Our Brunei meal consisted of Chicken Satay with peanut sauce, Cucumber salad and Mango with Sticky rice. The sticky rice was sweet, made with coconut water and sugar. It was all very good and the sticky rice and mango was great for breakfast the next day, topped with toasted walnuts.
Brunei is a wealthy country due to the extensive petroleum and natural gas fields. It is on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. The government is an absolute monarchy ruled by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, one of the wealthiest people in the world with a net worth of US $20 billion. He owns about 7,000 cars including Ferrari F40s, McLaren F1s, and Rolls-Royce, and a Bowing 747 that is a flying palace with gold plated bathrooms.
Brunei has the second-highest Human Development Index among the Southeast Asian nations. A country scores a high HDI when lifespan, education level, and gross national income per capita is higher. The Human Development Index is interesting -> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index. Unfortunately, humans rights are not part of this index. The Sultan implemented the Sharia law penal code in 2014 that includes death by stoning, the severing of limbs, and flogging for crimes in Brunei such as abortions, adultery, and same-sex sexual acts.
Kampong Ayer is a settlement in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. It consists of traditional houses, schools and mosques built on stilts above the Brunei River. It has an area of about 3.9 sq miles and a population of about 10,000. It has been nicknamed the ‘Venice of the East’.
I read “Some Girls – My Life in a Haram” by Jillian Lauren, recommended by The Travel Book. Jillian was a female guest to Prince Jefri Bolkiah, brother of the Sultan of Brunei, between 1992 and 1995. A different type of book than I would normally read – a little racy in parts – but interesting to learn about a such a lavish and controversial lifestyle.
Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque 
Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei 
Kampong Ayer 
Tasek Lama Recreational Park 
