Christmas on the DL in Brunei
I wasn’t feeling too Christmassy as Mandolyn approached Brunei at 4am on December the 11th. I’d been weaving through oil rigs in the dark while dodging shipping and keeping a nervous eye on the lightning flashing all around. It was impossible to get comfortable in the rain soaked cockpit.
We rounded a point of land, when what to my wondering eyes did appear? Is that… It was a Magical Christmas Forest! A hundred foot tree glittered with lights, surrounded by a whole field of decorated Christmas poles. Right where the map expected a petroleum facility.
It was just the Christmas miracle I needed to get me through my night watch. A few hours later we dropped anchor in the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam, which translates to: Brunei, Abode of Peace.
Although peaceful, Brunei has existed in a declared state of emergency since 1962, which allows the Sultan total legislative freedom. He rules as an absolute monarch.
We took a bus to explore the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan one day, where we observed Friday prayer time. Attendance at Friday prayer is a legal requirement for male Muslim citizens, and all businesses must close from 12 to 2 to accommodate this, so we spent a quiet couple hours relaxing in a park.
From downtown we could glimpse the gold enshrouded Sultan’s Palace in the distance, the largest residence of any head of state in the world. This contrasted with the nearby water villages, where thousands of people live in unplumbed shacks on the river banks.
After some exploring we escaped the heat of the afternoon into an air conditioned grocery store, where we purchased supplies for what our family calls: The unhealthiest night of the year: Our christmas tree decorating party!
Point of interest: The public display of a Christmas tree is illegal in Brunei, with a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
Imagine having that on your criminal record? Indecent exposure of a Christmas tree. There goes your dream of a career in forestry.
To avoid this fate we kept our tree private, inside our metaphorical Santa pants. As an extra precaution we took a lesson from the Magical Christmas Forest, and disguised the tree as a petro chemical flue.
Mandolyn is looking festive for another season, but only on the inside.
Next stop: Back to Malaysia!
A few more photos…
5 thoughts on “Christmas on the DL in Brunei”
Hi there, curious as to whether you met any people in this area? Kingdom? Such a wide contrast in living conditions. My Canadian roots would curl at the inequalities but perhaps it is not felt that way?
Yes we met workers at a yacht club, water taxi drivers, etc. Everyone we met was kind and helpful, seemed the same as people everywhere. The country is reportedly very politically stable. Very different to what we’re used to.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you…lots of love laughter and health in the years to come..your old housekeeper Barb
Merry Christmas to you all. And a happy and prosperous 2025. Love your blogs
Sandra Mendoza
That place looks surreal. I love the Christmas tree! Stay out of the Sultans prisons. I hear they are unpleasant.
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