Brunei Cheapest and Budget Hotels

The Capital Residence Suite Hotel in Brunei

Nice and helpful staff, Free shuttle services to Brunei Darussalam Airport and all major sights in Bandar Seri Begawan. Comparatively cheapest hotels in Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei.

K.H. Soon Resthouse (Bandar Seri Begawan), 

• "cheap and good"
  "Probably the cheapest accommodation hotels  in Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei, it is also located in the very city center. Rooms are clean and neat, the place has hot water and wi fi, what more do you..."
• “cheapest place to stay in Bandar Seri Begawan”
• With the closing down of the Youth hostel, this becomes the cheapest place to stay in Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei.. I guess I start with the positive things.
  It is, indeed located pretty good. in front of the Brunei hotel. The air condition is working very good. The room is kind of clean. And security should be alright, as there is a nightwatch. (And the most horrible bell, triggered by a motion detector). Most of the people are friendly and will answer all your questions. But don't expect the best english from everybody working there.
  Clear downsides of the place are without a doubt the toilets and showers. And that there is no Wifi available. (There is a 24 hour cafe with wifi though. - when you turn left from the HSBC. called "Cafe De Royale")
  Value for money is horrible, but hey Brunei is expensive anyway and you probably won't stay here too long. So it's the best bet a budget traveler can get at the moment.Stayed March 2014.
• “the only good thing about the place is the location”
• good place to stay over night but not more , the cheapest budget in the Brunei city about 40$ for a room or 18$ for abed in dorms , relay central walking distance to every inserting areas. No Wifi but u can find in Cafes in the street. the rooms are clean the bathrooms&toilet are terrible.Stayed March 2014.
• “cheap and good”
  Probably the cheapest accommodation in Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei, it is also located in the very city center. Rooms are clean and neat, the place has hot water and wi fi, what more do you need? The stuff is helpful with information about transportation and so on.Stayed February 2014.
• “good and cheap place”
  to be honest, as we arrived at the hotel i thought its not the best place. but it was the far the cheapest hotel place to stay in Brunei, so we stayed. and finally it was good. its simple but clean. we stayed at a dorm room (gender seperated) with a fan and an ac. the staff was really friendly and helpful. well the bathrooms have squat toilets but they are clean and it has warm watter. so you dont have to expect alot but its for sure the best place to stay for the money.Stayed October 2013.
• ''Comfort Room”
  Paid 18B$ for an overnight stay on their dormitory. The chepeast hotel around in Brunei town. The beds are comfortable and no mosquitoes - which is great. The room for five has one single power outlet to charge up all our gadgets. Good thing we had power cord extensions and multiple outlet adapters to charge up all our gadgets. The frontdesk guy is very friendly and they will give you free one cold bottle of water upon paying the room. The dormitory is spacious and clean. This place has a funny aroma of minty and something else. And their comfort room - is not comfortable. It looks like one of those Korean Horror Movies and the above (maybe it is also a bathroom) leaks down to one of the Comfor Rooms and the highligh - they don't have toilet bowls, you have to squat which is difficult to concentrate. Stayed December 2013.
• “cheap & basic”
  I stayed one night in the dormitory room and the price is $18 per person. For this price in Brunei, of course I don't expect anything special. But if they can provide a free wifi, it would be better.
  
  The sharing toilet is clean, water pressure is good, hot shower is working fine and the staff also quite friendly. So I don't have any complaint for this rest house.Stayed November 2013.
• “Cheapest Resthouse in Brunei”
  Good location, very strategic, near to everywhere at Brunei. nothing compares price than other resthouse except youth hostel which closed until 2014. a good choice for travel by water park from kianggeh, just 1 blok for travel by 1 brunei dollar bus. near yayasan mal, mamak Brunei deliciuous food, just 1 blok from masjid omar.Stayed October 2013

Jubilee Hotel (Bandar Seri Begawan)

• "Reliable, clean "budget" stay in Bandar with friendly staff"
  "However, for Brunei standards it is a budget hotel Brunei. Actually one of the only two reliable ones in Bandar. So if you complain about high prices or old rooms do your homework."
• 
  
• "Friendly and helpful staff"
  "The Jubilee Hotel is a typical budget hotel in Brunei. It appears to be a little old, but the rooms are comfortable enough and I had a good nights sleep."

