Serenity on the Shores of Borneo

From the golden domes of Bandar to the wooden walkways of Kampong Ayer, Brunei reveals its quiet rhythm to those willing to slow down; writes Vinod K

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" Brunei? What's there?" asked my friends, as if I had picked a random pin on the map. Truthfully, I wasn't entirely sure myself. I'd read about the tiny oil-rich kingdom tucked on Borneo's northern coast, known for its rainforest reserves and the Sultan's lavish palace. But what pulled me in was curiosity the quiet allure of a country that didn't seem to chase the spotlight.

The journey began on a humid Friday morning at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. I boarded a connecting flight through Kuala Lumpur, where I killed time people-watching—families in batik prints, businessmen with briefcases, and backpackers who looked like they'd been living out of airports for months. When I finally touched down in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei's capital, twilight had softened the city's edges. The air was heavy with the scent of rain and frangipani.

At first glance, Bandar felt almost unreal—clean, quiet, and unhurried. No honking, no traffic chaos, no neon billboards screaming for attention. My taxi driver, a soft-spoken man named Rahim, told me that the population of the whole country was barely half of Mumbai's Andheri suburb. He chuckled when I asked if rush hour ever existed. “Only if the Sultan drives to the mosque,” he said.