How to Find Cheap Hotels in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

Located in the Middle East location of Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan-also known as BSB for short-is the country's capital and only city of any size, with about 60,000 people. Known for its wealth and extravagance, Bandar Seri Begawan lives and breathes money so be prepared to spend, spend, spend.

Instructions

Explore Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

1. Make a trip to Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, one of the most modern and imposing mosques in the Middle East. It even has an elevator--a rare site for a religious building.

2. Get up early and take a trip to Ulu Temburong National Park for a dawn birdwatching experience.

3. Pack comfortable clothes for an adventuresome journey along the Headhunters' Trail from Limbang to Mulu.

Select Your Accommodations

1. Visit a travel review Web site such as TripAdvisor in order to make sure your budget accommodations match your expectations. A three-star accommodation in Bandar Seri Begawan is not often a three-star by western standards. You can book accommodations by contacting Brunei Tourism at 011 ([phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources, below).

2. Budget to spend $30-60 per night on the cheapest lower-star accommodations in Bandar Seri Begawan.

3. Try the national park hostel or longhouse located in Mulu for cheap accommodations, which can be arranged through the national park headquarters.

4. Stay in a hotel that can offer you a pre-paid tour of Jerudong Playground, the Middle East's version of Disneyland.

5. Book airfare and hotel accommodations together as part of a package vacation online, for the cheapest bundled rates.

Organize Your Transportation

1. Book a ticket to fly from Bandar Seri Begawan to your next destination while you are there. It can be up to 40% cheaper to fly to places like Malaysia or Singapore than if you had bought it in the United States.

2. Take an express boat from Bandar Seri Begawan to the duty-free island of Labuan to shop 'til you drop, and then connect with a boat to Kota Kinabalu.

3. Board a river taxi for the water village of Kampung Ayer. These can be found at the canal market or Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah mall.

Tips & Warnings

• Visit the informative tourist information center at the post office in Brunei.

• Bring sunglasses to shade your eyes from the harsh sun and gold buildings.

• Pick up Brunei dollars at the airport or use credit cards, as they are widely accepted.

• Book a shorter visit to Bandar Seri Begawan to lower your overall lodging prices, since travelers can see the country's sights in just a few days.

• All phone numbers include the international prefix "011." When calling internationally but not from the United States or Canada, substitute that "011" with "00." All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.

• Ask for zone prices rather than meter prices because this is a cheaper rate for taxi service.

• U.S. citizens can stay up to 90 days without a visa, but it is recommended that you check with the embassy before visiting Bandar Seri Begawan.

• If you leave Bandar Seri Begawan to go on a day trip to Labuan or Miri, then you must get a valid re-entry visa.

• Breathing is difficult due to plantation and forest fires from Sumatra and Kalimantan. Be careful and try to avoid too much outdoors.

• Small departure charges of $3-$7 apply as you leave Bandar Seri Begawan for other countries.

• The price of a taxi is expensive. Try to use the bus system instead. For example, a taxi from the airport into Bandar Seri Begawan costs $25.