Backpacking in Brunei information

BRUNEI

Population: 374,000 (UN, 2005)

Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan

Area: 5,765 sq km (2,226 sq miles)

Major languages: Malay, English, Chinese

Major religions: Islam, Buddhism, Christianity

Life expectancy: 74 years (men), 79 years (women) (UN)

Monetary unit: 1 Bruneian dollar = 100 cents

Brunei Darussalam is an independent sultanate country quite tiny but never lackluster or insignificant. Tinsel town with a right, Brunei has long been Asia's best kept secret that revels in "golden" culture, heritage, and economy. A great too many impresses on one of the smallest, but richest countries in the world as a nation of elites, royalties, and business moguls with money to last 5 lifetimes, but it is also a state of people with thick traditions and impoverished lifestyles. Perhaps Brunei's gilded gates are an open invitation for the world to look in, and truth is, there is not enough to summarize this charming little country but to say that it is a kingdom of unexpected treasures and early 13th century civilization is spot on.

A good way to acquaint oneself with Brunei to calm qualms is to know what it's not. It is not an Islamist extremist nation, nor is it a kingdom of royalty and peasants, with what the media's representation of excesses and lavish parties. Unfortunate but true, the tiny sultanate stands beneath the shadows of the rich lists and excessive wasteful lifestyles. Ill-gotten wealth and plunder are issues that plague the nation with the same family in rule for 6 centuries, the longest unbroken dynasty in the world. But Brunei does have a well-to-do financial system to boast which looks as good as economy reports of "Not Applicable (NA)" on population below poverty line. It seems quite paradoxical however that alcohol is banned in Brunei, while the Prince Azim drinks himself mad.

GEOGRAPHY

Brunei (4 30 N, 114 40 E) is the second to the smallest country in Southeast Asia next to Singapore with but an area of 5,765 km² that borders the South China Sea and Malaysia. The country's terrain is generally flat coastal plains with land elevations rising to mountainous to the east, Bukit Pagon with the highest peak in Brunei 1,850metres above sea level. It prides of the most intact virgin rainforests in all of Borneo, 70% of Brunei to be exact. The reason- its profuse abundance in oil has found no necessity for exploring and exploit the forests for other natural resources. Brunei actually is a country of 2 slivers of separated territories less than an hour's trip by boat.

CLIMATE

Brunei just has it lucky with a sub-tropical climate as it rarely experiences natural catastrophes such as typhoons, earthquakes or flooding. Brunei is hot, humid and wet with average temperatures of 28°C that can go up to 33°C in January, supposedly the coldest month for most SEA countries. Most environmental issues they contend with are by-products that travel a long way from Indonesia, such as haze. Travel to any part of Brunei is best with a head start very early in the morning or late in the afternoon. But the traveler's best choice and introduction to Brunei is after the Ramadan, when the palace throws open its gates for more than 100,000 people for a feast and meet-and-greet with the Sultan, and possibly sneak in a handshake, except for women who can only meet Her Majesty.

PEOPLE

The nation of Brunei is an officially Islamic State as is inscribed in their constitution. However, with an open-minded attitude for tourists and explorers, the 388,190 Bruneians impose no danger on travelers wherever the origin or whatever the faith, attesting to its reputation as an "abode of peace" not only of opulence. Therefore, Buddhism (13%) and Christianity (10%) etc. are embraced and practiced freely. Islam to Brunei is not just a religion, but an ideology that guides all aspects of the people's lives especially governance with the 3 M's code called "Malay Muslim Monarchy"- the best way to describe their government. Malay of course because of their bias towards the culture as Brunei with its location and considering all else is an enclave of Malaysia. MALAY, as well is the official language. ENGLISH is rather common and used by the general populace, and CHINESE dialects like Fukien and Teochew are also widely spoken by ethnic Chinese communities.

ATTRACTIONS

Travel amongst Brunei territory is to a degree difficult especially when travelling via land. From BSB to Bangar, road travel comes with the inconvenience of passing through two immigration points, Malaysia upon exit from either BSB or Bangar, and Brunei immigration, upon entry as well. That's only one of the three major challenges to behold in Brunei, the other being a few budget options in Brunei, true to its opulence, at least for BSB. The last, of which is-have I mentioned there was no booze?

