A fast coastal highway runs west from the capital through Brunei’s other two mainland districts, Tutong and Belait, to the Sarawak border. It makes an easy day out by rental car or with a driver, and shows a different side of the country: fishing villages, peat forest and the oilfields that pay for everything else.
Tutong town, about 45 minutes from the capital, sits on a river behind a long sandbar. Seria, roughly 100 km and an hour and a half from Bandar Seri Begawan, is where oil was first struck in 1929; “nodding donkey” pumps still bob up and down on lawns and roadsides across the town. Just beyond is Kuala Belait, the last town before Malaysia.
Top things to do at Tutong & Seria
Walk Seri Kenangan Beach
Pantai Seri Kenangan, just outside Tutong, is a narrow spit with the South China Sea on one side and the calm Tutong River on the other — two waterfronts a few steps apart.
See the Billionth Barrel Monument
On the seafront at Seria, an arch of pipes marks the billionth barrel of oil produced from the onshore field, reached in 1991. The first well was drilled close by.
Visit the Seria Energy Lab
A hands-on science centre in Seria, formerly known as the Oil & Gas Discovery Centre, that explains how oil and gas are found and produced. It is aimed at families and school groups; check opening days before you set out.
Detour to Tasek Merimbun
Brunei’s largest natural lake, a blackwater lake inland from Tutong, is an ASEAN Heritage Park with boardwalks and a small island pavilion. It is quiet, remote and best with your own transport.
How to get to Tutong & Seria
- By rental car: the simplest option. The highway is good and well signposted; allow a full day for Tutong, Seria and back.
- By bus: intercity buses have linked the capital with Tutong, Seria and Kuala Belait, usually with a change. They are cheap but slow, and the last departures are in the afternoon.
- With a driver: hotels can arrange a car and driver for the day; agree the price and route beforehand.
Insider tips
- Tutong holds a lively open-air market (tamu) on the riverside; the traditional market day has been Thursday afternoon into Friday morning. Ask locally for current times.
- The oil installations are working industrial sites. Photograph pumps from public roads and do not enter fenced areas.
- Carry your passport if you intend to continue to Miri in Sarawak, about 45 minutes beyond Kuala Belait by road.
- Fuel is cheap, but there are long stretches without services. Fill up before leaving the capital.
Best tours & tickets for Tutong & Seria
These experiences are the easiest way to see Tutong & Seria:
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
Full-day nature tour from €122 Explore Temburong + Canopy Tower Visit
A seven-hour guided day into the wilderness of Temburong, Brunei’s forested eastern district, with a visit to the canopy tower. Pickup is available and a meal is included.
- A day in the rainforest of Temburong
- Climb the canopy tower
- Pickup available and a meal included
Multi-day tour from €2049 Northern Borneo in 10 Days: Kuching, Brunei & Sabah
A ten-day journey across Borneo that begins in Kuching, visits Bako National Park, the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre and Mulu National Park, and continues through Brunei to Sabah.
- Bako National Park and Semenggoh Wildlife Centre
- Mulu National Park
- Crosses Brunei on the way to Sabah
