Brunei Tour: Kampong Ayer Water Village

Let's continue my afternoon tour around Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.

Driving onwards, just probably a kilometer more, we reached this nice-looking place by the riverside.

The name is clear, it says Kaizen Sushi Restaurant. Since my driver/guide was maneuvering to park in the vicinity, I cautiously said I already just had lunch back at the Radisson Hotel before he fetched me.

He smilingly said we were just parking the car somewhere here, as we were going to ride a boat. Da!

My view from the Yayasan Boat Jetty, where tours to Kampong Ayer (Water Village) take off from.

So okay, first tour destination - Kampong Ayer (Water Village) of Bandar Seri Begawan. Let's go!

Note, as I did not expect this: I was alone on the boat with just my driver/guide. In the usual tours, you will be riding as a group, all in one boat. Sabihin nalang natin special ako this time. Special child hehe!

But I learned that in DIY cases, you ride any of those (fast) commuter boats, as if sumakay ka lang ng tricycle na special, or with villagers and the general public na parang sumakay ka lang ng jeep. Ganun!

Spoiler alert: many Pinoy Travelers (especially those who come from the Visayas or Mindanao areas) could find this place (therefore this tour) as "nothing special to visit" or "nothing to shout to this whole world about"! That's a fair 'pre-assessment' as there's nothing much different at first glance, than what we have already seen at home. You need to look more intently, to discern, why many deem it amazing!

Firstly, it is the earth's largest such village of houses on stilts over water, at 10 square kilometers. How big is that? Mas malaki pa sya sa Tondo (lahat ng tubig at kalupaan ng buong Tondo). Ganun kalapad!

Hmm, maybe it would be easier to imagine this: submerge half of Makati in water, ganun sya kalapad!

One thing you will readily notice is: hindi sya puno ng iskwater like Tondo or Rio Hondo. Structures are properly built, na house talaga kung residential house, at eskwelahan talaga kung eskwelahan naman ang building. Hindi sila mga tagpi-tagping kung anu-ano na basta lang itinayo. They're properly zoned.

Look at the electrical lines in the above picture and this one below. Maayos at walang naka-"jumper"!

I also noticed that houses each have their own properly installed "contador" in front of every structure.

They also have proper and enough water supply to all the houses and buildings even if all are on stilts.

Can you see that big blue pipe on the underside of the "road"? That is their main water supply pipeline!

And most of those "roads", residences and institutional structures, use concrete posts and beams.

If I remember right, that was a school building we were passing by. Look at those posts and beams, at ihambing sa mga nakita mo nang bahay o gusali na nasa tubig - kahit saan sa Pilipinas. Malayo di ba?

And the boats (most have roofs, especially those for tour groups), they generally look like these ones:

Yung isang 'yan o, meron pang "Welcome To Brunei" na nalalaman! Oh ha? Aliw factor din eh, 'no?!

I heard some people describe the boats as "perahu tambang" (or something like that) although almost everyone, including my guide simply call them "water taxi" - maybe since they're hired like taxi on land.

Many of these are small, have no roofs and can "fly" on the water! But the big ones usually have roofs, and I observed that they are mainly used for tour groups. Yet, all of them use engines for speedboats.

Look at the right edge of the picture. Those are the types of "engine for speedboats" they use. Not like the bulky, slow, noisy and smoke-belching engines we see on the boats in the Philippines or Thailand!

Even with so many of those boats plying the waters of Kampong Ayer, all you hear (if at all you do) are the whirrs of those speedboat engines - they're quieter than motorcycles or tuktuks. Of course quieter too than the deafeningly annoying 'takatakatak' of the boats everywhere in the Philippines, or the even noisiest and smokiest 'long-tail' boats (Ruea Hang Yao) of Thailand, that emit very foul polluting odor!

Anyway, on the "aliw" factor, the water taxis of Kampong Ayer look like the "sampan" (of Oras/Dolores, Eastern Samar) that I saw and experienced many decades ago (I don't anymore see them these days).