Brunei effortlessly presents a country like no other starting off with BSB which is not your typically fast-paced, overtly modernized city, and carefully balancing lush greens with an efficient and uncongested building layout. Comes with a price though for it is the City of the Abdicated Sultan, as Bandar Seri Begawan directly translates, where the traveler will find the same imperial luxuries of golden architectures. Ever encountered a 6- Michelin star hotel? The preponderance of what a land of early civilizations offers are stunning architecture of edifices and temples that honor its legacy and religion such as the Royal Regalia Museum and Brunei Museum, where the traveler will find the most incredible treasures of Brunei's rich history, "rich" in the full sense of the word. What about the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque or that of His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah's? At night, the Jerudong Park Gardens offers the public a spectacle fit for palace guests with its dancing fountains and dazzling design by Prince Jeffri. Far from the glitz and gild, the world's largest water village, kampong ayer will render a century's old experience or a proboscis monkey tour, one of a kind species of large-nosed monkeys, with a newfound appreciation for beauty amidst simplicity. And yes, there's kayaking, windsurfing, and scuba diving.

Temburong District is endowed with two unprecedented nature parks, the Ulu Temburong National Park for B$5 or USD$3.5 and the Peradayan Forest Reserve at no admission charge, both of which are breathtaking and brilliant escapes with the most pristine virgin rainforests. Bangar, the district capital is less glamorous but equally beautiful and has more in store for the budget traveler at $4 by boat from BSB, not to discredit BSB that's for sure. All these concerns of visa and expenses are sure to come to pass by looking at and appreciating Brunei for its culture, people, and food, need I say?

FOOD

Bruneian cuisine is a blank page to most outsiders looking in, or perhaps a misconception of Malay food without character, but the traveler has yet to find out that Bruneian cuisine has evolved to a fusion of Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Arab and European flavors that is akin to the sultanate country alone. Chinese food is ubiquitous, as is everywhere else. Rice is ever present while pork is avoided, due to the Islamic religion. A few of the national specialties are Daging Masak Lada Hitam or spicy beef with potato and beans, Serondeng Pandag, garlic-fried chicken in pandan leaves, Udang Sambal Serai Bersantan, which is a seafood dish with prawns, coconut milk and chilli, and Nasi Katok spicy curry beef/chicken, all these served with rice. For a true Bruneian flavor, try the ambuyat, a sticky surprise. Then, shove it all down with refreshing coconut juice, fruit juice, coffee, tea, or just water. And as a country of two phases, BSB and Bangar, the traveler feels double the melancholy and broken-heartedness upon leaving Brunei, as s/he technically leaves twice.

Note: Foreigners are allowed to carry alcohol with strict limits of 12 cans of beer and 2 other spirits.

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Josh
Backpacking Addictz

Backpacking Addictz is a website set up by backpackers for the use of backpacker. On this site you will find a lot of very valuable information surrounding different destinations around the world and tips and advice on budget travel and backpacking. You will also find an enthusiastic and insightful backpacking blog which is regularly updated with new posts and article.

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Backpacking in Tajikistan information

TAJIKISTAN

Population: 6.30 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Dushanbe
Area: 143.100 km² (55.251 sq mi)
Major languages: Tajik, Uzbekistan, Russia
Main religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 61 years (men), 66 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Tajik somoni = 100 dirams
Republic of Tajikistan is central Asia territory better known by their remoteness, isolation and inaccessibility to travellers than wonders of their land. As such, it is one of the few landlocked countries in Central Asia we know very little about. Tajikistan is vital to the world for its production of cotton. However, if real, Tajikistan is also a crucial element for the drug trade of Euro-Asia as a first stop for smuggling drugs to Europe and Russia Afghanistan.

