Bandar Seri Begawan
Bandar Seri Begawan, formerly Brunei Town, capital
city of Brunei. The city is located in the northern
part of the country on the Brunei River, near its
mouth on Brunei Bay (an inlet of the South China
Sea). A large port, open to oceangoing vessels,
the city is an agricultural market as well as a
commercial center. Besides government offices,
the city is the seat of the University of Brunei
Darussalam (1985). A royal palace and one of the
largest mosques in Asia are notable structures
in the city. Population (1995 estimate) 50,000
.
Jerudong
Jerudong is the playground of the sultan, where he
indulges in his favourite pastime, polo. Jerudong Park
is a huge complex with a polo stadium, luxurious stables,
a golf course and trapshooting and croquet facilities.
Unfortunately, you'll only be allowed in if you've
been invited.
The hoi-polloi head to Jerudong for the Playground,
a massive amusement park with a huge range of rides.
Behind the park is Jerudong Beach, with stalls selling
fish and some great cliffs. Jerudong is just north
of the main highway between Bandar Seri Begawan and
Tutong - it's best visited by car.
Pulau Ranggu
In the middle of the river near the Istana Nurul
Iman, Pulau Ranggu is home to a large colony of proboscis
monkeys, with their hugely distended noses. There
are
also plenty of macaques here. If you take a water
taxi along the river around sunset, you may get a
glimpse
of the monkeys.
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