Brunei's water taxis are clean and have their interiors usually painted with a 'natural wood' finish. They are not also fond (hindi yata uso) of painting names or objects on the hull's exterior - mostly just their boat numbers. On this aspect, mas aliw sa mga banka natin, me wrong spelling o wrong grammar pa!

It may be different for you, but for me, half of this Kampong Ayer tour's interesting facet was all about these water taxis: knowing about them, riding on them and watching them zoom-by in every direction!

Let's go up to the houses - which, for me, was the other half of the fascinating things on this tour!

That is the hallway/entrance to an 'old but still in use' residence in this village. A "foyer" to most of us.

That house is "by-and-by renovating", and you can see indicators in the photo above. Like what seems to be a log at left, is a newly delivered roll of flooring material (it could be a rug, a carpet or a linoleum sheet), that the family will soon use to cover the floor. How did I know? I asked the man of the house!

Oh, my driver/guide told me that many DIY Tourists do not know (or do not bother to know) that there are a number of residences in this village, that have either been requested or allowed by their tourism ministry, to open/offer their houses as a showcase for visitors to see, witness or ask about. Real time!

What was happening in that scene? Ah well, that woman, the mother of the house, who was expecting us, and already friends with my guide (I think), just hollered for us to see her at that area of the house!

We were just entering at that foyer in the photo above (received by her husband). My guide responded with something I did not understand, but he asked me to follow him, until we found her in that kitchen.

I loved this encounter. Very casual, very natural. It was as if I just visited a long lost aunt busy with her kitchen chores! They're very fluent in English. She is a teacher (or was a teacher but now retired - sorry I forgot)! Husband also a retiree. She was whipping up snacks for some coming visitors, as we talked.

Kuwentuhan, balitaktakan, tsismisan, asaran! Very like a real visit to a relative's house. I don't know na, if she requested or if I volunteered, basta, I ended up helping out in frying some of those snacks. Aliw!

I was even asked to bring plated snacks and a pitcher of tea to the "sala". Eh, para sa akin pala yun!

Syempre masarap, ako nagluto nung iba dyan eh! And they look and taste very much like our snacks!

I keep saying "snacks" since that is the most appropriate translation of the word "kuih'. Yep, that's how they are called. "Kuih" is a generic term that means snacks. That would be kakanin in Tagalog, I think.

Well, there are specific names for each, of course. And of course, as always, when it comes to food, I forget those specific names hahaha! I am better (the best even) with eating, than memorizing names!

These kuih, like our kakanin, are mostly made of rice or rice flour. So halos pareho lang in terms of the way they are processed and cooked, texture, taste, even final table presentation! Pareho lang sa atin!

Teka wait kadiyot anay daw.., I seem to remember, that "suman-like" conical thing wrapped in coconut leaves, I now remember it is selurut! Yea, selurut, or celurut, even jelurut - but all pronounced se-lu-rut!

But unlike our suman in the Philippines, selurut is not cooked as rice grains but as a rice-flour mixture. Very much similar to the texture of our 'chocolate moron', or bakintol, or ira-id or the alisuso. Plus, it is usually colored dark green due to pandan leaves, but it can be just beige, even light green (food color).

Hmn, now I also remember, those round things are "kuih cincin", meaning "ring-like snacks". Kumbaga sa Tagalog "kakanin na singsing". Yep, their "cincin" [pronounced chinchin] or "ring", is "singsing" to us.

Me and my driver/guide voraciously ate those, plus hot tea, at the family's very spacious living room.

Of course the father of the house kept us company with very lively conversations, while the lady of the house, still busy at her kitchen, just kept darting in and out. She said a big group was visiting after me.

The man of the house regaled me with whose pics are on the wall and what the framed decors mean.

He even told me about how that traditional wall art was originally rendered during their grandparents' time/era. Do you see those very fine lines and geometric patterns on the walls and even on the posts? He said those were originally not painted but etched/burned unto the wood by flaming fine iron wires!

Imagine that, I had to be in Brunei, just to learn that burning things with hot/flaming wires or rods was actually an art form pala of our historical past! Kumbaga, tattooing was to the human skin, while burn-etching was to things like wood or bamboo. Ah probably doon nanggaling, and that explains why even until today, we still see that bamboo furniture are designed with prints and patterns burned unto them!