The country has a brutally bloody past, but optimism slowly inches to the nation's future. After a count of the death of around 50,000 in the civil war in 1990 that made the most bloody corner of the former Soviet Union, the current atmosphere of Tajikistan is very quiet and has a huge potential for tourism. Since that harshly violent time in the civilian, much has changed nothing though. The Republic follows from the poorest country and Central Asia as the nation tries to continue with their daily lives, incompetent and still unable to independence complete

GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE

Tajikistan, 39 00 N 71 00 E, is the smallest country in Central Asia (by area), with distinctly resistant mountain ranges of Pamir and Alay intensely veil their land. The undulating facade of this mountainous Republic greeted the country the "roof of the world" with more than half its off-road 143.100 km2 at 3,000 meters above the sea level. So high, the country covers almost the heavens with their more elevation 7,495 meters accredited at the Ismoili Somoni peak, whereas lifting lower, 300 meters above the sea level, the Syr Darya. The Fergana Valley are also felt to the North, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh in the South. The mountainous regions have the cold semi-arid climate with year-round snow covered peaks. The country holds roasting hot summers with temperatures up to 100 ° F and cool winters with temperatures falling to a low of - 40 ° f the.

CULTURE & PEOPLE

The most exciting and interesting journey to this young, almost newly established nation are meeting and getting to know the people, the Tajikistanis. Since its declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, not in the country has changed a lot. The nation composed of Tajiks, Uzbeks, Russians and people of Kyrgyzstan still cling to ideology, Soviet, incompletely capable of supporting themselves, as their dependence on Islam, the religion of the State, which has had a suspension perpetuation in their society for more than 2,000 years there. Sunnis are the most, while only 5% ways Shia. One can not exaggerate the tense, tense atmosphere of religious in these parts, and with immense commitment to Islamic traditions, Christians are a minority. Tajikistan is the official language spoken by a huge percentage of the population 7.349.145 and Russian, as Tajikistan generally is spoken and used in the Government and enterprises.

ATTRACTION & FOOD

A good life is quite a difficult concept to realize the Tajikistanis. Units in the University and good grades: cotton farming 10 hours a day, 7 days a week and 100 kilos of harvest, respectively. but they are putting up small programs to help improve their quality of life to the nation. In Tajikistan is an emotive and exciting adventure of a lifetime for the traveller by the magnanimous locals who treat their guests as fragile and rare jewels. Pamir locals offer some special hospitality that can offer their modest lifestyle, even at the checkpoints, but takes a quite painful and literally amazing drive 16 hours on the underdeveloped roads of Dushanbe, Pamir, but is heck is worth. Dushanbe, the capital, is the most beautiful Central Asian city, despite the poverty of the Tajikistanis.

The Pamir range is eye candy and itself it will have your breath, not by diluting with oxygen that comes with their towering altitudes, but with their very special views high above the heavens that Hindu Kush appears too close at times. The Wakhan to the South Valley is the site for the silk trade route for centuries, and this is evident with archaeological bits and pieces sprinkled on the Earth, as Buddhist wats, Islamic mausoleums, hermit caves, petroglyphs and forts from the 15 addition of natural scenery resplendent, of course, is the food.

As the traveller will have had their fill of the delight of the eyes of the majestic mountain range, one should not neglect the hunger and local Tajik hospitality will ensure the traveller in a table stacked high in bread, dishes and sweets. Not sitting on the topchans in the cool breeze under shade with all good things, absolutely should be no way to enjoy a lunch like this. The first service is tpakkshak, a noodle soup appetizer dressed with chopped herbs, followed by the national dish, plov. Yes! It is that same plov rice with all pervasive restraints to Central Asia and in some ways similar to the preparation of the rice dish paella or risotto-based, but it belongs to another category of the palette. In Uzbekistan, plov is cooked with raisins and chickpeas. In Kyrgyzstan, plov is constantly prepared with lamb, while in Tajikistan, their simple accompaniments are rice, onions, carrots, beef or lamb, cumin and more cumin. Otala is also a noodle dish served with meat and chickpeas with less content of soup. And as a gastronomic standard, the food was completed with some refreshing fruit like watermelon, or sweet candy.

