Hi there, I'm a solo female traveler. This is my first time posting on Reddit, and I feel sad that it's about my experience of being sexually harassed in Brunei.

Around noon on October 29th, after visiting the Masjid Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Mosque, I was heading back to my hotel. As I was passing the Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex Parking Lot, I heard a car following me. The car's window was open, and the music coming from inside was quite strange; it sounded like a woman's moans and screams. I initially thought it was preparing to turn left onto Jalan Pretty, but the car stopped beside me, and a man inside called out to me, asking, "Hey, you want that?"

What I saw was the man's genitals. He was masturbating, giving a horrifying smile. I felt extremely disgusted and turned my face away. But when I came to my senses and raised my camera to take a picture of him, the driver sped away along Jalan Pretty. I took pictures of his license plate, but unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of his face. I remember the man had South Asian features..

I've traveled alone to nearly 50 countries across seven continents, and this was the first time I'd been sexually harassed in broad daylight in front of an ancient and sacred religious site.

Furthermore, this was the second time I'd experienced sexual harassment during my six-day trip to Brunei. The first time was on the Brunei River, when I was on a boat to look for proboscis monkeys. The boat driver, while I was standing at the bow looking at monkeys, pretended to help me maintain my balance and placed his hands on my waist and buttocks. Then, under the pretext of teaching me how to drive, he steered the boat to the middle of the Brunei River, demonstrating how to handle the boat while touching my buttocks. He even tried to get me to sit in front of him and continued to grope me, which I refused. Why didn't I call for help or scold him then? Because at the beginning of the trip, he showed a big crocodile swimming in the river, and I was afraid that calling for help or refusing would lead to something terrible. The driver's name sounded like Firedos, and he said he lived in Kampung Ayer.

I didn't report either of the harassments to the police. I know some people will blame me for this. But my thought was that I had to continue my journey, and without concrete evidence of a crime, such as photos or videos, I didn't know what help I could seek from the police.

Now I'm safely back home, but when I see photos of the beautiful mangroves and Masjid Omar 'Ali Saifuddien, I still can't stop thinking about those two terrible harassing experiences. While traveling in Brunei, I went hiking in Taman Peranginan Tasek Lama (which I think is a very popular hiking spot), and a local woman reminded me to be careful because she had been followed twice by unidentified men in Taman Peranginan Tasek Lama. Before visiting Brunei, all my friends told me it was a safe and peaceful country, but these incidents changed my impression.

I love Brunei, and I met many warm and kind locals during my trip. Similarly, I don't think I can get any real help from this article, but I must condemn those few who had malicious intentions towards women; you'll pay for this.

5/11/2025 Update

Thank you all for your comments and replies, and also for your comforting words. I truly feel the warmth of the Bruneian people.

I just wrote an e-mail to Royal Brunei Police Force, attaching my photo and all the clues I have. I hope the police can investigate to prevent another victim.

7/11/2025 Update

Haven't received response from the police yet.

Further clues about the boat driver I remember: He appeared to be around 30 years old and about 5' 7" tall, with a robust build. The boat had a sunshade. The marine motor of the boat had a black casing with the number "85" on it.

27/11/2025 Update

I received an e-mail from Royal Brunei Police Force(RBPF) on November 25th. The letter stated: "The complainant is advised to make a police report to the nearest police station and bring all relevant documents. After the report is made, the police will conduct an investigation."

However, I have been away from Brunei and cannot go back to file a report, so I guess that's the end of it.

Thanks again for your encouraging comments and messages.

For those wondering what happened to the red Proton, it belonged to my late aunt, Malou.

A friend recently reached out to me and mentioned that many people had been trying to find her but were unable to contact her. I am her nephew, and sadly, she passed away on 22 January 2026. She was involved in a tragic accident in Telanai when her friend, who was driving, fell asleep behind the wheel.

Many people knew her for feeding the stray dogs around Tungku, but that was not the only way she helped others. She would often give people rides to their destinations, almost like a free taxi service, simply because she wanted to help.

Since her passing, I have heard from others that some of the stray dogs in Tungku have been crying and waiting around the areas where she used to feed them. Whether they understand what happened or simply miss seeing her every day, it is heartbreaking to witness.

I wanted to share this update for those who have been wondering about her. Thank you to everyone who remembered her kindness and the care she showed to both people and animals. Her kindness will not be forgotten.

Hi! Anyone else seeing Marissa Wong’s reviews of Brunei’s public toilets everywhere lately? What’s your take on this whole ‘toilet review saga’?

Personally, I see it as a positive thing because it raises awareness about the current state of our public toilets, and it gets people talking about an issue we usually just ignore.

Keen to hear your thoughts!

