BEST TOP TEN's video: Brunei Tourism Best Places to Visit in Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan

Brunei has long been synonymous with opulence and oil money. And, in fact, there’s little that immediately counteracts that image in this nation of shimmering whitewashed mosques and golden-tipped minarets. In the west and all around the well-to-do capital at Bandar Seri Begawan, you’ll see nodding donkeys and the industrial workings of the sultanate’s petroleum industry. You’ll spot rich arabesque palaces and ambitious building projects erupting on every corner. But let’s not forget that this is Borneo either; and with Borneo comes real wildernesses. We’re talking dense rainforests and volcanic peaks. We’re talking rustic villages of longhouses and the occasional sighting of an uber-rare clouded leopard! Granted, you’ll have to head deep into the southern or eastern recesses of the nation for those, but there are always – tantalizingly – there. So, with everything from buzzing markets to monkey-trodden jungles, check out this list of the best places to visit in Brunei: 1. Bandar Seri Begawan Bandar Seri Begawan (or just BSB) is perhaps the most richly-adorned capital you’ve never heard of. Home to just 50,000 people, it’s a pint-sized lesson in how oil money can change the world. Having been transformed in the last century, from a seaside trading town to the gilded epicenter of drilling and home of the great Sultan of Brunei, the town hosts wondrous – if a tad gaudy – sights like the gold-tipped Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and the colossal Istana Nurul Iman, which holds the world record for the largest governmental building on the globe. 2. Ulu Temburong National Park The revered Green Jewel of Brunei, Ulu Temburong sits nestled deep in the recesses of the country’s eastern exclave. A veritable mecca for ecotourists and wildlife lovers, it’s been hailed across the globe as a fine example of state-sponsored conservation. In all, it covers a whopping 550 square kilometers of primeval rainforest, and hosts the exotic likes of rhinoceros hornbills and swinging gibbon colonies. Visitors who make their way here can enjoy safaris on specially constructed rope bridges in the canopies, which offer a unique perspective atop the old growth jungle. 3.Kuala Belait Rubbing shoulders with Malaysian Sarawak on the very western edge of Brunei, this oil-fed town of nodding donkeys offers an image of the Brunei of the modern age. Bustling and packed with business folk who’ve come from afar to seek out petroleum beneath the ground, it’s also home to the famous teapot roundabout. It’s also got its very own beachfront, which finds its zenith with the welcoming little park at Silver Jubilee. For food, shopping and souvenirs, also be sure to make a beeline for the Tudong Saji: a bazaar that erupts after dark with fish dishes and Asian crafts. 4.Muara Muara juts out into the South China Sea with its own needle-shaped finger of land, forming the western end of the populous Brunei and Muara District. Known primarily as one of the sultanate’s top beach towns, its home to a great stretch of golden sand and a clutch of picnic spots and playgrounds for those with kids in tow (look for the manicured lawns of the Muara Beach Recreational Park). Other pleasant walks can be had along the palm-dotted spit of Serasa Beach to the south, while views out across the ferry-dotted ocean are to die for. 5.Jerudong Jerudong is a flash place of neon signs and in-your-face attractions, located just on the edge of the ocean and directly west of central Bandar Seri Begawan. Although now largely contiguous with the capital, the suburb has its own distinct character; largely thanks to the brightly-lit casinos and flamboyant gaming halls that line up along the streets by the bucket load. The go-getter vibe is carried on by one mind-boggling roundabout shaped like a giant diamond ring, not to mention the countless theme parks and manmade beaches, where loop-de-loops meet babbling water fountains and country clubs.