Special Sights in Bandar Seri Begawan
Posted July 3, 2026 by Jan
Brunei Darussalam
Bandar Seri Begawan
18 June, 2026
Salam Alaicum,
The Special Sights I visited in Brunei:
Located in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan, the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque is the largest and most opulent mosque in Brunei. It features 29 magnificent golden domes that represent the current Sultan of Brunei, the 29th ruler.
Completed in 1994, the mosque was built to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Sultan's reign. The building features grand staircases and intricate marble fountains.
A massive, magnificent gold chandelier hangs directly from the center of the dome, serving as a primary focal point that illuminates the wide prayer space. The mosque is capable of accommodating up to 5,000 worshippers.
The site is popular with visitors who can enjoy free entry, but are required to dress modestly,. Robes available for use.
The Ash-Shaliheen Mosque is also located in Bandar Seri Begawan. This mosque is the opposiete of opulent. I much prefer its simple lines and humble color. I am remined of the architecture I had seen in North Africa and Central Asia. It features unique Moroccan-inspired architecture,characterized by sand-colored walls and distinct blue-green domes.
The mosque is situated near the Prime Minister's Office and is a popular place of worship for locals and visitors alike.
At midday today, a Friday in BSB, I take a long walk from my hotel to destinations unknown!
Eventually the sidewalk/roadway begins to rise. I keep walking. I wonder what I will find below and beyond the rise.
Situated along the Kedayan River, I find the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Silver Jubilee Park. The park was built to commemorate the 25th anniversary (Silver Jubilee) of the ascension to the throne of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
The main structure features five Islamic-style arched entrances representing the Pillars of Islam, twenty-five spiral columns signifying the Sultan's 25-year reign, and a large terraced water fountain representing the Sultan.
The facilities of the Park include a circular 12-point star mound at the entrance, jogging tracks, exercise equipment, parking spaces, and children's play areas.
I examine the flora. I find one fascinating tree and three potted plants. (See the captions on the photos.)
I am alone here. I assume the children and their families are at home today on Friday, the Muslim Sabbath.
Peace,
Jan
Brunei River Cruise
Posted June 28, 2026 by Jan
Bandar Seri Begawan
Brunei Darussalam (pop 460,000)
16 June 2026
Hello,
After my arrival in the capital BSB I wandered from my hotel to the nearby Brunei River. For the next day I booked a river cruise.
Brunei is a small country of only 5,765 square kilometers, (2,226 square miles). Brunei is located on the northern edge of Borneo – an enormous Indonesian Island. Sarawak and Saba, two states of Malaysia are also located on the northern edge of the island They are neighbors of Brunei.
Despite the cities on the coasts and settlements and villages scattered around the interior of the island, Borneo is mostly jungle.
The banks of the Brunei River are lined with trees and more trees and an occasional monkey and certainly unseen crocodiles.
Several small settlements and the edge of the world’s largest Floating Village “Kampong Ayer” on stilts also appear. Finally, the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge (RIPAS Bridge).
The South China Sea beckons. Come along with me. Maybe we’ll spot a monkey or two. Crocodiles, probably not.
Cheers,
Jan
What I Found in Trang
Posted April 27, 2026 by Jan
Trang City
Trang Province
Thailand
April 24, 2026
Hello,
A late start today. My guide needs a new battery for his phone. While I wait, I wander around town.
We ride toward Na Muen Sri Weaving Village. The shop sells colorful clothing made from the textiles that are woven here. Out back two women operate the clattering shuttle looms. The ladies are pleased to see us but concentrate on their work.
On our way back to town, we stop at the Robinson Department Store for an early lunch at the Food Court. I order a soup. The lady server warns me that it’s spicy. I respond, No Problem. Believe me, it was spicy! So I comment to the lady, Very Spicy! We laugh!
Now we’re on a pilgrimage to visit several religious sites in town. First a Buddhist temple known for its outstanding wall paintings. Then a Cave Temple. Then a one-hundred-year-old Church. Then a Mosque. Then a temple with an enormous stupa.
A Christian Church? The Trang Protestant Church (1915). Nine to ten thousand Christians in the area. 1.5 % of the population.
A Mosque? Madinah al-Islam Mosque. Muslims account for almost 20% of the local population. There are at least nine major mosques in Trang Province which is on the Malay Peninsula. The Malaysia border is 170 km or just 106 miles to the south.
Finally, we ride out of town to visit a hilltop temple that is in its final stages of decoration.
An exhausting day.
What about dinner?
I walk to the Night Food Market. My favorites are grilled chicken and mixed vegetables.
I’m not finished. I need a souvenir.
At a clothing shop I spot the most outrageous shirt I can find. It’s one of just two in my size. I buy them both.
This trip to Trang was important for me… an “ice breaker.” For two years I hadn’t flown anywhere or been anywhere except my apartment in Bangkok or my little getaway at Jomtien Beach. (I’m not complaining! I know I am fortunate.) But… Did I lose the energy or the gumption to travel?
The short flights were surprising. At my destination I just walk off the plane into the airport and out to a taxi. No Immigration! No Customs!
