Tuesday 14 February 2017

Brunei Share : Bukit Shahbandar Recreaction Park

Bukit Shahbandar Recreational Park is extremely popular with hikers and nature buffs as it is the most accessible rainforest in the country. It spreads over 70 hectares of rolling terrain of a variety of trails with different levels of difficulty, proving challenging to fitness enthusiasts. You can choose to go on a gentle stroll over a couple of hillocks or accept the challenge to take on over eleven hills of varying difficulties.
For nature buffs, patience, binoculars, cameras, and good walking shoes would be the main necessities. Prepare to lose yourself from dawn to dusk in the region?s best-preserved lowland Dipterocarpaceae forest.

When I moved here I imagined I would be spending my afternoons swimming at the beach or walking in the jungle, and that hasn't really happened for me. It's a beautiful day out, 1.30 pm and I am inside hiding from the heat. I've turned into an inside exerciser, afraid of the hot hot hot sun. However, on the odd occasion I have found the outside world, I have throughly enjoyed it and say I will get out there more.

Bukit Shahbandar Recreaction Park, is part of the Forestry Department's collection of recreation forestry reserves. It is 70 hectares of land opposite The Empire Hotel on the Muara-Tutong Highway, just before the Jerudong turn off.

I arrived there at about 5.00 pm and it was busy with walkers and runners. Everyone seemed to be heading to the same place so I followed. I power walked up a large number of stairs and when I reached the top, I wished I had used a little less power and that was just the beginning.

There are maps located at what I imagine are strategic places along the route, but since I wasn't able to understand the map, I don't know. Somewhere all the people disappeared and I followed what looked like the track up and down and up and down and up and up and up and down. There are no indications of timing on the maps, so I was worried about being locked in (the gates close at 6.30 pm). Also it looked like rain, and as you know, if you live here, it rains practically everyday. With those two worries on my mind, I didn't have much of a chance to enjoy the view and the surroundings. It did feel great to be outside though and the jungle does provide a bit of a shelter from the sun.

I was on the track all alone at around 6 pm, thinking "please don't make me spend the night here!". And then I heard an out of breath runner coming up behind me so I put the gas on and followed him as best I could. Which was a fast walk, couldn't do the running up and up, the down was okay though. Luckily for me I followed him out of the jungle and back into the main park area. The route I walked, took me about 1 hour 20 minutes. It is a good cardio workout and sweat, also when you aren't worried about closing time, a great view as well.
I have since been back to walk different areas in the park. If you aren't looking for a climb, then you can walk fairly flat areas around and past the man made ponds. From that area you can also link into the top of the hill via more stairs and walk the track backwards.
There is a big park area for kids, toilets, bbq pits and stalls selling drinks and food. The park is busy early mornings and late afternoons, so basically during the coolest periods of the day. There are also large numbers of monkeys in the main park area. People often feed them and they run and play around.

It is great to get out there, I just need to get out more.

to get the park                              
drive along the Tutong-Muara highway heading towards Jerudong
and it is just before the Jerudong turn of

if you are on the other side of the highway turn off at the Empire
Hotel and come back onto the other side of the highway

the park is about 10 km from Bandar Seri Begawan

opening hours                              
6.30 am - 6.30 pm 
 http://stilltravelling-sarah.blogspot.co.id/2011/04/bukit-shahbandar-recreaction-park.html

Monday 6 February 2017

Brunei Share : Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery

Officially open on the 19th August 2009 by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Mahkota Pengiran Muda Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah.

Aim:
  • Revive the past glory of the water village so that it will not be extinct by the rapid pace of modernization;
  • To add value to local economic activities, revive the cottage industries from days of old and help diversify the economy; and
  • To make the water village a unique tourist destination.
Opening Hours:
Saturday - Thursday : 9.00am - 5.00pm
Friday                          : 9.00am - 11.30am
                                     : 2.30pm - 5.00pm
Last admission 30 minutes before closing. 
Closed on public holidays.
For group visit, usage of the Gallery (terms and conditions), selling of souvenirs and other inquiries please contact Culture and Islam section. 


Background of Kampong Ayer : "kampong" in english means a village meanwhile "ayer" means water.WATER VILLAGE  is a preserved national heritage site, and the largest of its kind in the world-with approximately 30,000 residents.it is equipped with schools, police stations, clinics , a fire bridge and mosques, and it is a thriving community functioning with all the comforts and amenities of the modern era.Kampong Ayer which existed since the 10th century AD , is actually a cluster of villages , each with their own village leader.all the village are connected by a complex web of walkways and a bridge.




opss! forgot to tell..this gallery consist of 5 gallery altogether :

Gallery 1
Kampong Ayer in the 10th century - 13th century A.D

Gallery 2
Kampong Ayer in the 14th century -16th century A.D

Gallery 3
Kampong Ayer during the late 19th century - early 20th century A.D

Gallery 4
Contemporary Kampong Ayer - Economic Development

Gallery 5
Contemporary Kampong Ayer - Social Development






Term & Condition: 
SYARAT-SYARAT PENGGUNAAN GALERI KEBUDAYAAN
DAN PELANCONGAN KAMPONG AYER
1. Jumlah had maksima dalam bangunan Galeri pada satu satu masa
adalah seramai 150 orang sahaja.
2. Perkhidmatan pengangkutan dan buruh tidak akan disediakan
oleh Jabatan Kemajuan Pelancongan bagi permohonan penggunaan Galeri tersebut.
3. Pembuatan kelengkapan perhiasan tambahan hanya dibenarkan selepas jam 5 petang.
4. Pemohon hendaklah membersihkan kawasan Galeri yang telah
Digunakan sebaik sahaja acara tersebut selesai dijalankan.
Pemohon juga hendaklah memastikan peralatan-peralatan dan kelengkapan-kelengkapan dalam Galeri yang dipinjam berada dalam keadaan baik dan dikembalikan kepada tempat asalnya selepas acara selesai dijalankan.
5. Pemeriksaan akan dilakukan setelah setiap acara selesai dijalankan. Jika didapati kerosakan-kerosakan atau kehilangan hartabenda Kerajaan dalam penggunaan Galeri tersebut, pemohon akan dikenakan kos pembaikan /gentian ke atas kerosakan-kerosakan
/kehilangan tersebut. Di samping itu juga jika didapati tahap kebersihan di Galeri tersebut kurang memuaskan semasa pemeriksaan dibuat, kerja-kerja pembersihan akan dilakukan dan kos pembersihan tersebut akan dikenakan kepada pemohon.
6. Pemohon  hendaklah menasihatkan pihak penyediaan permakanan (catering service provider) untuk tidak melakukan perkara-perkara seperti dibawah selepas acara dijalankan:
Membuang apa jua jenis sampah sarap (termasuk sisa makanan) ke
Dalam sungai. Semua jenis sampah sarap hendaklah dibawa semula ke darat. Membuat kerja-kerja cucian (dish washing) di Galeri selepas acara dijalankan.
7. Pemohon juga tidak dibenarkan membuat perkara-perkara yang
menganggu ketenteraman awam dan/atau melanggar undang-undang negara.
8. Pihak Jabatan Kemajuan Pelancongan tidak bertanggungjawab diatas kemalangan-kemalangan yang terjadi di dalam dan kawasan
Galeri sewaktu acara dijalankan



http://www.tourism.gov.bn/SitePages/KampongAyerCulturalandTourismGallery.aspx

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