“Fuel Cheaper Than Water? Things I Learned in Brunei”
When I visited Brunei, I had the pleasure of meeting several kind and thoughtful taxi drivers during my stay. One of them even said yes when I asked if he’d like to grab a coffee together. Over that coffee, he generously shared his perspective on life in Brunei.
Listening to stories directly from locals has always been one of my favorite parts of traveling. Let me share a few interesting things I learned. (Names are changed for privacy.)
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🚖 Din
• No alcohol is allowed in Brunei, but… let’s just say some locals know where to go when they’re really thirsty.
• Fuel is cheaper than bottled water.
• Education and healthcare are completely free.
• There is no personal income tax in Brunei.
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🚕 Sai
• Many citizens can purchase government-subsidized housing. Sai bought a three-bedroom house for 70,000 BND (about 55,000 USD) under this program.
• When signing the papers for his house, Sai unexpectedly met His Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei. While the staff explained the formalities, the Sultan casually told him to relax, chat normally, and even took a photo together.
• Brunei officially has only 25 registered taxi drivers in total. (Yes, really!)
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When I met Sai for the second time, he surprised me with a small gift—a Brunei flag badge. I proudly wore it during my customer meetings, and it turned out to be a wonderful icebreaker.
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Meeting the Bruneian people left me with the impression of a community that’s kind, relaxed, and welcoming.
I did my fair share of prep—asking ChatGPT about Brunei, watching a documentary and diving into Reddit threads—but nothing compares to hearing real stories directly from the people who live there.
👉 What’s your favorite way to learn about a country when you’re visiting, whether for work or vacation?
👉 Any surprises during your trip lately?