Kuala Belait

About this place

Kuala Belait is the administrative town of Belait District, in the far west of Brunei at the mouth of the Belait River, 85 km from the capital. Its name means «mouth of the Belait». With 4,544 people in 2021, it is a quiet town that grew with oil, looking out over a broad river, mangroves and a night market. It was a small fishing village before 1909, then became a port for oil machinery as exploration began, and the district headquarters in 1927. After the Seria discovery of 1929, the British Malayan Petroleum Company moved its headquarters here. Brunei's first English school opened here in 1931, and heavy bombing in the Second World War meant the town had to be rebuilt. Timber fishing piers run along the river, mirroring water and sky, with signs warning of crocodiles. From taller buildings you see coloured roofs, the blue port building and a river framed by green forest, with small vessels near the mouth. The streets hold pale commercial blocks and English street names, and in the evening the night market fills with food and people. Seria is 20 km east, and you can combine both with the district museum in a day. Stay back from the river's edge and do not swim, because of crocodiles, as the signs warn. The border with Malaysian Sarawak is close, so bring your passport if you go over. Food is generally halal, and alcohol is not sold in Brunei.