Bandar Seri Begawan

Bandar Seri Begawan needs 2 days: the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, with a golden dome and a ceremonial stone barge in its lagoon, on one, and the stilt village of Kampong Ayer, one of the largest water settlements in the world with over 800 years of continuous history, on the other. March-September avoids the rainiest season. It's expensive for Southeast Asia, with no nightlife or alcohol sales due to the sultanate's Islamic laws. It's one of the few capitals in the world governed by an absolute monarchy with oil revenues that eliminate income tax for its citizens, and its Kampong Ayer, with its own schools, mosques and fire stations on stilts, functions as a complete city floating on the Brunei River.