Brunei, officially the
Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace is a country located on the north coast of
the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast,
it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is separated
into two parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang. Brunei is the only sovereign
state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between
Malaysia and Indonesia. As of 2020, its population was 460,345, of whom about
100,000 live in the capital and largest city, Bandar Seri Begawan. The
government is an absolute monarchy ruled by its Sultan, entitled the Yang
di-Pertuan, and implements a combination of English common law and sharia law,
as well as general Islamic practices.
Kampong Ayer is a
prominent traditional settlement in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei.
It comprises neighbourhoods of traditional houses, schools and mosques built on
stilts above the Brunei River near the capital's city centre. It has an area of
about 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi); the total population was 10,250 in
2016.It has been historically nicknamed 'Venice of the East'. Kampong Ayer has
been historically the principal settlement of Brunei; it was the de facto
capital, in particular social and economic centre, of the Bruneian Empire for a
few centuries, but also extending into the early period during British
imperialism in Brunei.
Luckily, Kampong Ayer is just an affordable
water taxi away from the Bandar Seri Begawan city center. The primary water
taxi jetty is on the river bank just in front of the Yayasan Sultan Haji
Hassanal Bolkiah shopping mall. Crossing from here to Kampong Ayer costs only 1
Brunei Dollar one way. The trip is short - you can distinctly see
Kampong Ayer from the city center. There is no need to ask a boatman to wait on
you for the return trip, as many boats are available.
If you want to go from one point of Kampong Ayer
to another point further down, just go to the nearest jetty and wait for a boat
to arrive. There are many jetties around Kampong Ayer’s perimeter, so there
will always been one close by. Just keep walking on the boardwalk until you see
the next turn. Jetties are labeled and numbered. You can also hire the driver
to take you through the village - twisting and turning between stilts and under
bridges
Houses in Kampong Ayer are built on stilts above the water. They are traditionally made of wood and adopt the style of traditional Malay houses. The houses may be up to two-storey high. Majority are built privately, thus may have individual style, whereas some which have been built under the public housing initiatives (notably those in Kampong Bolkiah and the houses under the pilot rejuvenation project in Kampong Lurong Sikuna) have a more uniform style akin to housing estates on land.
Kampong Ayer has an
extensive network of walkways on stilts and pedestrian bridges connecting the
houses and other buildings. They are built of wood, concrete or with metal stilts.
For neighbourhoods without connecting walkways due to being separated by wide
waterways, mobility is done by motorboats. The boats are usually made of wood
and in traditional local style, but installed with engines. They are commonly
known as perahu tambang (translated as 'water taxis') as trips are charged with
fares similar to car taxis. The boats may also transport passengers between the
land and the neighbourhoods not on the riverbanks.Common utilities may include
electricity, pipe water, telephone lines, internet access and television
services. As of 2017, fixed wireless has been made available with the speed of
up to 100Mbps. It has been implemented to eliminate the difficulty of
house-to-house installation and overcome frequent internet cable theft.
Other public facilities
include mosques, police stations and fire departments. Fire cases are common in
Kampong Ayer, in which the reported main causes include faulty wiring and
susceptibility of the buildings to fire due to many being built of wood.
As a major historical and
cultural heritage of Brunei, there has been increasing concern on the survival
of Kampong Ayer in modern times. This is factored by the emigration and
relocation of the inhabitants to land. Over the last few decades, the overall
population has been shrinking, estimated to have decreased from about 28,000 in
1981 to 13,000 in 2011. The diminishing population, added with the busy modern
lifestyle, are threatening the survival of the customs and traditions practiced
in Kampong Ayer. It also weakens the sense of community among the residents.
Here are some tips for
Asian Destinations Readers when you come to Kampong Ayer
· Kampong
Ayer has its own museum, called the Kampong Ayer Cultural & Tourism
Gallery. The museum provides context on the village’s history and traditional
customs. Expect to spend 20-30 minutes here.
· Take
a Brunei River Mangrove Tour to explore the mangrove forest and see proboscis
monkeys, crocodiles and Istana Nurul Iman, the world’s largest residential
palace! You can either take this tour as an add-on to your visit to Kampong
Ayer or as a separate trip. To read about the Brunei River Mangrove Tour, click
here.
· Apart
from the museum, the water village does not particularly cater to tourists. Eat
before leaving the city or bring some food with you. Remember to dress
conservatively, as you are entering a functioning village where people live.
· Feel
free to request your driver (for a few extra BND) to drive you through the
village’s stilts and under its bridges. You’ll get some unique angles that
you’d otherwise miss if you only stayed on the boardwalk.
· Watch
your step on the boardwalk. While generally safe, there are a few broken
planks.
· For
the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend a night or two in the world’s
largest water village, check out Airbnb.com.
Sources :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brunei
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampong_Ayer
https://trvlguides.com/articles/kampong-ayer#howtogettokampongayer
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