Just wandering around town or making purchases at the Food Court or the Night Market is a delight. I am in Thailand!
(Is Bangkok Thailand? Is New York the USA? Is Pattaya/Jomtien Thailand? Is Miami/Fort Lauderdale the USA?)
Trang town is busy yet calm. In Thailand you never ever hear a horn beep. In Trang there are almost no other tourists. I did see a young (Russian?) family one day and one or two foreigners at the mall. Yet, I feel at home! Welcome. Comfortable. Relaxed. Safe. I am home.
Also, I am illiterate. I can’t read a sign or write a message or even understand a nearby conversation. My spoken Thai vocabulary is modest. I can say Delicious and ask Where’s the bathroom? I can name the days of the week. I can count. I can ask the price and I understand the answer.
The Spicy Soup Lady at the mall? Conversation in Thai. The Grilled Chicken Lady at the Night Market? She assumes I don’t speak Thai so she holds up four fingers. I respond “See sip Baht.” Forty Baht.
The shirt lady and the hotel reception staff speak English. The cleaning staff? Not so much. I do my best and they smile.
Thai people are so generous. When I do speak a few words, they usually respond, “Put Thai Keng!” Which means, “You speak Thai very well!” I smile and respond, “Kop Khun Krop. Thank you.” Apparently, I have a good accent in Thai.
Yet I Never Lost my New York City Accent.
But, in Trang… I Found my Travel Mojo!
See ya,
Jan
PS On 16 June, I fly to Bandar Seri Begawan.
FYI The Clock Tower Keeps Accurate Time.
Questions: What is a Dugong?
Who is Kinaree?
Botanic Garden and Waterfalls
Posted April 26, 2026 by Jan
The Golden Land
Posted April 25, 2026 by Jan
Wat Phu Kao Thong
(Golden Mountain Temple)
Numpud Village, Muang District
Trang Province
24 April BE 2569
Sawasdee Krap,
I was surprised when my guide referred to this region in South Thailand as “Suvarnabhumi.” (“Suvarnabhumi” is the name of the modern airport in Bangkok.) Apparently, the designation of this area of Southeast Asia as the “Golden Land” goes back more than 2000 years when Buddhism began to arrive. Even further back into Thai mythology. *
Perhaps the land is “golden.” Yet certainly the scenery is Green! Forested hillsides. Cramped jungles. Ubiquitous agriculture. Green. “Golden.”
This weekday morning, my guide and I are here alone at Wat Phu Kao Thong, a highly admired and popular temple complex. Wat Phu Kao Thong sits among magnificent trees that in their height and elegance pay homage to the limestone cliffs.
At first, we meet the golden statue of Somdej PhraBuddhacarya (To Phrahmaramsi), commonly referred to as Somdej Toh, one of Thailand's most revered Buddhist monks. He is watching over the creatures of Buddhist Virtues. Much later, when we leave the complex, we encounter an ornate temple glistening in the midday sunlight.
The focus of our Pilgrimage lies at the center of the complex: the Wat, the sanctuary of Reflection. With an assemblage of images of Devotees both tiny and grand, the enormous and golden Reclining Buddha welcomes all those with a Good Heart who come in Peace.
Carved directly in a rock face cliff above the Buddha stands a white marble statue of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Folks here a special affection for this image of the Buddha. Buddha wears the Manora. The concept of a Buddha statue wearing a Manora (or Nora) crown refers to distinct cultural images primarily found in Southern Thailand. **
Suvarnabhmi. “The Golden Land.”
A Golden Day at Wat Phu Kao Thong.
Peace. Compassion
ความสงบJan
* Buddhism spread to Southeast Asia between the 3rd century BCE and the 1st century CE via maritime trade routes linking India to the region. Missionaries and merchants brought the teachings to Suvarnabhumi (the "Golden Land"), an ancient, semi-mythical region often associated with modern-day Thailand, Myanmar, and surrounding areas.
The Legend of Suvarnabhumi
- The "Golden Land": Ancient Indian and Sri Lankan texts, such as the Mahavamsa, refer to Suvarnabhumi as a prosperous trading region in the East. It was highly valued for its gold and spice trade.
- The Ashokan Mission: According to Buddhist chronicles, the Indian Emperor Ashoka dispatched two monks, Sona and Uttara, to Suvarnabhumi around 250 BCE to propagate the Dhamma.
- Historical Debate: The exact geographical location of Suvarnabhumi is debated by historians. While Thai scholars often point to Nakhon Pathom (the center of the ancient Dvaravati Kingdom, Myanmar scholars identify the Mon city of Thaton as the historical heartland.
**The Manora Headdress (Serd). The traditional headpiece worn by a Manora dancer is called a Serd (เทริด). It is a tall, pointed, ornate golden crown topped with a flame-like motif.
The most famous example of this unique iconography is the Manora Reclining Buddha housed in a cave shed at Wat Phu Khao Thong (วัดภูเขาททอง) in Trang Province, Thailand. It is notably the only Buddha image in this Nirvana (reclining) posture in Thailand that features a Manora headdress.