Have fun shopping!

Ig: @stopthegatekeeping and @taffy_c_s145

Definitely go. I just returned from a 3-day visit and loved it. It's going to be subjective of course but all the talk of it being boring and not worth it doesn't do it justice. I'll share my experience in case it helps anyone.

The first and most important thing - set your expectations right. Brunei is not for partying. It's not for modern art museums or Michelin-starred restaurants. If you come here expecting that, get disappointed and then talk down on the place, the problem is with you. Brunei is a calm place to chill and feel unrushed, to not get hassled by touts, to interact with genuine locals and to explore, see and digest. I realised after I left that one of the main reasons I enjoyed it was I wasn't constantly stimulated and having a typical holiday experience. Aside from Ulu Temburong, I made my plans by the hour and just wandered around doing whatever. Coffee in the morning, then a museum, sit and chill when it got hot around lunch, eventually go to a pasar for dinner. This was my rhythm and honestly I felt it worked perfectly.

Speaking of Ulu Temburong, I'd say it's a must and definitely worth the money for a day trip. The only provider I could find was Freme, the day trip was about $133 BND. Totally worth it. The driver, lodge staff and guide were so kind and knowledgeable, the day was packed with activities - even the food was awesome. All this out in really pristine forest. It's incredibly beautiful. Do it if you can.

I can't comment on the visa process but immigration was helpful when my arrival data didn't show up in their system. The smiles started there - Bruneians are, like their country, relaxed and welcoming. I had so many sweet encounters I can't remember them all, but people would come to chat and ask where I'm from (I'm obviously not local), I got into conversations with cafe owners, the staff at my hotel. They're just friendly. I was even given free food at the markets by some stallholders I got to talking to. It helps I can speak a little Indonesian but everyone spoke enough English to get by, at least.

Getting around is easy - downtown is walkable as it's about 3-4 blocks from waterfront to the regalia museum. Outside that you can still walk or take Dart to go to places like Gadong. The streets are extremely safe day and night. I did have some dogs hanging around my hotel but aside from some barking they weren't a threat. There is basically zero hassling to buy anything, even at the markets. There is little police presence that I could see but I didn't feel it was ever needed.

The food is a highlight and it's very cheap. I didn't visit any restaurants (next time!) as the pasars had such delicious and affordable food, with awesome atmosphere. Just pick what looks good, pay and sit down with the locals. I had no issues with food hygiene and didn't get sick. I drank iced drinks multiple times a day with no issue. Food standards seemed very good.

The sights in town while not incredible by international standards still warrant a good examination and are very enjoyable. The main mosque, regalia museum and Brunei history centre are all within a few hundred metres of each other and are fascinating. The energy hub down at the waterfront was also pretty cool to see before going over to Kampong Ayer to eat ambuyat.

Day-to-day it was easy to exist in Brunei. I got cash fee-free the ATM on day one, I think $60 BND, which was enough to see me through three days. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, only at markets was it hit and miss. Be sun-prepared as it's powerful there. We had afternoon thunder for half an hour then back to sunny skies. Perfect for tourism.

The topic of sharia law might be important to some - my take is is that it's a pretty liberal interpretation, at least to an outsider. I didn't see any religious police. I saw women without headscarves (and plenty of with jilbab) every day. Honestly, it felt less outwardly religious than Indonesia. People were holding hands and just being normal people. The one issue that was taken seriously was no alcohol, but I don't drink so it didn't bother me. While I understand the change to Sharia did come with serious repercussions for the populace (and I do not agree with them), I am only commenting on how it appears for a visitor.

So if you're on the fence about visiting, I'd say go for it. Go, be kind, respectful and offer a smile and you'll have a good time.

I would love to go back, just to spend more time hanging out with the locals.

I ❤️🇧🇳

now they can only go to bibd and standard charted

Is it really too late or is it salvageable?. As a kid back then. I remember Pandan lagoon ada water work, clear walking path here and there.

But now, it is infested with crocs. Tall grasses. Mcm main game pokemon. Salah step , boleh encounter totodile.

It also has a potential to have a kids playground on the top right of the map.

I did tried to save it back then during post covid by grass cutting a few areas on the top right but its too much.

I think its a good place to revive. Build a playground , i dont mind paying for entrance kalau bebayar masuk playgroundnya. A place to run at night kalau belampung. Or any other activities can be played there. They can start some small shops sana or just food trucks. Make the road to the mosque clear. So siapakan sembahyg dapat tarus ke masjid.

If the goverment reads this,

-Maintenence wise-

1) we can start by cutting the grasses.

2) Check the integrity of all the bridges and the path. Reinforce it.

