Kampong Ayer

一直在路上的猫

4.0/5

Excellent

Kampong Ayer, a stilt village in Brunei, located on both banks of the Brunei River in Bandar Seri Begawan, is known as the "Venice of the East" and is the world's largest traditional stilt village. With a history spanning over a thousand years, it comprises 42 interconnected stilt villages linked by a 36-kilometer-long wooden walkway. The village boasts complete community amenities, including residences, mosques, schools, clinics, and shops. It has access to electricity, water, internet, and satellite TV. The residents are predominantly Malay, preserving traditional crafts such as shipbuilding, silversmithing, and weaving. In recent years, some of the old wooden houses have been replaced by newly built concrete stilt houses. Even in the morning, one can see that some of the original wooden houses have fallen into disrepair, replaced by modern concrete mansions. The permanent population is around 30,000, accounting for approximately 10% of the national population. Navigate to Yayasan shopping mall, which is in the heart of Brunei. Across the street is a pier where you can take a public or private boat to the village on the other side. A trip to the village costs 1 Brunei dollar per person. A full loop tour normally costs 40 Brunei dollars per person, but you can bargain down to 25-35, depending on your negotiation skills. The return trip is 1 Brunei dollar from any pier. The loop tour also includes a visit to see proboscis monkeys and crocodiles. The village itself has shops, cafes, and restaurants.