Shopping in Bandar Seri Begawan

Bandar Seri Begawan, being the capital city of Brunei, offers a great shopping experience. Electronic goods are sold at the same price as in Singapore. They also offer great deals at the busy shopping malls that the locals visit. Apart from the Brunei dollar, you can also use the Singapore dollar in this country.

The Tamu

This is the place to go to if you want ethnic artifacts to take home as gifts. They sell original, locally made baskets and other items. They also sell imported jewelry.

Hua Ho Supermarket

This is where the locals shop. It is a self catering department store and has almost every conceivable item in it.

Paul & Elizabeth Book Services

If you are looking for English language books, this is the place for you. They stock paperbacks and guides in English.

Gadong Shopping Center

Gadong Shopping Center is a very new and a modern mall consisting of three floors, one of which is devoted entirely to food and a large cinema. You will enjoy sitting down to eat in the air conditioned food court. After resting, you can go back to shopping to your heart's content in this center that is one of the best in Brunei.

Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Complex

This is the largest shopping center in Brunei. There is ample parking facility and it's the location of many up market boutiques and shops. If you want to purchase exclusive, high-end products at steep prices, this is the place to visit.

What to Look for

You should look for elegant earthenware curios, gilded mementos, trendy yet timeless furniture designs, Chinese urns, wall hangings, classic brocade upholstery, exotic Indian artifacts, highly coveted South Asian haute couture pieces and the latest electronics in Brunei. You will find these things in surprising places – either in a small store or a glittering department store. Visit the local market for stuff that you can pick up inexpensively to take as souvenirs of your trip to Brunei. If you are shopping at the smaller stores, remember that bargaining is the norm.

One can purchase traditional items such as, "jong sarat" as excellent souvenirs. These can be obtained at the Arts and Handcrafts Center which is located off Kota Batu and also at the airport. Getting local products can be more challenging but also more interesting.