D'Anggerek Service Apartment (Bandar Seri Begawan)

• "excellent for such price"
  "Near airport is located this quite , spacious and cheap hotel in Brunei. I order transportation to hotel by e-mail, and taxi was waiting for me on airport."
• "Can't complain for the price!"
  "I've stayed at this serviced apartment multiple times over the past couple of years. Let me first say, if you are looking for luxury and comfort, this is probably not your best choice."

Times Hotel (Bandar Seri Begawan)

• • "a reapeat stay"
    "very clean and affordable city hotel stay. stayed here for third tome visiting. very friendly staff...."
  • "convenient and within budget hotel..."
    "Stayed a few nights here as we are having some logistic problems. About 10 mins to the airport and there is a Brunei fast food connected together with a supermarket. A few restaurants are just nearby"

  Terrace Hotel (Bandar Seri Begawan) 

• "Staff are friendly"
  Overall a budget hotel in Brunei that does the job. Just glad the staff a nice and professional. :)..."
• "Great solid choice in Bandar Seri Begawan"
  "This is an older hotel and a bit shabby. However, my room was clean and fine, nicely furnished, quiet. It was on the small side, but sufficient. Good for the price, cheap hotel in Brunei. Location is great"

Star Holiday Lodge (Kampong Jerudong)

"Value for Money in Brunei"

• "The room was only $B78 per night which is quite cheap hotel in Brunei. The staff are friendly. The restaurant is also well priced and serves great food. I had dinner and breakfast there."
• "The hotel staff were let down by this tired, no exhausted hotel"
  "A quiet out of the city hotel that has seen better days. We stayed here twice with a six week gap inbetween visits, and things had improved slightly. The hotel is about 20 mins from the city centre"

Palm Garden Hotel (Bandar Seri Begawan)

"Could be better"

• "I'll only recommend this hotel to budget business traveller in Brunei. If i am to go back to Brunei again, i'd probably pay more to stay at more decent hotel and somewhere with easy access"
• "Budget hotel"
  "Budget hotel in Brunei with minimal staff. First room aircon broke after two nights and in the second room it started to leak in a couple of days."

source :

http://www.tripadvisor.com/brunei

Car Rental In Brunei

Brunei Darussalam Car Hire Company

Looking for cheap car hire in Brunei Darussalam? Brunei Darussalam Car Hire compare prices for Brunei Darussalam car rentals from over 550 car hire suppliers.

Brunei Darussalam car rental provides you with a licence to travel wherever you want in Brunei Darussalam and this is a country that is definitely worth exploring. From its lively, vibrant cities to its spectacular rural landscapes, you?

ll never be short of inspiration when it comes to day-trips and excursions in Brunei Darussalam. The geography of the country makes it well suited to car hire touring. There are plenty of sights worth driving to, both manmade and naturally occurring, so you will never be short of inspiration for excursions.

A few selections are: Avis, Hertz and Qawi Enterprise and the cars available range from small saloon cars to luxury cars with daily prices starting at approx B$80.    

Car hire Companies :

·         Alamo Rent A Car (269) 382-2820

·         Avis Rent-A-Car (269) 381-0555

·         Basic Car Rental (269)382-2820  

·         Budget Rent A Car (269)381-0617

·         Hertz Brunei : +(673) 2 452244 / 2 453252 / 8 731621

·         Qawi Enterprise: +(673) 2 655550 

source :

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Travel-g293937-c49392/Brunei-Darussalam:Car.Rental.html

Brunei Pictures by TripAdvisor

 
Share the visiting Brunei Darussalam travel sightseeing in Brunei,
Pictures brought by TripAdvisor Brunei.

















