My decision to go to Bandar Seri Bagawan, or BSB for short; the Capital of Brunei, was a spontaneous one. I decided to go a few days before.
It was on my list at some point, but I had no idea when and for how long. Using the internet and my trusty Lonely Planet guide book, I set about trying to find a place to stay (I am getting used to booking accommodation a night or two in advance). The lonely Planet guide, said there was one hostel in the city, it got rave reviews and it was only 10 Brunei Dollars (US$8 or £4.70) per night.
Sorted, or so I thought.
I looked it up online, and there appeared to be no way of booking. I used my Skype credit (which is a great way of calling, whilst you’re overseas), to try a few numbers that were listed online and in the guidebook, with no success. I emailed but the email bounced back at me. Not looking good.
I later read online from a post on TripAdvisor that the hostel was closed down (in 2012-13) which wasn’t really the case; at times the hostel is closed if there is a large booking or event. Though it may also have been closed for a few months in 2013 for renovations. After talking to a tour guide at the bus terminal, he was surprised that it was open, so there may have been some truth in the TripAdvisor review.
So I then started looking up budget hotel options, wrote down addresses and hoped for the best.
During my trip to Brunei, I met a guy called Dave from Wolverhampton; we spent the next three days travelling around together. He was hoping to stay at the hostel also, so when we arrived into the city of BSB, we set about finding it.
Where is this hostel?
The Pusat Belia, is a youth centre, and hostel. As you exit the main bus terminal, turn left, and follow the river, you’ll pass a large desolate concrete building, and cross at the traffic lights. The hostel is about 300m from there. A large complex, with a sports hall and pool, it is surrounded by large red gates. There is a colourful logo of children on the wall.
Staying at Pusat Belia
We got there around 5pm, and apart from, what looked like a craft fare happening in the hall, there was no one around. We followed the signs to the hostel, and found the rooms, male and female dorms were segregated, but also locked, so again we weren’t hopeful.
We then came across, what looked like a caretaker. He told us that the reception would be open at 9pm, and we could check in then.
Quite strange I thought, until I later saw a sign at reception, the strange hours were due to Ramadhan.
So we used the bathroom to have a quick shower and change, then stashed our bags under a nearby set of stairs, then went out to explore BSB for the remainder of the day.
Returning at 9pm, a quiet Muslim man stood at reception and looked us up and down, before allowing us in. I have heard that he can be quite selective in who stays, often turning girls away, who are inappropriately dressed (shorts in a strict Muslim country isn’t a good idea), and men with shabby clothes, tattoos and long hair, are often turned away.
There are also a number of rules posted on the wall, but nothing out of the ordinary, no smoking, no alcohol etc.
After the formalities of showing our passports, filling in forms, and paying the $10, we were in. The simple 4 bedded girl’s dorms, was clean and comfortable, with air conditioning. I shared with one other girl, and slept well. What more could you need or want for the night?
Facilities
There is a large swimming pool, which for $1 you can have a swim and cool down from the humidity. We had hoped to use the pool in the morning, but due to Ramadhan, it was closed.
There was a small café area, which was being renovated at the time of our stay, but there was an ice cold water fountain, which was working, perfect for filling up our water bottles before heading our 14 hour bus journey to Sarawak.
Tips for your stay at the Pusat Belia
- If you’re looking to stay at the Pusat Belia outside of Ramadhan, you may have some success with phoning. There doesn’t appear to be any email contact. Otherwise, do lime we did and just show up. Brunei is not exactly a backpacking mecca, so you’re bound to grab a bed for the night.
• Dressed appropriately. Brunei is a strict Muslim Country. For girls cover your shoulders and knees and for men, shabby clothing isn’t welcome
• Have a backup plan, should the hostel be booked out for an event.
Hi there,
I am going to go to Brunei on Aug 6 – Aug 8 and I have tried to find information regarding this hostel but found only little information.
Do you have, by any chance, contact person of this hostel?
