Right so you've heard the term "Venice of Asia" a load of times, in fact you might even have read about it twice on my blog as I visited Tai O (Hong Kong's answer to Venice) and Pingjianglu in Suzhou, China. But there are so many places dubbed the Venice of Asia it gets a bit ridiculous, today I'm talking about Kampong Ayer. Where? Exactly! I hadn't heard of it either but while staying in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital city, I had to make the short boat trip across to Brunei's answer to Venice - known as Kampong Ayer and WELL worth the trip.
How to get to Kampong Ayer, Bandar Seri Begawan
In the capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan there is a place called the waterfront so go there and hang around at the water and you will see guys on boats. They will probably shout up at you if you want a boat - which you do so head on down and jump in, explaining that you are going across to Kampong Ayer.
What price does it cost 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?
For a start it's totally free and basically you just walk around admiring the place. Here are a few things to see and do when you're over there. It's not touristy at all and there is no "set path" - just walk wherever you want.
1. Houses - All the houses in Kampong Ayer are built on stilts on the water, so they are worth admiring, checking out, getting up close to and popping inside. Great for photographers, loads of colour, loads of angles and not many people about to disturb you. I went inside one of the houses - some are open - but people live here so respect that too.
2. Muslim Mosques - Brunei Darussalam is a strict Muslim State and Mosques are all over the place, you can view two great Mosques at Kampong Ayer, Mosques on water!
3. Get to know the locals - the people of Kampong Ayer are approachable and friendly. They will stop and have a chat and join you for photos.
4. Sweet Shop - There is a magnificent old style sweet shop on Kampong Ayer. This is a great chance to pretend you are young again and buy some tooth destroying candy and sweets!
I grew up in Bangor in the 1980s and when I was a kid, every week my Mum and Dad would take me to the local newsagents for a "10p mix" - basically loads of sweets in a bag. Bad for your teeth I know but I used to love it. That childhood trait has continued into adulthood, and aged 33 I took great joy in paying less than a pound for a load of sweets here!
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.
How to get to Kampong Ayer, Bandar Seri Begawan
In the capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan there is a place called the waterfront so go there and hang around at the water and you will see guys on boats. They will probably shout up at you if you want a boat - which you do so head on down and jump in, explaining that you are going across to Kampong Ayer.
What price does it cost 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?
For a start it's totally free and basically you just walk around admiring the place. Here are a few things to see and do when you're over there. It's not touristy at all and there is no "set path" - just walk wherever you want.
1. Houses - All the houses in Kampong Ayer are built on stilts on the water, so they are worth admiring, checking out, getting up close to and popping inside. Great for photographers, loads of colour, loads of angles and not many people about to disturb you. I went inside one of the houses - some are open - but people live here so respect that too.
2. Muslim Mosques - Brunei Darussalam is a strict Muslim State and Mosques are all over the place, you can view two great Mosques at Kampong Ayer, Mosques on water!
3. Get to know the locals - the people of Kampong Ayer are approachable and friendly. They will stop and have a chat and join you for photos.
4. Sweet Shop - There is a magnificent old style sweet shop on Kampong Ayer. This is a great chance to pretend you are young again and buy some tooth destroying candy and sweets!
I grew up in Bangor in the 1980s and when I was a kid, every week my Mum and Dad would take me to the local newsagents for a "10p mix" - basically loads of sweets in a bag. Bad for your teeth I know but I used to love it. That childhood trait has continued into adulthood, and aged 33 I took great joy in paying less than a pound for a load of sweets here!
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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