The All Brunei Darussalam Travel in  Pictures above belongs to TripAdvisor Brunei

Brunei Holidays : Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque

The golden-domed mosque is Brunei's proudest architectural achievement. 
Ranked #2 of 19 Brunei Holidays -Tourist attractions in Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei

“One of the many impressive buildings in BSB”, It doesn't matter from which direction you look at this Mosque, it is impressive. Situated close to the waterfront of BSB the Mosque stands on spacious grounds; on these grounds, next to it, a large pond is laid out, with in the middle resides a large stone construction, resembling a large ornate ship. You can enter this construction through a gated jetty, luckily the gate was open, so we could explore this ship. Regarding the Mosque, non-Muslims may enter the Mosque en step onto a restricted area, where you can marvel at the spaciousness and splendor of the Mosque. Women have to dress in a long, ankle-reaching coat of course, provided for at the entrance and taking off your shoes is of course mandatory. Furthermore, non-Muslims should be aware that visiting times differ. Friday of course, entrance of the Mosque is restricted to Muslims only; Saturday and Sunday have also restrictions. The best days for a visit is Monday to Thursday. But the visit is worthwhile. To be recommended.

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque  Brunei sightseeing, 

For me this inspiring pieces of architecture was a constant source of photo opotunities, every times I walked pass it I wanted to pull out my camera and take another dozen photos. For me the most impressive side of the mosque was looking back across the lagoon which showcases a replica royal boat and if you are luck a large...

This is one of the first places we went to on our trip around the capital city of Brunei. This Islamic mosque is a beautiful addition to the skyline of this wonderful city. Built in 1958 by the sultan at the time, the mosque is well maintained and peaceful as it is surrounded on all sides by an artificial lagoon and gardens. 

The mosque at most times is somewhat accessible to tourists. Only the main hall and one of the hallways allows visitors to freely explore. The other parts of the mosque are reserved for prayer. Visitors are required to remove their shoes and sign in. They are asked to refrain from wandering off the carpet reserved for visitors and robes are provided for those who are not appropriately dressed. The staff who oversee visitors are friendly and welcoming. 

The inside of the mosque is impressive with its use of marble, stained glass, granite, fine rugs and crystal chandeliers, although arguably the most attractive feature is the main dome, seen from outside, which is made of pure gold. 

This mosque is also one of the most accessible attractions in the city of Bandar itself, as it is centrally located near plenty of restaurants, the bus station and an entrance to the water village. Other attractions in this city such as the royal palace and other mosques are more restricted to tourists. 

Overall this mosque is a must see, it is a beautiful location to take pictures during the day and it is wonderfully lit at night.

This mosque is one of the main sights in BSB. Set by a small lake, the mosque grounds are peaceful and a nice place to sit and contemplate. The mosque staff are welcoming and warm.

This structure screams opulence. Located near Yayasan mall, this huge structure symbolizes deep faith of Muslim faithful. A must see structure when you visit Brunei.

Easy to visit, central situation.. nice gardens. I don't know inside, closed that day for tourist people

Beautiful! An interesting visit. Very peaceful. It was hot hot hot. Do respect the covering up and taking your shoes off

This is a very beautiful mosque, centrally located and it gave so many possibilities to take pictures. During sunlight the dome was shining and white walls looked so warm and beautiful. In the evening there were many lights and reflections from the lake. Very nice and relaxing place. Next to this mosque starts watervillage and even those "ugly" waterhouses can't hide the glory of this mosque. 
We also visited inside area (we were given big robes to cover us - women). Visiting mosque and inside area is for free. When the prayer for men starts, women have to leave the mosque, but when it's not prayer time, you can easily walk around mosque and if wanted to - go inside (no picture taking inside).

