People tend to say that there's nothing to do here, but hopefully this entry will prove that statement to be false. We have found plenty to keep us busy and entertained, so far!
JERUDONG PARK
OK, so Jerudong Park is no Disney World. But for those of you who know about our Disney vacation (not necessarily the happiest place on earth for us- haha!), Jerudong Park is just perfect for a few hours of fun for our family. It opens around 5pm, but then the rides shut down a couple of times after that for "prayers" (aka rest/dinner time for the employees.) Odd, but it's ok because there are no crowds or lines to wait in when the rides are open. Beautifully landscaped, there are large playgrounds for the kids, and only on our most recent visit was the peace disrupted by some awful local music playing over the loudspeakers. Another nice thing is that it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to go! We've spent no more than $200 total in 3 visits over the last year, and that includes food!
The "Engagement Ring" out front
Beautiful night view of the carousel
Camels, of course!
These adult bumper cars can give you serious whiplash!
They also have kids' bumper cars.
This shooting game squirts water at you when you hit the targets.
The little train takes you on a tour of the park
Natalie was excited that they've added this "jumping spider"
Paddleboats
Landon and Lacy on the carousel
The older kids love this pirate ship, but this was Lacy's 1st time on it.
She squealed with delight!
EMPIRE HOTEL
The Empire Hotel and Country Club is a fancy 5-star hotel about an hour from our house. We have stayed there twice as a family, and my sister Rachel and I spent one night there when she came to visit! Situated on the South China Sea, it is beautiful.
Rachel and Me in June
Forget The Empire's bowling alley and movie theater...
My kids are thrilled to ride the hotel's many escalators!
We had the pool to ourselves for several hours
during the recent October break
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Bandar is the capital of Brunei, and driving around there is an adventure in itself. Luckily Keith has always been able to use The Force to guide him. I prefer not to drive there with all the round-abouts, 1-way streets, etc. When Rachel visited us, we enjoyed touring the famous white mosque, and taking a boat down the river to see the Kampung Ayer (water village) and to search for proboscis monkeys, which are unique to Borneo. During our October trip to Bandar we found the large-ish SupaSave grocery stores, Toys R Us, and Stride Rite! Small pleasures. :) One thing The Force did NOT lead us to was a supposed hike to a waterfall at a park in the heart of town. After driving around for awhile looking for it (even after getting directions) we had to give up due to carsick children. Other things on our Bandar to-do list: the Sultan's palace, Royal Regalia museum, Muara Beach, and more.
The magnificent Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque
No pictures are allowed inside
No pictures are allowed inside
Setting sail down the river
Can you see the proboscis monkey?
We didn't get very good shots, unfortunately. He was too far away.
Kampung Ayer - "Water Village"
The wind and rain made for a very chilly boat ride!
Aunt Rachel
SHOPPING
Shopping in Brunei is unlike shopping anywhere in the US. You just never know what bizarre things you'll find in random stores. One of my favorites is the shop that has hamsters out front, overpriced out-of-style women's clothing and accessories in the middle, and about 100 tanks of fish for sale in the back. I am not a shopper, but I have fun shopping in Brunei just for the sheer entertainment and laughs! You definitely can't do much serious shopping here. As a side note... grocery shopping is a whole different story. That does NOT go under the blog entry "Fun in Brunei".
FUN FINDS
Glass greens for display
The captions on these shirts are priceless. Say Wha??
Seriously, what are they thinking with these freaky mannequins?
Good laughs
EVERYDAY LIFE
POOLS
PLAYGROUNDS
SPECIAL EVENTS
A British Armed Forces fun day
A British Armed Forces fun day
Harton at school
Natalie's class made obstacle courses for a water fun day
A ferris wheel at a Dutch party for all the kids on camp
At a Hari Raya "open house" celebration at the end of Ramadan
"The Great Race"
Brunei Brits Progressive Dinner
American Club Chili Cook-off
Playback performance - "Creme Brulesque"
BEACH
Yes, there are sandflies and warnings about deadly jellyfish, but
the beach is still a nice place to spend a morning or an evening. Afternoons are too hot!
Jellyfish!
Every Friday there is a "Fun Run" on the beach,
followed by a buffet dinner in the beach shelter
as the sun sets.
Well, that's all for now!
Maybe this begins to make up for almost a full year with no blogging? Anyway, this is just a glimpse at some of the things that we've done since moving to Brunei. All of these things are IN Brunei. Next up, a post on our travels beyond Brunei! Life is good, we are blessed.
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