About five kilometres downriver from the city centre, Kota Batu (“stone fort”) was the capital of the Bruneian empire at its height in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The tomb of Sultan Bolkiah, the fifth Sultan, under whom Brunei’s influence reached its peak, stands here beside the river, and the hillside is an archaeological park.
Two worthwhile museums share the site. The Malay Technology Museum shows how the people of Brunei built houses and boats, fished, worked metal and wove cloth, using full-size reconstructions. The Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum, opened in 2015, displays the cargo of a trading ship that sank off the coast around 500 years ago. The older Brunei Museum next door has been closed for a long renovation; check whether it has reopened.
Top things to do at Kota Batu Museums
Walk through the water-village houses
The Malay Technology Museum’s first gallery reconstructs the different styles of Kampong Ayer house from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries — the ideal companion to a visit to the real thing.
See traditional crafts at full scale
Further galleries show boat-building, fishing methods, gold- and silversmithing, brass casting and cloth weaving, and the dwellings of inland peoples such as the Kedayan, Dusun, Murut and Penan.
Discover the Brunei shipwreck
Found by chance during an offshore survey in 1997, the wreck yielded many thousands of pieces of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai ceramics. The Maritime Museum explains the excavation and what it reveals about Brunei’s place in the old trade routes.
Pay respects at the royal tomb
The mausoleum of Sultan Bolkiah sits in a small garden by the main road, a short walk from the museums.
How to get to Kota Batu Museums
- By Dart or taxi: about ten minutes east of the centre along Jalan Kota Batu. Arrange your return ride, as passing taxis are rare.
- By bus: a city bus route has served Kota Batu from the central bus station; ask there for the current number and the time of the last bus back.
- By water taxi: boatmen will run you downriver from the waterfront for a negotiated fare — a pleasant way to arrive.
Insider tips
- The museums generally open in the morning and afternoon, with a long break on Fridays for prayers; hours are shorter in Ramadan.
- Admission has been free or very cheap. Shoes are removed at some entrances.
- Allow about two hours for both museums. There is little food on site — eat before you come.
- The two buildings are a few minutes’ walk apart on a slope; the Malay Technology Museum is lower, near the river.
Best tours & tickets for Kota Batu Museums
These experiences are the easiest way to see Kota Batu Museums:
Guided city tour from €187 Bandar Seri Begawan: Guided City Tour with Water Village
The most complete introduction to the capital that you can book in advance. A guide takes you to the Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, out onto the Brunei River by boat and into a family home in Kampong Ayer for tea and cakes.
- Visit the Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque
- Boat ride on the Brunei River
- Tea and cakes at a local house in Kampong Ayer
Small-group tour Bandar Seri Begawan: Kampong Ayer and River Safari Tour
A small-group guided tour of Kampong Ayer, often called the world’s largest stilt settlement. You learn the village’s history and cross its walkways, then set off on a river safari to see proboscis monkeys.
- Guided walk through Kampong Ayer
- Learn the history of the water village on its walkways
- River safari to see proboscis monkeys
Workshop from €20 Brunei: Mother of Pearl Coaster Workshop
Design and make your own table accessory in a mother-of-pearl coaster workshop, learning how to work with natural shell pieces to craft something both pretty and useful.
- Design your own shimmering coaster
- Work with natural shell pieces
- The shortest of the craft sessions