An excellent specimen of architecture. Especially magnificent at sunset. Please observe decent dressing when entering the outer area of the mosque.

It is just an amazing building to look at, a very peaceful setting too with the surrounding water. Very close to the center of town.

most photogenic place in BSB city center. Inside not for all - we was at Friday and just started Ramadan, but outside very nice.

Didn't venture inside this mosque but walked passed it regularly on our stay in Brunei as it was just near our hotel. Stunning to look at and lit up at night.

I didn't go inside but walking around the perimeter it looked stunning, lovely spot to go and see and well maintained as you'd expect!

Eventhough it's not big in size, it has a beautiful classic design that imprint in one's memory easily. Its located in the middle of the Capital town so it's perfect for photo taking.

This is a reasonably nice building, with good views from across the lake, and on the boat. Non Muslims are allowed in at certain times. It’s worth half an hour to walk around it. We couldn’t be bothered to wait for it to open up, so can’t comment on the inside.

a guided tour will be fantastic if you really want to know about ones country. But as a backpacker, I recommend you to come here at night time and don't forget your camera. The architecture and background is simply stunning for photography.

Beautiful mosque & boat. Visitors are no longer allowed to go all the way into the mosque, but you get a good view in the areas you're allowed. Make sure you get to the boat even if the gate is locked; they'll open it for you.

The aya sofia or blue mosque of istanbul this is not, but nonetheless it is a Beautiful mosque in the heart of bandar - the outside grounds of the mosque are just as impressive, if not more so than the inside. Women have to wear one of the provided robes, but no need for head scarf which surprised me, and...

It was a Friday and a religious holiday so unable to enter the mosque, but took great photos of mosque, the surrounding moat, the boat on the moat, and the Muslim faithful on their way to prayer

Beautiful especially at sunset. Put on a robe and check out the interior as well! Unfortunately you can't take pictures inside. Make sure to walk around the exterior and view the mosque from across the lagoon.

On the face of it, this is a mosque which is painted all white and has gold domes = so one could say it's nothing spercial. But it is right in the centre of town and is quite dominant. especially with the setting of a small, man-made lake around 3/4s of the area. Very impressive and well worth a visit.

The setting of this mosque is very impressive with a huge reflecting pool with a replica boat in it. Women need the full black robe treatment just to get in. But the marble floors are completely covered by carpets, and visitors are restricted to the main entry area and cannot just wander around, so your visit will be pretty short!

Although it is only 1 day before the King's birthday, theoretically, it is closed for tourist. However, the staff is very kind, he still let us in to see the interior. Of course, women in black aba but scarf is not necessary. 
Besides the interior, the exterior is also pretty enough, a colorful stone boat, you can get in which has a nice angle to take the picture of mosque. A big white pond shows the grandeur of the place.

Verry impressive combination of marble, gold and whiteness. Looks more impressive from between the two main shopping centre buildings in the centre of town.

This photo of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is courtesy of TripAdvisor

source :
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293938-d317479-Reviews-or20-Omar_Ali_Saifuddin_Mosque-Bandar_Seri_Begawan_Brunei_Muara_District.html#REVIEWS

Istana Nurul Iman, Sultan Brunei Palace

Istana Nurul Iman Sultan Brunei Palace, Sultan Brunei House, is one of tourist attractions in Brunei,“role model”, its the resident of the role model of Brunei..its so big! in fact the 3rd larget palace in the whole world...took a water taxi to get a better view.....


“Istana Nurul Iman”, Since we were not able to come during the Hari Raya the palace is not open to the public. But you can take pictures outside and you will see the splendor of the place. I just hope next time I will be lucky enough to enter the palace.

“The Istana”, While working in Brunei I undertook a number of projects inside the Palace. The palace is set in some beautiful gardens and covers a vast area. The palace is both a home for the Sultan and his family and a place for official state business. There are private rooms, guest wings, meeting rooms, banquet halls, swimming pools, clinics, roof gardens, spas and beauty spaces, a cinema and all the back of house area to keep this small town working.