Thank you very much.
Harris
Hi there,
Sadly not at all. I tried to contact via email and telephone prior to staying and did not get a response. But this was due to Ramadan, which is now over.
The address is Jalan Kampong Berangan, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
I just turned up, and there happened to be a free room.
Sorry I cannot help other than that.
Hi Andre,
Glad I could have helped! Thanks for sharing your experience too. When I was looking into this hostel, I found no information anywhere.
I didn’t spend too much time in the hostel itself, as I was out exploring BSB, so wasn’t aware of whether there was WiFi or not. At the time they were developing a little cafe/outdoor area downstairs – was this open when you went?
It is a very basic hostel, but clean and cheap and great for a short stay in the Capital!
Abbi recently posted…Travel plans: Help us plan our trip to New York City
Yup, the little café was definitely open but I didn’t get round to giving it a try. 🙂
Thanks for this post – will be heading there in a couple of weeks and the tip about hiding tattoos will come in very handy. Polo shirt and jeans it is then. 🙂
André recently posted…DAY 45 – OSAKAAfter grabbing my backpack from the locker at the…
Hey. You are welcome! You may want to double check it is not a public holiday or the place is hired out for an event for youth or schools
Thanks Abbi! I’m heading there tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it went. 🙂
André recently posted…DAY 45 – OSAKAAfter picking up my backpack at the train terminal…
hey Andre
did you manage to find a place at the Pusat Belia?
Abbi recently posted…Travel Talk: KP from Where in the World KP
Hey Abbi!
Sorry for the delay, been a bit of a wild ride since BSB! KL, Malacca and now Singapore all within a few days – I’m sure you know the feeling.
Anyway, I took the purple (apparently the green also works, as I took that one on the way back) bus from the airport for B$1 and actually saw Pusat Belia (hard to miss the colours!) before I arrived at the station. BSB is TINY and any worries I might have had about not finding something quickly disappeared.
On the way to Pusat Belia I saw K H Soon Guesthouse (which is also recommended) and decided to stop by to ask what sort of prices they had. B$40 for a room, thanks but no thanks. The lady did recommend Pusat Belia as a cheaper alternative though, which was quite nice.
I was wearing jeans and a buttoned up polo – absolutely dying inside. When I got there (before noon) there was a lady sitting at a desk near the entrance. She barked “how many nights” at me and after I said only one she gave me a bit of smile and got the forms before taking the passport to be checked and the money. Not sure I would have made it with the sleeveless tshirt & shorts combo! Thanks Abbi! 😉
I was pretty much alone in my 4 bed dorm which kind of resembled an over since there was neither a fan nor any air conditioning I could tell. I did get a good night’s sleep though (I had spent the previous night at KLIA2 & only slept two hours on the plane) and the bed was comfortable enough. There was a WiFi network called Youth Centre but I didn’t get round to ask the password – not sure it’s even available?
Place was clean enough and was more than good for the night, I’ve stayed in a lot worse places. When I came back that night the gate was closed & locked with a padlock. After making some noise some guy came out of reception and pointed me to go round the building, which I did. I was actually ready to jump the gate, lol. Sure Allah wouldn’t appreciate that!
There were more international people staying there though I doubt the place was full. There was not holiday or celebration going on but I was not allowed into the mosque because of something sacred (no non-muslims on Thu and Fri?!) and at the airport had to wait to hours to be served food as all restaurants were close between 12 and 2pm because “in Brunei on Fridays…” Mad.
I had a great time in Brunei and am happy that everything worked out in the end. Thank you so much for your post, it had the information I was looking for and couldn’t really find anywhere else. I’m near certain you saved me B$30 with your tip on the clothing! 🙂
André recently posted…DAY 45 – OSAKAAfter picking up my backpack at the train terminal…
[…] to stay in Bandar Seri Begawan? I stayed in the only youth hostel in the capital for $10, but there are a few budget hotels around if you prefer. Brunei to Sarawak, […]