Btw, I knew the answer, yet I still asked why their living room had an overwhelming plethora of chairs!

Me 'sala set' na, me dining chairs pa, and all upholstered ha? No dinner table, yet lots of coffee tables!

Ah, just as I thought, walang juntahan o bicameral conference na naganap, ginaganap o magaganap sa kalawakan ng mala-ballroom na "ruang tamu" na ito! The father of the house educated me, that often, so many visitors arrive all at the same time, that they feel bad for those who can't find any more seats!

Hahaha oo nga naman! Well, parang tayo rin, innate hospitality pa rin ang umiiral 'no? Pero, dapat lang yata talaga na paupuin nila lahat ng bisita. Because, they serve "afternoon high tea" to all their guests.

Ano ba kasi iyang "high tea" na yan? Well, mahabang salaysayin yan, but it is something they inherited from their British colonizers. It was/is traditionally snacks (sandwiches & sconce) plus hot tea, served between meals (usually in the afternoon). Localized, instead of sandwiches & sconce, they serve kuih!

That 'tea time' is like our "meryenda" which we also inherited from our colonizers, sina Padre Damaso!

Trivia: "ruang" is the Malay word for 'space', while "tamu" (or tetamu) means guest/s (mga bisita). And "ruang tamu" exactly means 'living room' (where guests are received). We usually say "sala" in Tagalog di ba? But "ruang" is also an old Waray word that means exactly that - sala - and still used by old folks!

Okay, done with the "home visit"! One of the best tour experiences I had, so far. Very interactive. It felt like I just went to a relative's house, nanggulo, nagsinamok, pinakain, pinangaralan. Ganun ang feeling!

They even brought out their family's photo albums during our conversations. They also said "I should stay-on and help them entertain the coming group" but guide said we still had many places else to go.

The guide told me, these live interactive encounters are generally pre-arranged via the tourism offices either on land or at this village (yes they also have a tourism office right in this village, also floating on water), since homemakers need some time to prepare tea and/or snacks. They also need to consider what time they will be available inside their abodes, to properly receive and entertain visitors/guests!

So, they are organized too! That's why my visit didn't overlap with the group visiting after me, since the guides (and the homeowners, of course) know how many people to expect, and at what time. Superb!

Anyway, per my guide's itinerary, we were still to stroll around the many "roads" of Kampong Ayer. Go!

There are two notable things about that photo: 1) That is the usual "road" of Kampong Ayer - planks of wood are fitted together like in a wooden bridge. So can we call them bridges? I guess so. They're laid out usually crosswise although I have seen portions where the long boards (tabla) are laid lengthwise.

2) If you look closely, the support posts of that "road", "bridge", "path" whatever you may want to call it, are still all made of wood, although in many parts, those posts that are firmly rooted on the marsh are already made of concrete. Sa Tondo o sa Rio Hondo, ano'ng meron? Reta-retaso ng kahoy o kawayan!

I can imagine even from just looking at the way that path is made, it must be expensive to maintain in the long run, until they are able to make the support pillars all concrete. And I think they are doing that by-and-by anyway - obviously an effort of the government, since they are legit residents, not squatters.

My driver/guide told me, if you connect all those paths built over water, they could easily add up to an equivalent of 30 kilometers of road. Wow! That should be another amazing aspect of Kampong Ayer!

Still on the pic above, which I took from the house's porch (many homes have that, at maluluwag pa), napansin nyo ba puro iron grills? Driver/guide told me, that's for "safety and security" of the residence. Meaning? Well, meron din yatang kawatan sa lugar na ito. And I say, at baka mga taga [wink wink] pa!

Finally, look at the right edge, of still that picture above. Did you notice the roof edge (painted in blue)? That is the roof of a bird cage. A Pigeon Cage to be exact. I noticed many homes in Kampong Ayer do have them, and usually big. My guide told me, those are "racing pigeons" being bred. Uso rin pala dito!

Here's a picture of another house. An "across-the-road" neighbor of that one we just visited.

