Jan. 29, 2024 - After a day at sea between the islands of Singapore and Borneo, our ship pulled up to the small coastal city of Muara, Brunei on the island of Borneo. Before this cruise, I had barely heard of Brunei. Brunei only gets a few cruise ships a year; we were their second this year. It's an interesting place. First, Sultan Bolkiah has absolute power. I don't agree with some of his policies, so I could never live there. But I did enjoy visiting Brunei for one day. Second, the country is very rich compared to other countries in SE Asia, due to oil. The standard of living is high. But Brunei isn't geared much toward tourism. The capital (Bandar Seri Begawan) is a 45 minute ride away. Most people in Brunei own a car, so taxis and buses are very limited. But pre-cruise, I learned that Muara had a ridesharing service which could be used to get from Muara to BSB, where the infrequent tourists go. We hired a Dart Brunei driver to drive us around for up to 4 hours, and off we went. I really enjoyed my day in BSB.

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