On May 9, 2016, after arriving at Brunei's Serasa Ferry Terminal, I took a bus to Bandar Seri Begawan Bus Station. Kampong Ayer, the water village established since the 8th century, was just on the opposite side of the the bus station, across Brunei River!
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Kampong Ayer, the water village established since the 8th Century
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My B&B that day was also at Kampong Ayer. The only way to get across Brunei River to Kampong Ayer was to take the water taxi there. The water taxi cost me BND 1 (USD 0.7) each time!
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| The water taxi driver |
After I checked in my B&B at the water village, the owner of B&B guided me to the water village. He's so friendly!
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| The beautiful sunset at Kampong Ayer |
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| Muslims love cats! And So do I! |
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| The water taxis connect Downtown Bandar Seri Begawan(BSB) and Kampong Ayer |
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| The water taxi terminal |
Kampong Ayer consists of small villages linked together by more than 29 kilometers of foot-bridges, consisting of over 4200 structures including homes, mosques, restaurants, shops, schools, and a hospital.
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| Kampong Ayer, the water village-1 |
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| Kampong Ayer, the water village-2 |
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| Kampong Ayer, the water village-3 |
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| Kampong Ayer, the water village-4 |
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| Kampong Ayer, the water village-5 |
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| Kampong Ayer, the water village-6 |
To improve the standard of living for the population in Kampong Ayer, the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah decided to build modern, two-story houses made of concrete. These houses would be given to the people in need of a new house not wishing to live on land.
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| The new houses at Kampong Ayer |
I think Kampong Ayer is a must-visit place when you com to Brunei. It's not only romantic but also historic. It has been established since the 8th century. Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian scholar and explorer from the Republic of Venice, called it the "Venice of the East" when the fleet of Ferdinand Magellan visited in 1521. According to Abdul Aziz, a geography professor of the University Brunei Darussalam, this is the largest and most famous water settlement of Southeast Asia.
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