Venice is in Italy, but around the world other towns have earned themselves the title "Venice of Asia" including Suzhou in China and Tai O in Hong Kong
. Enter the kingdom of Brunei and their very own Venice of Asia, known as Kampong Ayer - this village on stilts is fantastic.
How to get to Kampong Ayer, Bandar Seri Begawan
Head to the waterfront of Bandar Seri Begawan at any time during the day and guys on boats will shout up at you asking if you want a boat. Tell them you're heading across the water, directly to Kampong Ayer. They all speak English and rely on tourists so you'll have no problems. Failing all else just point to where you want to go.
How much should you pay to get to Kampong Ayer?
To get to Kampong Ayer you pay $1 Brunei Dollar for a single journey - so that's a total of $2 Brunei Dollars return. But you pay it each time. You just pay the guy on the boat in cash each time - there is no need to book anything or get tickets. It's a very easy process.
What is there to do at Kampong Ayer?
The best thing about visiting Kampong Ayer is it's totally free! You arrive there and then have the place to yourself to walk around and enjoy it. It's a great place!
1. The Houses - The Houses on Kampong Ayer are fantastic. They are all built on water and are a work of art in themselves. You can walk all around admiring them and taking photos. They are a range of colours and sizes and if you're lucky you might be able to get into a house by asking a local.
2. The Mosques - Being a staunch Muslim State, Mosques are what you will see a lot. Kampong Ayer has at least two Mosques, both floating on water making them an excellent attraction.
3. Meet the Locals - People in Brunei are mostly friendly, welcoming and approachable. We met the locals and these lively folk even posed with my travelling Northern Ireland flag. A great place to get off the beaten track on your travels.
4. Buy Sweets - This might seem like an odd one, but there aren't many shops in Kampong Ayer, one which stood out was a traditional Sweet Shop!!
They sell the sort of sweets I had as a child growing up in Bangor in Northern Ireland! The beauty of it is that it's also really cheap!
Another reason I did this was because entrance to Kampong Ayer is free and it felt good to spend some money there and help the locals - they're not rich at all - don't let the fact Brunei is rich in oil fool you. These people work hard to earn their crust.
5. Walking - The best thing is just to walk round and explore it on your own - there is no set route and you can find all sorts of paths past houses and mosques. It's a feast for the eyes and a great place to see.
All in all, Kampong Ayer is a great place and really worth a visit. As you can tell there is a lot to see and do there for such a small village on water and it merits the "Venice of the East" tag that it has been given. There is a lot more to see in Bandar Seri Begawan as well, so once you are finished with Kampong Ayer head back across on the boat to see the capital city and the other parts of Brunei.
. Enter the kingdom of Brunei and their very own Venice of Asia, known as Kampong Ayer - this village on stilts is fantastic.
How to get to Kampong Ayer, Bandar Seri Begawan
Head to the waterfront of Bandar Seri Begawan at any time during the day and guys on boats will shout up at you asking if you want a boat. Tell them you're heading across the water, directly to Kampong Ayer. They all speak English and rely on tourists so you'll have no problems. Failing all else just point to where you want to go.
How much should you pay to get to Kampong Ayer?
To get to Kampong Ayer you pay $1 Brunei Dollar for a single journey - so that's a total of $2 Brunei Dollars return. But you pay it each time. You just pay the guy on the boat in cash each time - there is no need to book anything or get tickets. It's a very easy process.
What is there to do at Kampong Ayer?
The best thing about visiting Kampong Ayer is it's totally free! You arrive there and then have the place to yourself to walk around and enjoy it. It's a great place!
1. The Houses - The Houses on Kampong Ayer are fantastic. They are all built on water and are a work of art in themselves. You can walk all around admiring them and taking photos. They are a range of colours and sizes and if you're lucky you might be able to get into a house by asking a local.
2. The Mosques - Being a staunch Muslim State, Mosques are what you will see a lot. Kampong Ayer has at least two Mosques, both floating on water making them an excellent attraction.
3. Meet the Locals - People in Brunei are mostly friendly, welcoming and approachable. We met the locals and these lively folk even posed with my travelling Northern Ireland flag. A great place to get off the beaten track on your travels.
4. Buy Sweets - This might seem like an odd one, but there aren't many shops in Kampong Ayer, one which stood out was a traditional Sweet Shop!!
They sell the sort of sweets I had as a child growing up in Bangor in Northern Ireland! The beauty of it is that it's also really cheap!
Another reason I did this was because entrance to Kampong Ayer is free and it felt good to spend some money there and help the locals - they're not rich at all - don't let the fact Brunei is rich in oil fool you. These people work hard to earn their crust.
5. Walking - The best thing is just to walk round and explore it on your own - there is no set route and you can find all sorts of paths past houses and mosques. It's a feast for the eyes and a great place to see.
All in all, Kampong Ayer is a great place and really worth a visit. As you can tell there is a lot to see and do there for such a small village on water and it merits the "Venice of the East" tag that it has been given. There is a lot more to see in Bandar Seri Begawan as well, so once you are finished with Kampong Ayer head back across on the boat to see the capital city and the other parts of Brunei.
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