MMY1

Thank you. My husband is there now so may have some more questions or information when he returns!

CamelJ

Hi, I'm living in Brunei in Bandar Seri Begawan. love it, even though it is a bit quiet! KB is really nice - excellent community of expats up there. The good thing about KB is that it is about a 10 minute rive to the border of Malaysia, so you can always hop over, buy alcohol and do some cheap shopping in Miri. Although Brunei is one of the richest nations in the world, it is still kind of shabby south-east Asia and there are many poor people here. The Bruneians are super lovely, if somewhat sheltered from the rest of the world, but I love them to bits! I am really grateful to be working here, especially after coming from Abu Dhabi where the people are quite the opposite. I think you guys will really enjoy life here - endless summers by the pool with the kids

bakedbean

Welcome to the forum Wow sounds like you are loving it there.

Funkymonkeez

Heard today from some expats in Bandar that because their work day ends at lunch time every afternoon they do something nice like go to the pool and the beach. Club membership is £50 pm. They have a live in Amah(nanny) who does the housework, any childminding if needed, cooking and general garden maintenance so they are free to enjoy time as a family. There are lots of good beaches up there. Shopping has more variety and is cheaper than KB as more competition. Hope this helps. Good luck with it all.

MMY1

It's great to hear information from people who are out there right now. Thank you! Sounds like it's enjoyable so looking forward to our new adventure when the time comes.

MMY1

Hi, I was just wondering about clothing. Is it strict in terms of covering shoulders/knees? Is it best to take clothes from UK or is there a good selection of clothes in the malls? Is it just summer clothes or a mixture for wet weather too? Just thinking about catching sales here or whether to wait until we get there! Thank you.

Kato1

Hi
Wondered if we could get some info from you guys that have just arrived in Brunei :-)
I have just got a position at the International School in Brunei based in Berakas, Bandar Seri Begawan. I will be coming with my Husband and 2 sons aged 3 and 6. We would like to know:

what life is like? Houses?

shopping for food and clothes (any shops that are online that I can look at?)

kids activities and toy shops?

What are the beaches like?

What are the implications of the new Sharia Law? They state that other religions cannot be spoken about are celebrated. We are not religious but like everyone with small kids certain times of the year are a big deal :-) What happens at Christmas time / Easter?

What is TV like?

As you can tell any info would be great :-)

Looking forward to meeting some new friends in Brunei.

BeeH

Hi I'm moving to brunei kb in the not to distant future. I have twins a bit and a girl aged 5. I'm looking at Isb kb as they are in primary 2 in Scotland but will be going back to p1 due to age.



I'm looking for any info about housing. Schools Nd mainly to meet friends she I get there with hubby and the twins

MMY1

We are still waiting for a moving date. If we get out there soon I'll pass on any information. If anyone has any info about the above things it'd be great to hear. We will be house hunting soon!

MMY1

Only just learned, after being in contact with the school, that the school system is different in terms of age and stage. I'm a little disappointed as feel our little one is ready for the stage she should be in in Scotland. Hopefully it will be ok!

BeeH

Hi there I'm the same my twins are in p2 here just started in Scotland but will need to go back to p1 when we get to brunei x x. And any info would be great. And we can meet up when I get there. Will you be staying in a hotel first x

khlmok

Hi there, I just left Brunei 3 months ago, having live there for the last two years. Here are some info.....
Shopping:
Food: Supasave is the supermarket that sells a lot of imported goods, the fruit/veg/meat is generally better than the local supermarkets. For fish/seafood there is a fish market in Jerudong that you should check out also. "Guan Hock Lee' in Gadong also specialize in imported goods. For pork usually there is a non-halal section in Supasave, although choices are limited (better than nothing...). No online grocery I'm afraid.
Clothes: especially for kids (shoes in particular) I would definitely try and stock up in UK before coming here. For Adults, it's also limited, I usually stock up in the summer holidays when we go abroad.
Kids activities: jungle walking, (actually very good for adults too). Tasik Lama near Bandar will be your great starting point. There are a few clubs you can consider: Royal Brunei Recreation Club, Yacht Club, Empire Country Club. There are a few indoor soft play centres, one called "West Park' in Gadong and "jungle gym' in Kiulap.
I actually quite enjoy our time there even though there is less material things to offer. Great for families I think, it's calm and quiet and it's very easy to meet friends (mainly from school). TV is paid tv called Astro, there is a subscription fee per month, the local ones are all in malay. I don't watch tv so I can't really comment on that.
Anyone sending their kids to JIS? My kids went there and they really enjoy their time there.

MMY1

This information is really useful - thank you. We are in the midst of packing up our house with a view to moving soon. Our little one will be attending JIS so I'm happy to hear that your children enjoyed it. I am grateful for any information or tips that will help with the move!

Maybe1day

I'm off to Bandar in a couple of weeks.....
Are there any flea markets or hobby shops? Bankomat?
M

khlmok

Hi I lived there for the last two years the only markets I know are wet markets (fish/veg) or food markets (cooked food). Hobby shops...... what kind of hobby?? What is Bankomat...you mean ATM?