BBYB Lifestyle 2026

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ABOUT BRUNEI
Brunei is located in Southeast Asia
on the northern side of Borneo Island.
With a modest size of 5,765 square
kilometres, Brunei shares borders with
theMalaysian state of Sarawak. Brunei
is made up of four districts: Brunei-
Muara, Tutong, Belait and Temburong.
WEATHER
As an equatorial country, Brunei has
high rainfall and warm temperatures
all year round. Expect heavier rain from
October to January and May to July.
TIME
GMT +8 (same as Singapore, Malaysia
and Hong Kong).
CURRENCY
The Brunei Dollar (BND) is on par with
the Singapore Dollar (SGD). Both are
accepted in Brunei.
PEOPLE
Most of the population isMalay, divided
into seven ethnic groups: Melayu
Brunei, Kedayan, Dusun, Tutong, Belait,
Murut and Bisaya. The rest is made
up of Chinese, Indians and various
communitieswithdiverse backgrounds.
RELIGION
Islam is the main religion of Brunei.
During Ramadhan, it is prohibited to
eat or drink in public during fasting
hours. Dine-in is also prohibited but
take-outs are available.
FRIDAY PRAYERS
All businesses including banks, shops,
restaurants and offices are closed
every Friday from 12PM to 2PM for
Friday prayers.
TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL
Smoking or vaping is prohibited in
public areas. Non-Muslimsmay bring in
a limited amount of alcohol for personal
consumption. Travellers are advised
to prepare the liquor declaration form
via app before arriving in
Brunei.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The bus system is made up of six
lines, each with a distinctive colour of
the bus. The Eastern Line (royal blue)
and the Northern Line (green) buses
pass through the Brunei International
Airport. Bus fares start at BND1
per ride, from 6am-8pm. Download
TransportBN app for more info on bus
routes and time.
Taxis in Brunei are metered, with a
base price of BND3.50 for the first
minute or kilometre, and an additional
BND0.20 for every 250mor 15 seconds
(whichever comes first). Extra charges
may apply depending on the trip.
Water taxis (speedboats) average
between BND2–BND5 per trip. They’re
available at various ports and jetties
along the banks of the Brunei River.
TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE
Brunei has two tourist information
centres. One at the Brunei International
Airport and the other at Kampong Ayer.
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Ambulance: 991
Police: 993
Fire Brigade: 995
Search and Rescue: 998
Good morning Selamat pagi
Good afternoon Selamat
petang
Good evening/
Good night
Selamat
malam
See you again Jumpa lagi
How are you? Apa khabar?
I’m good Khabar baik
Thank you Terima kasih
You’re welcome Sama-sama
I am sorry Maafkan saya
Yes Ya
No Tidak
Where is...? Di mana...?
How much is
this?
Berapa harga
ini?
Where is a
good place to
eat?
Di manakah
tempat baik
untuk makan?
What time does
the … leave?
• Bus
• Flight
• Boat/Ship
Pukul berapa
… bertolak?
• Bas
• Penerbangan
• Perahu/Kapal
I want to go
to…
Saya mahu
pergi ke…
LANGUAGE
While Malay is the official
language, English is widely
spoken in Brunei. Bruneians
tend to speak in a mix of
Malay and English. For first-
time visitors, we recommend
learning some basic Malay to
make the most of your travelling
experience.
BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
Make sure you submit the E-Arrival Card
via . Download the Bruhealth
app and complete the Health Declaration
Form.
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