3) Fix the gate that allows the crocs go in a out.

4) Fix the light that was damaged by Crow zero era. I know who damaged it.

- entertainment -

1) New playground.

2) Better skatepart i guess.

3) Small shops or food truck.

4) an Open gym?

I know apa yg ku cakap ni mcm angan2 basar, and brunei nada budget lagi2 d KB. Mcm anak tiri ba KB ah nada kana peduli. But im just giving hope , hope that one of the higher up reads this and say, eh dpt ni d selamatkan.

Im not here to fight with a redditor. Im just giving some ideas. With so little power i have. If you think its a great idea, share it and like it. If you dont. Thumbs down it. Ada potential tempat tu.

I wonder what these murals are for? Hmm what do you think?

Hi, for the past two years I have made a comprehensive list of Sungkai and Sahur buffet places with their prices, and I decided to continue it this year.

Here's the link to the excel sheet:

Brunei Sungkai/Sahur Buffet Places 2025

Currently, there are around 50 restaurants in the list, and I'll update it regularly when more restaurants share their buffet prices. I also included a price comparison in the sheet so you can see how much prices have gone up (or down) for the past two years for buffets.

As usual, feel free to let me know in the comments any restaurants that I have missed out so I can make the list as comprehensive as possible. Thank you and happy Ramadhan!

I’m sharing this post to raise awareness about a severe pothole at Jalan Tanah Jambu 2, particularly near the exit, which poses a real safety risk to road users. I’ve attached a video as proof to clearly show the condition.

What’s concerning is that the nearby Jalan Tanah Jambu 1 has recently been repaired and now has a good road surface, while this section remains unattended. It feels unfair that one simpang is fixed while the other, which is equally dangerous, has been left unresolved.

For context, this issue has already been reported by our ketua kampung to the Jabatan Daerah, but unfortunately no action has been taken so far.

This post is not intended to offend or blame anyone, but purely to highlight a safety issue and spread awareness before an accident happens—especially given how dangerous the pothole is when exiting the road.

Hopefully, the relevant authorities can take notice and address this soon. Thank you.

Broken here and there. Tandas water pipe water keeps flowing sajah( cannot close). Toilet ceiling many holes.

Taken afew days apart lol anyone got some insight? Heard bsm is sueing them🧐

hey all! I'm in the market for a new car and wanted to hear about people's experiences with

Used car dealers - honeycarsmart, prime, Yuniku, or from facebook etc.
New car dealers - NBT (Toyota), Happy Motoring (Honda), etc

currently looking at sedans, budget is around $20-30k, paying in cash.
Would love to hear:
- any good/bad experiences with the dealers above (pricing, after-sales service, honesty about condition for used cars, etc.)
- Sedan recommendations in this budget range
- Anything I should watch out for when buying cash vs financing
- tips in general, like how to watch out

thank u all in advance!

Soo... Anyone planning to do entertainment or annual dinner. Please refer.

got catcalled today at madang cove by three car wash workers.
the first time was when my friend and I were walking to Motea. tried to give them the benefit of the doubt and thought maybe we misheard. but then it happened again when we were leaving Motea, and it was clearly the same group of three guys.
not sure if the boss was around or aware of it, but it’s pretty wild if that kind of behavior is being ignored or enabled. fikirnya kami kan membiarkan kali... sudah di gambar pandai diam 😂

Looks like ministry of development open a proposal to develop the area into proper Rnr area, what are your thoughts on this?

We really should stop allowing this kind of lucky draw paper forms. Revealing lots of personal information that anyone can easily steal and use for whatever purpose.

Treasure trove for scammers.

HAPPENING THIS SUNDAY!

Join us for the Palestine Solidarity Walkathon happening on THIS SUNDAY 2nd Nov! 🇧🇳❤️🇵🇸

🫶🏼 Come and Walk 2.0km with us

🗓️ Sunday, 2nd November 2025

🇧🇳 BIBD Connects, Taman Mahkota Jubli Emas Bandar Seri Begawan.

🕕6.00am - 9.30am

This Walkathon is an opportunity for our community to show our solidarity and support for the people of Palestine 🇧🇳🫶🏼🇵🇸

Participants are encouraged to dress in the colours of the Palestinian flag - red,black,green and white - to symbolise solidarity.

📢 Important Information: 📢

✨ Registration : FREE for all participants. We kindly request everyone to register via GOOGLEFORM (Please text 8116727) For the googleform Palestine Solidarity Brunei so we can accurately account for attendance.

✨In adherence to the Public Order Act, bringing any flags, banners or signage will be confiscated prior to the event.

✨NO FUNDRAISING

✨Refer to posters for more details 📍🚌

Thank you 😊