Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum

Brunei Museum is the National Museum and the largest museum in Brunei. Like the Kampong Ayer Gallery, this museum also has a number of galleries. These are the Islamic-art gallery, a natural history gallery, and a gallery to hold temporary exhibitions.

They said this museum houses relic of Southeast Asia with relevance to Brunei. Exhibits covers traditional life patter of the many communities in the country. It also houses the exhibits of 9th and 10th centuries exhibits of pottery wares from Central Asia and Iran, blown glass from Egypt, the Levant, tiny manuscripts of Koran (as small as a matchbox), gold ornaments and ceremonial cannons and weaponry of the sultanate.

These list go on and on and I’m really was excited to see it. Unfortunately, the museum is under renovation when we visited and had no choice but go to the Malay Museum.

I was disappointed because I was looking forward to see the display of the history of Japan’s Martial Arts called “The Spirit of Budo”. It consists of duplicate versions of the suit or armor and weapons used in Japan during the 8th to 14th centuries. I have this fascination with Japan culture and since I still can’t go to Japan, this will suffice. Only be told it’s closed.

Almost all people in Brunei have their own car so make sure if you’re visiting, check first if that specific attraction is open before going there. That’s our mistake when we get there. We took the bus going to the museum but since it’s outskirt town, when we found out that it’s closed it’s too late to go back, because there’s no available bus going back to Bandar Seri. The man who told us that the museum is closed offered us a ride to another museum near which is the Malay Technological Museum.

We accepted the offer, then realized later, when we were inside his car, that we don’t know him and we’re all girls. That was the longest ride I had in my life and keeps praying to God to keep us safe. The result of too much watching horror movies. We’re very lucky that he’s not and he really brought us to the museum. I will never make the same wrong decision like that ever again! I’ll try to be a smart and wise traveler.

Brunei Museum is located in Kota Batu, 4.5 km east of Central Bandar Seri Bergawan along the coastal road overlooking Sungai Brunei.

Address: Jalan Kota Batu
Telephone: +673-224-4545
Opening hours: 9:00am – 5:00pm Saturday to Thursday | 9:ooam -11:30am & 2.30-5pm Friday (last entry 30 min before closing)