Kampung Ayer lies on the Brunei River; it is the largest water village in the world with over 30,000 residents. Having been in existence for over 1,000 years Kampong Ayer is a national heritage site. Schools, fire stations, petrol stations, mosques - it is all here.  There are tours, but you can found it to be cheaper to negotiate directly with the water taxi drivers. A good fair price should be around $20 (Brunei) for an hour.

The water taxi drivers are well aware of what the visitors intend to do; they slow down the boat to let you take pictures, giving information on points of interest and ropping you at the Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery should be include on your boat package.

This is a fascinating look at the life of the villagers. You see them at work and coming and going. The taxi service is a necessary part of their everyday lives.

Sitting on a bluff overlooking Sungai Brunei, the Brunei Museum is 4.5km east of central Bandar Seri Begawan. The main building contains the excellent Islamic Art Gallery, which has some wonderful illuminated (decorated) copies of the Quran, as well as an incredible model of the Dome of the Rock, executed in mother of pearl and abalone shell.

The best way to measure the grandeur of a structure is by counting the bathrooms. The sultan’s Istana Nurul Iman has 257, making it the largest residential palace in the world. With a price tag of over US$350 million, this 1788-room behemoth is, if you can believe it, more than four times the size of the Palace of Versailles and three times larger than Buckingham Palace. The palace is open to the public during Hari raya, an annual celebration of Mulims.

Named after the 28th sultan of Brunei (the late father of the current sultan), the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque was built in 1958 at a cost of about US$5 million, and stands next to Sungai Kedayan in its own artificial lagoon. Listen for the call to prayer that echoes throughout the city centre, starting before dawn or at dusk.

The largest mosque in the country, Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, was built in 1992 to celebrate the 25th year of the current sultan’s reign. While some prefer the facade of the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, the interior here is best described as jaw-dropping. The sheer volume is in itself amazing, not to mention the myriad woven rugs scattered across the men’s prayer hall. At the grand opening, the sultan gave every attendee a gold-embroidered prayer rug.

Built to help develop local craftwork, the Arts & Handicrafts Centre sits on the waterfront towards the Brunei Museum like an aged Floridian timeshare. It’s visible from town and within easy walking distance.

A celebration of the sultan and all the trappings of Bruneian royalty, the Royal Regalia Museum belong at the top of any Brunei itinerary. The 1st floor is dominated by a recreation of the sultan’s coronation day parade, including a huge gilded royal cart, on which the newly crowned sultan was pulled through the streets of the capital city.