Generally you can only visit the palace during Hari Raya, I was lucky to go there 2 or 3 times a week and see the internal spaces that are not open to public view.

Brunei is a beautiful and worth visiting for a few days, try to get a look at the palace while you are there...
“Very Good experience”, His majesty is only one sultan in this era who is really kindest and God fearing person who loves and care the peoples...He has very soft heart for Humans i love him

“Part of the splendor of Brunei”, We started talking with a nice guy from Brunei at the waterfront of Bandar Seri Begawan and he said he would like to show us where the palace of the Sultan was situated. So we piled into his car and made the 10 minute drive to the gates of the palace. Of course, we could not get past the gates, but the sheer size and splendor of the grounds and the buildings were impressive. I was walking along the gated entrance, as suddenly the gates nearest to me swung open and the policeman on duty called me back nervously. Within seconds a big black Mercedes-Benz with lesser cars following entered the palace grounds through the gates, which closed promptly. (See pictures). Showing pictures to people from Brunei it transpired that probably the Sultan of his brother was at the wheel. A memorable experience.
 
“Worth seeing”, Obviously you can only see through the front gates of the Sultan's Palace but I was amazed while driving around the property at the size of it. Something you must see in Brunei.
 
“Gold”, The Istana is a beautiful building. I have enjoyed dinner there, we lived in Brunei for 2 years as part of the Military.
 
“the biggest residence building in the world”, 1788 rooms, 500 bathrooms.... it's like a village by itself! Visitors will be able to take nice pictures of the Royal entrance but not of the whole building. It's simply too big and also it's surrounded by trees

This photo of Istana Nurul Iman is courtesy of TripAdvisor

source :
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293938-d541851-r146264076-Istana_Nurul_Iman-Bandar_Seri_Begawan_Brunei_Muara_District.html#REVIEWS

Brunei Holidays :Venice of East-Kampong Ayer Brunei

Although not as unique as some people would have you think, it is still very interesting. Its location in the heart of the city makes for some interesting contrasts with the extravagant mosques and commercial buildings. The residents are really friendly and outgoing and welcome you into their homes.


Kampong Ayer Brunei is the largest water village in the world. It is also one of the main Tourist Attractions in Brunei. To explore the water village you can choose for a guided tour in a tourist boat with explanation of a guide, or you can opt for exploring Kampong Ayer yourself on foot. Both options start at the jetty next to...

I find this living option an interesting way to live. People living at Kampong Ayer enjoy the same amenities as that of those Bruneians who opted to live on land. Houses are equipped with appliances (air-conditiong, TV, computers, ref etc), making daily living convenient for water village dwellers. And if they want to set foot on land to do some...

I find this living option an interesting way to live. People living at Kampong Ayer enjoy the same amenities as that of those Bruneians who opted to live on land. Houses are equipped with appliances (air-conditiong, TV, computers, ref etc), making daily living convenient for water village dwellers. And if they want to set foot on land to do some...

It was really cool to see the water village but it is a little overrated I think. I negotiated a price which I thought included the crocodile and monkey viewing down the river but found out otherwise when offered to bring me for an extra $10-15. So just be sure you know what you are getting when you finalize your...

Hire a boat operator to take you on a tour of the village. This 'water village' is very unique, as it comprises almost 30,000 people living on houses on stilts. Get off the boat and walk along the gangplanks to get a feel of the village life.

Probably the biggest watervillage on the wolrd. Absolutely nust see. Walking on hundreds bridges free but motorboat ride about 25-30 BR$/hour. Motorboat driver will your gide also and show all interesting places.

We took a tour of the water village and were impressed to find out that there are schools, a police and fire station, stores and everything else that a community may need.

