Brunei

Bandar, the only town of any size, seems too big for its 60,000 inhabitants. It's a neat, clean, modern city with wide roads and overstated public buildings. Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is one of the most impressive modern mosques in the East. Originally built in 1958, the giant golden-domed mosque stands close to the Brunei River in its own artificial lagoon. The interior is just as luxurious, with Italian marble walls, luxurious carpeting and an elevator.

Kampung Ayer is a centuries-old collection of 28 water villages built on stilts in the Brunei River. Around 30,000 people live in this area, which is a strange mix of modern and ancient, and a visit here will be a real highlight of your trip to Brunei.

Bandar Seri Begawan has a couple of excellent museums: the traditionally-oriented Brunei Museum and the lavish Malay Technology Museum, which includes exhibits on water village architecture and technologies used by the people who live in them. Istana Nurul Iman, the Sultan's magnificent palace, is open to the public only at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Despite the friendliness of the populace, Bandar's nightlife is non-existent and the streets are deserted at 9pm.

Pulau Ranggu

In the middle of the river near the Istana Nurul Iman, Pulau Ranggu is home to a large colony of proboscis monkeys, with their hugely distended noses. There's also plenty of macaques here. If you take a water taxi along the river around sunset, you may get a glimpse of the monkeys.

Jerudong

Jerudong is the playground of the sultan, where he indulges in his favourite pastime, polo. Jerudong Park is a huge complex with a polo stadium, luxurious stables, a golf course and trapshooting and croquet facilities. Unfortunately, you'll only be allowed in if you've been invited.

The hoi-polloi head to Jerudong for the Playground, a massive new amusement park with a huge range of rides. Behind the park is Jerudong Beach, with stalls selling fish and some great cliffs. Jerudong is just north of the main highway between BSB and Tutong - it's best visited by car.

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