As I have said above, these houses are well-appointed, since residents are not poor informal settlers.

And here's part of those many roadways (walkways) with an elevated "bridge". It's like a stairway!Unbelievable but true, they do need to have those elevated bridges along the main "alleyways" (yes me ganun din sila) to make way for bigger / taller boats to pass. Parang "main highway" lang sa kalupaan!

Mind you, that white building after the bridge is their Kampong Ayer Fire Station. Yes, it is also on the water! And they don't have fire trucks in there. What for anyway, right? What they instead have, waiting and ready for action are "Fire Boats" and "Rescue Boats". Meron din JetSki and polopokter, if needed!

Ah, speaking of boats on Kampong Ayer, aside from naglipana sila, as I said above nagliliparan sila!

Can you see that one "flying" under the bridge? That is just one example. And yes, that is a water taxi!

Imagine your self riding in them. Kaya? Don't worry, they adjust the speed according to your nerbyos!

Hahaha! I could already imagine who among my family and friends would I want to "coerce" to ride on those boats. Mga tatlo sila! Surely at those speeds a-alingawngaw ang Kampong Ayer sa mga tili nila!

I'm a fan of airplanes, airports and everything around them. But honestly, I loved watching those boats zoom or just sway by. I noticed they do run a bit slower, at leisurely speed, when tourists are on board.

I observed they even practice common "road" courtesies, such as abruptly slowing down when boats full with tourists are in the vicinity, to avoid creating big waves in their wake, that may soak the guests.

Otherwise, they just really fly through the water, and I love watching them do that. They can make very sharp turns, even "spin" full circle to make u-turns - even if the walkway posts are mere inches nearby.

Shhh, my guide told me those 'crazy' moves are actually not allowed. But you only need to coax those younger drivers once, and they'll do all the unbelievably crazy cool moves! One fantastic show hehehe!

Then, guide told me time ran out, as I stayed too long at the house visit, and watched boats too much!

Repercussion? We weren't able to visit that Al-Muhtadee Billah Mosque, as was earlier planned. I also missed having a closer look at the schools, hospital, restaurant, hostel, a housing project, boatmaking and other things else - all reputedly built on water. Because, I spent too much time, at all of the above!

But I was not at all anywhere near unhappy. Who knows, maybe there'll be a 'next time' soonest, di ba?

In that "next time", I may even stay at the hostel, walk or bike around all these boardwalks like kids do!

So okay, let's wrap this up na!

Driver/guide said we needed to go back to land na, to continue with our tour, this time of the landside sights. In my mind, I said "o eh di sige, go"! Hapon na eh. In fact, if he said "tapos na", happy pa rin ako!

While we were about to ride our boat, there was a man at the jetty, waiting for a taxi ride. It turned out, he already talked to our driver (boatman) asking if he could ride on our boat, since it was only me and my guide as riders. Boatman relayed this to my guide, who in turn asked for my permission. I said yes.

Magbabayad lang din naman daw sya sa akin, but me and my guide said "no need". Ano ba naman na makatulong tayo paminsan-minsan sa nagmamadali, di ba? Eh, hindi naman sya mukhang sanggano!

So we took the manong in, for a free ride. Oist, me dala syang plastic bayong ha?! Pero sa tingin ko, 'di naman yata ratatatatat ang laman ng bayong, simba ko! And 'di naman sya mukhang mamamatay-tao sa paningin ko hehehe (as if alam ko kung ano ang hitsura ng mamamatay-tao hahaha), so I said yes!
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I actually had to keep reminding my self "you are in Brunei, not in Mindanao" hahaha! By the way, look at the bridge in that photo again. Behind/Beyond it, you should see the golden dome of a mosque. We were going there next, and I have tsismax for you! Magandang scoop to make you very proud. Pramis!

At the Yayasan Boat Jetty, we climbed the stairs to find my driver/guide's car. But when I looked back:

Ayan, a new group of tourists replacing us on the boat, to also tour Kampong Ayer. The cycle goes on!

Oh well, if you like learning about life in other places, this Kampong Ayer you must not miss!

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