This a vast village on the water with traditional and modern building, it was lovely to be on the water to visit all this, we stopped off to have tea and biscuit at a traditional house during the tour and was very interesting as to how they all live, there are schools and all normal public buildings there.

This was a favourite trip of ours and over our 3 years in Brunei we must have caught a water taxi down the river a dozen times. More exciting to us than the water village itself was the crocodile and proboscis monkey viewing opportunities afforded by a trip further down the river. Best ever trip we saw countless macaques, proboscis...

To explore this place, be careful of getting taken by schemes, for it only costs .50 cents per passenger to get a water taxi across to the village. Some tourists get ripped off or talked into doing a tour instead, which is fine, but a lot more expensive. Jump on a taxi boat, pa your .50 cents and then go...

Well worth visiting, do it independently, arrive by water taxi and just head off along the walkways and see where they take you - there's always a water taxi to take you back to base, no matter where you end up. People we met were friendly, some even wanting to have a chat. Modern units all look identical, older ones have real character. Hope they don't do any more updating....

A really interesting look at how some Bruneians live. It is a village built on stilts in the water and is virtually run as a small city in its own right housing some 20,000 residents. Definitely worth a visit. This was included in our half day tour and we were taken into a local house which was interesting. You can take a water taxi on your own around the village also. Definitely recommend seeing this.

long before it just lame Venice for me.. sorry but this year, the new housing look so cool!!! even have a lot of activity started 6th January!!! thanks god i visit it for 2 weeks! gonna enjoy my Soto and Nasi Katok!!

A boat trip around the Kampong Ayer Water Village in Brunei's capital is a very nice experience. We hired a boat (after some bargaining - 30-40 Brunei dollars seem to be a fair price) for an hour or so. Boat had shade and they offered life saving west as well (after we asked!). First we went up the Brunei river and had a nice look towards a mosque and the big castle of the Sultan, which was hiding between the trees. The guide took us further up the river to show us some wild animals. We were very lucky and saw a crocodile as well as a snake!!! 
Then we went back and came after 10-15 min. to the Water village, which is home to some 30-40.000 people (15% of the city's population and almost 10% of the countries population!). The friendly guide told us enthusiastic of the village, where he grow up himself. The buildings are constructed on stilts above the Brunei River and have dozen of schools. The trip gave a good impression of what it would mean living there. A must do visiting the capital I would say!

Plenty of houses on stilts but your river taxi guide (who probably lives in the village) can show you old and new buildings, schools, fire and police stations, mosques and restaurants. It's also good to see the modern capital from the water. For value for money get it included with a trip up the river to see the proboscis monkeys (around $50 for the two tours and about 2 hours).

Biggest water village in the world.. need I say more? Its easy to get a boat for a relaxing river cruise, a visit to a local residence and maybe if you are lucky, you may even see the proboscis monkey up close! The experience is truly unique and can only be experienced in brunei.

The sultan have tried to build free houses for the people living on the houses in the river, but people wants to stay. There are still approximately 10.000 citizens living on the river. It would be great if there was a small boutique hotel here but unfortunately there is not.
You can just take one of the long tail boats a go for a one hour ride. Remember to agree on the price before you step into the boats.

This is really an attempt to make a tourist attraction out of nothing. It is moderately interesting to see the houses on stilts, and, yes, it is the biggest “Water Village” in the world, but there is very little of interest. Having said that Brunei is such a boring place that this ranks as one of the top spots. We paid a guy BN$15:00 to take us around the village, and up the river to see the Proboscis Monkeys (which was good).
The “Visitor Centre” is quite revolting since it proclaims the “Social Development” of the villagers, proudly boasting about female circumcision. 
The whole place left me feeling sick.
This place should be avoided, not celebrated.

