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A jovial American on a plane in Borneo told me how he had once lined up for hours to shake hands with the Sultan of Brunei in his fabled palace. It sounded like a place to check out, I decided, as the chap started on three bags of airline peanuts.
Getting in to the palatial palace of the Sultan of Brunei isn't easy, as the place is closed to the public all year around except for two days during the Hari Raya festival, which follows the muslim fasting month of Ramadam.
The exact dates are reliant on certain lunar events not being obscured by clouds so its not easy to plan ahead to get in the palace. Well, we were two days early and couldn't get in. We got as far as the front gate, and resorted to taking pictures from a boat and from the air to get some snaps of the place.
Known as the Istana Nural Iman (or Istana for short) the palace is situated alongside the Brunei river set amongst acres of private parklands. It is the largest residential palace in the world and the site of the country's Prime Ministerial offices.
As can be seen in the aerial photograph above, the palace is a massive complex of low lying buildings, with a golden dome visible from the river. The palace reportedly cost $350 million to build and has over 1700 rooms, all luxuriously appointed. The palace and its upkeep are funded by the oil wealth generated by Brunei, as are all of the grand structures in the country.
Apparently the palace is also fitted with over 200 bathrooms. It reportedly has an excellent kitchen with delicacies shipped in from overseas on Royal Brunei flights. Its manicured gardens are tended by hordes of staff and feature water fountains and lots of attractive colored lighting.
At night the palace is lit up and its orange and gold glow can be seen across the city in certain vantage points. You can trying taking a water taxi past the palace at night for a good view.
A good evening vantage point for palace viewing is Persiaran Damuan, a park along the river bank popular with joggers and sightseers. The park has paved walkways and a series of sculptures as well as brilliant views of the palace.
As in most of Brunei it it quite safe to walk around the park at night, although as always caution should be exercised.
After seeing the palace from the air, from a water taxi and the riverbank, there's always the front gate, which is very impressive. You can clearly see the large drive and exotic fountains beyond and wonder at the riches behind the massive gates.
Wave to the sentry at the gate before you leave but don't be surprised if he doesn't wave back.
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