Feb with warnings
Mar with warnings
Apr no warnings
May no warnings
Jun no warnings
Jul no warnings
Aug no warnings
Sep no warnings
Oct no warnings
Nov with warnings
Dec with warnings

More destinations for those dates: where to travel in April · where to travel in May · where to travel in June · where to travel in July

from November to January
More rain

With the north-east monsoon there’s more rain, especially in the afternoons.

What to do: You can go all year round; February to April is usually the driest time.
February, March
Ramadan (approximate dates)

During the day many restaurants close or open less and museum and shop hours change. The evenings, with iftar, are very special.

What to do: Out of respect, don’t eat or drink in the street during the day; book dinner for after sunset.

What to see in Brunei

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

Bandar Seri Begawan

A small, quiet capital, with golden mosques and the sultan’s palace by the river.
- Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
- Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
- Istana Nurul Iman
- Royal Regalia Museum
Bandar Seri Begawan guide
Kampong Ayer

A village of houses on stilts in the river, with walkways, schools and mosques.
- Water taxi
- Cultural gallery
- Boardwalks
- Proboscis monkeys
Kampong Ayer guide
Temburong

Untouched primary rainforest, reached by a bridge over the sea and by boat up the river.
- Ulu Temburong National Park
- Canopy walkway
- River boat trip
- Temburong Bridge
Temburong guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

What to eat in Brunei

To eat like a local: a night market or a nasi katok stall, and order ambuyat or nasi katok. And don’t leave without trying:

Ambuyat
Sago starch twirled on chopsticks, the national dish.
Nasi katok
Rice with fried chicken and sambal.
Satay
Skewers with peanut sauce.
Kelupis
Sticky rice in a leaf.
Kuih
Coconut and rice sweets.
Teh tarik
“Pulled” milk tea.

The typical dish of Brunei, at home

Ambuyat

Brunei’s national dish: a sticky, translucent paste of sago starch twirled around a bamboo fork (candas) and dipped in sour, spicy sauces, with fish and vegetables.

Serves 4
30 min

Ingredients

200 g sago (or tapioca) starch
200 ml cold water
800 ml boiling water
Sauce: 2 red chillies, 1 shallot, juice of 2 limes, 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste, salt and sugar
To serve: fried fish and stir-fried vegetables

How to make it at home

For the sauce, blend the chillies with the shallot, lime, tamarind, salt and a little sugar.
In a large bowl, mix the starch with a little cold water until there are no lumps.
Pour in the boiling water all at once, stirring hard the whole time: it will turn into a translucent, sticky paste.
Twirl a little paste around a pair of chopsticks, dip it in the sauce and swallow it without chewing.

The trick: The water has to be properly boiling: otherwise the paste won’t thicken.

The typical food of each city, with a recipe

Nasi katok Bandar Seri Begawan

Curious facts about Brunei

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

The sultan’s palace, Istana Nurul Iman, is the largest royal residence in the world.
Kampong Ayer is the largest water village in the world.
No alcohol is sold anywhere in the country.
More than 70 % of the territory is rainforest.
The Temburong Bridge, over the sea, is about 30 kilometres long.
The palace opens to the public for a few days at the end of Ramadan.

Traditions of Brunei

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri
The end of Ramadan, with the palace open.
15 July The Sultan’s Birthday
Parades and fireworks.
23 February National Day
A national holiday.
Regattas
Boat races on the river.

What not to do in Brunei

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

Don’t drink alcohol in public.
Don’t show affection in public.
Don’t enter a mosque without covering up (they’ll lend you a robe).
Don’t point with your index finger: use your thumb.
Don’t eat or drink in public during Ramadan.
Don’t criticise the royal family.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Entering the country
Visas, electronic authorisations and health requirements for Brunei depend on your nationality. Check your government’s official travel advice and the embassy before you book.
UK: foreign travel advice (GOV.UK) US: travel advisories (travel.state.gov)

Frequently asked questions about Brunei

What people search for most before travelling to Brunei.

What’s the best time to travel to Brunei?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Brunei are from April to October.

What to see in Brunei in a week?

The essentials of Brunei: Bandar Seri Begawan, Kampong Ayer and Temburong. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Brunei?

Ambuyat, Nasi katok, Satay, Kelupis, Kuih, Teh tarik. To eat like a local: a night market or a nasi katok stall.

What is the typical dish of Brunei?

Ambuyat. Brunei’s national dish: a sticky, translucent paste of sago starch twirled around a bamboo fork (candas) and dipped in sour, spicy sauces, with fish and vegetables.

What should you not do in Brunei?

Don’t drink alcohol in public. Don’t show affection in public. Don’t enter a mosque without covering up (they’ll lend you a robe).

Is it worth travelling to Brunei in November?

You can go, with a few caveats: more rain. You can go all year round; February to April is usually the driest time.

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Guide reviewed 18 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, sam garza from Los Angeles, USA (CC BY 2.0). Bandar Seri Begawan, Pangalau (CC BY-SA 4.0). Kampong Ayer, the Tourism Development Department of Brunei (CC BY 4.0). Temburong, Pangalau (CC BY-SA 4.0).