I paid B$1 to across the waterfront to visit Kampung Ayer (starting from the Cultural and Tourism Gallery) ---- the spelling varies between Kampung or Kampong. I walked around myself there. There were old houses but they built many new ones especially in the front facing the river. Probably they look nicer than the old houses.

ey houses on water. its amazing. you wont believe it when you are invited to one of the houses there. they have Cables, BIG plasma TV's etc.....and the history of this water village is dated way back since the 15th century. Ferdinand Magellan once said "this is just like Venice"

Take a water taxi tour. The driver actually took us to his house. Beautiful "town" of between 30-40,000 residents including schools, police stations, etc. all on raised water locations.

you may thought that this is slum areas, but in fact people here are with aircons, electricity and most houses are huge with a lot of rooms.

While it is quite fascinating that nearly 30,000 people live in BSB's water villages, the conditions are quite appalling considering that Brunei is one of the wealthiest nations on earth. Interesting to see that the water villages have their own mosques, fire and police stations, and schools, and supply of fresh water. But I'm guessing from the smell that there's no sewage treatment plant! And despite the "garbage boats" trying to pluck all the trash from the water, there's a truly impressive amount of garbage lining the banks, especially at low tide. Interesting to tour through for 15 or 20 minutes by boat, but not worth walking through on the boardwalks

After negotiating the price and the length of the tour, the trip by motorboat through the canal-like thoroughfares of the water village was quite interesting. The newly built culture and tourism gallery offers valuable explanations of the history and background of the people who live there. It's also worth the time to explore on foot the walkways connecting the various parts of the village -- but it's more extensive than it first appears. The people there were quite tolerant of a camera-toting tourist wandering around their neighborhood.

I paid my boat driver $25 after a bit of haggling for an hour's hire. I probably could have got it cheaper - he wanted $30. Interesting part of the city, petrol stations on piles! Good if you're up one end of the area and wanted to get dumped at your hotel on the way back.

We ( a party of three) went on a trip organized by Borneo Tours and were taken by one of the typical "speed" boats around the Kampung (village on stilts), and also into the boat owner's house to see how people live in this village. The boat trip included a tour around the area, with good explanations on both the culture and the geography. The height of the tour was probably the part in the mangrove area - seeing both the nose-monkeys and a baby crocodile, as well as quite large lizards. A tour not to be missed while in Brunei.

I cant see any comparision with Venice. I believe this is the largest floating Village but there are many places exactly like this all over SE Asia although on a smaller scale .
I guess if you have never seen before this would be a good excursion to do in Brunei as there are limited things to do for Tourists in Brunei. 
There are many boats all along the river offering there services and prices can be hangled. About $20 -$30 seems the norm for an hour. 
The water Village seems to be on both sides of the River and you can walk onto one side without taking a River Taxi but getting the river Taxi in my view is all part of the fun.
Various other reviewers have commented on the cleanliness of the river which seems to be awash with floating containers of all sizes and shapes which is shame, and lets the experience down somewhat.

This place has been around for more than 800 years. We can see most part has been developed by the authority. Beautiful scenic but serious action needed to maintain cleanliness. Take the boat for the tour and if you are lucky they will invite you into their water houses for tea. Spread a few kilometers from Seri Begawan towards Muara. Please bargain for the boat ride as sometimes they take advantage on tourist. Normal fare should be around 15 to 20. Tips are discretionary.


View of the Waterfront as seen from Kampong Ayer.

Water taxi cruise around the sprawling water village known as Kampung Ayer is a must especially for tourists visiting Brunei for the first time..! Typical tour should ideally include a visit to the Kampung Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery, a brief visit to enjoy local light refreshment featuring Brunei's traditional delicacies at one of the houses on stilts, enroute view of the Istana Nurul Iman where His Majesty the Sultan resides, and a leisurely cruise towards the new water village resettlement area.

This photo of Kampong Ayer - Venice of East is courtesy of TripAdvisor

source :
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293938-d541841-Reviews-or20-Kampong_Ayer_Venice_of_East-Bandar_Seri_Begawan_Brunei_Muara_District.html#REVIEWS