A Bit About Bruneian Buses (17. Jan.)

Before going somewhere, one should have an idea of how one will get around during their stay.
I, fortunately, had a very generous and gracious hostess who gave me rides to (and picked me up from) town (Bandar Seri Begawan). Bandar is walkable, but if you need to leave the city, I hope you rent a car--or use Dart, Brunei's "Uber."

Before I go on, I should make a disclaimer that I've been living in Korea for (a total of) 4.5 years. Korea's public transportation is excellent. The States only has public transport in major cities (or so it feels). I can honestly say, Korea has spoiled me concerning reliable, cheap, and efficient public transportation.

Brunei has public transportation--buses, taxis, and Dart. Most people drive their own cars--and with fuel being about BND 0.50/liter (that's the lowest I've ever remembered seeing outside the States), it's no wonder.

I've used all three modes. Taxis are not so expensive (compared to Korea), but they are costly for the locals. Dart is more manageable than taxis. I've used the app twice, both times were very positive. Now, on to buses...

Bruneian Buses

There is a bus system, and it works--just not too well for me. 

There are 6 bus lines, and each is color-coded: Circle (light blue), Central Business (brown), Northern (green), Eastern (blue), Southern (gray), and Western (purple). A ride on any bus is always BDN 1.

One of many buses.

However, punctuality and regularity are not their strengths. They may leave the terminal on time, but along the route, the drivers may take a break, chat with others, drop an elderly person off at the door of their home (entirely out of the way), and so on. 

How often do the buses come round? If you're lucky, every 20 or 30 minutes. Some routes are every hour. I've heard of a route being serviced every 4 hours.

If you want to go to a particular stop, you'll need to ask the driver if he's going there. If he thinks no one is going to a specific stop, he will skip it (trust me, I know).

An average bus stop.

All in all, I wouldn't say Brunei's bus system is terrible. However, it definitely needs some work. It served to remind me that not everywhere will have Korea's (and other countries') amazing public transport system. I was also reminded that I was in a country where time moves slower, and the people are more relaxed. It's good to be humbled (or challenged) every once in a while (gotta look at the positive, right?). This is part of what makes traveling such a useful method of reflection and development.

Drive-by palace (in a bus) clip

Inside a bus, sure that no one was behind me.
I'm not upset! I'm just concentrating on the selfie. The ride was a tad bumpy.