Brunei has no bar scene and few late-night streets, so its markets are where evenings happen. The Gadong Night Market (Pasar Malam Gadong) is the favourite: a large covered hall in the commercial district of Gadong, with rows of stalls grilling, frying and ladling from late afternoon until late at night. Almost everything costs between one and three Brunei dollars.
Tamu Kianggeh is its daytime counterpart, a traditional market beside the Kianggeh canal on the eastern edge of the city centre. Rebuilt as a tidy single-storey complex in 2016, it sells vegetables and jungle produce, dried fish, herbs, snacks and handicrafts, and is at its liveliest early in the morning.
Top things to do at Tamu Kianggeh & Gadong Night Market
Eat your way round Gadong
Follow the smoke. Look for satay and grilled chicken parts on skewers, grilled fish, fried noodles, roti john, sweet pancakes, colourful kuih (bite-sized cakes) and fresh fruit juices and coconut. Buy a little from several stalls rather than a lot from one.
Try nasi katok
Brunei’s everyday meal: a paper parcel of rice, a piece of fried chicken and a spoonful of spicy sambal. It sells for a dollar or a little more at the night market and at takeaway counters all over the country, some of them open around the clock.
Taste ambuyat
The national dish is a bowl of sticky, translucent sago starch, twirled round a two-pronged bamboo fork called a candas and dipped in a sour, spicy sauce, with fish, vegetables and grilled meat on the side. It is usually eaten in restaurants as a shared set rather than at a stall — ask your hotel for a current recommendation.
Shop Tamu Kianggeh in the morning
Come before nine for the produce: ferns, bamboo shoots, wild ginger, bananas of every size, and trays of local cakes. Water taxis pull up at the canal steps, and the Chinese Teng Yun Temple stands just across the road.
How to get to Tamu Kianggeh & Gadong Night Market
- Gadong Night Market: about 4 km north-west of the centre, behind The Mall. A Dart ride from the waterfront takes around ten minutes; buses run to Gadong by day but have usually stopped by the time you want to go home.
- Tamu Kianggeh: five to ten minutes’ walk east of the waterfront along the river, on Jalan Sungai Kianggeh.
- With a guide: some city tours can add a market stop on request — ask the operator.
Insider tips
- The night market typically runs from around 4 pm to late evening, every day. It is busiest after 7 pm and on weekends.
- Bring small notes and coins; stalls take cash only. Singapore dollars are accepted at par.
- All food in the markets is halal. There is no alcohol, here or anywhere else on sale in Brunei.
- During Ramadan the pattern changes: daytime food stalls close and special evening bazaars sell dishes for breaking the fast.
Best tours & tickets for Tamu Kianggeh & Gadong Night Market
These experiences are the easiest way to see Tamu Kianggeh & Gadong Night Market:
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
Workshop from €20 Brunei: Batik Painting Workshop with Materials
A hands-on workshop in the art of batik. You learn the traditional technique of applying wax and dye to fabric and create your own piece to keep.
- Hands-on batik session
- Learn to apply wax and dye to fabric
- Materials included; take your piece home
Workshop from €20 Brunei: Mother of Pearl Placemat Workshop
Make a one-of-a-kind placemat using natural shell pieces. Instructors take you through the layout techniques, gluing and finishing steps.
- Create a placemat from natural shell pieces
- Learn layout, gluing and finishing
- Guided by instructors