For some reason, perhaps of religious tradition, women in Central Asia are rarely seen in public. In the presence of guests, women are embocadas in the kitchen, while men do all the entertaining and hosting. The youngest girl in the family is the universal server. So if you enjoy the company of a man, you will surely enjoy a Tajik meal. Time will not take much time before Tajikistan basks with a new reputation as a place for country - the most exciting of Central Asia that says you have been here. Travel is not no fuss with an organized visa and accommodation (evidence of). For the moment, the charms of Tajikistan appealed to travellers with luxury travel and failed to start.

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Josh
Backpack Addictz

Addictz backpack is a website created by backpackers for backpackers use. On this site you will find much valuable information about different destinations around the world and tips and advice on budget travel and backpackers. You will also find a blog of enthusiastic and insightful backpackers who is regularly updated with new posts and articles. Addictz EGuides backpacking trip are a fantastic, cheap and easy way to grab a lot of backpacking information before starting on his quest of backpackers. Visit our backpacking Addictz Web site.

Information from backpacking in Pakistan

PAKISTAN

Population: 161,10 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Islamabad
Area: 796.095 km2 (307.374 sq mi), excluding Parties held Pakistani Kashmir (83.716 sq km/32.323 sq miles)
Major languages: Urdu (official), Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi and English
Main religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 63 years (men), 63 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Pakistani rupee = 100 paisa

Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a nation very hidden from the West with a vanguard of religious extremism and violence, which unfortunately are not unfounded. From massive militant movements Pakistani connections in public University, travelers and locals believe a great danger to be here. Pakistan does not deny the terrible situations caused by the conservativists as the Taliban Jamiat of Islam, and this resistance by fascists has become ubiquitous with locals fearing for their lives seemingly insignificant. The peace that are raw and real, in no way brought and conducted and security often transient and short-lived, is a powerful feat yearning to see the other side of the coin, a vision of educated of the rich cultural heritage and tourist attractions involving, architectural wonders, music and art. Pakistan is a country always in the headlines, but so far from the truth.

However, Pakistan is progressing and evolving over time and with a drag on. As a country hampered by poverty and outdated traditions, it has become a place where art and cultures flourish with special attention to the media, all in this newly achieved MTV generation. Now, Pakistan is there, as it is a country where young people dream of being large and fresh. And it is this trait blooming proving "promising" to Pakistan as a tourist destination.

GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE

Pakistan (30 00 N, 70 00 E) is a large piece of 796.095 km2 of land in Asia large enough to have 3 different climates: desert in the East, temperate in the mountains to the Northwest and Arctic in North. Legendary Indus plain lies greatly in the East and the prestigious Karakoram mountain range and Kirthar range lies to the North and Northwest. The extractor of real and unique multitude of Pakistan predominantly, K2 or Mount Godwin-Austen, is the highest point of the Earth, in second place in the world at an altitude of 8,611 meters above the sea level, which is the Indian Ocean. Partly because of this size and diverse terrain, the country renounces warm spring from March to may, four seasons, cold, dry winter from December to February, hot and humid summer months of June to September and I withdraw fall slightly cold monsoon from October to November.

CULTURE & PEOPLE

As a result, Pakistani, benefiting from extensive resources and arable land of 24.4%. A huge advantage for the Pakistani 169,342,000 that require much of the land and natural resources without a doubt, being the sixth most populous country ahead of Russia had. The Punjabis, the dominant ethnic group, are a small number, far constitute half of the population (44.68%), while Islam is the State religion with followers of 96% of the population. The tiny rest of Hindus and Christians are victims of violence by Muslim militants are related to religion. URDU is the language used in the home, soap operas, etc. but other Pakistani languages and dialects are also in use such as Punjabi, Pashto, Burushaski and so on. Spanish and on the other is the other language of State de facto used in political education, business issues and is also widely spoken at various levels among the population with the highest level of competition among the elites who have had higher levels of study.

ATTRACTION & FOOD

In 2008, Pakistan telecom forced customers down a cul de sac for interrupting internet traffic as an attempt to block YouTube within the country. This leaked around the world making YouTube inaccessible globally for 2 hours that day, showing that Governments, in this case the Pakistani Government, which are custom control internet traffic can do so easily. In any case, this says that Pakistan is technologically updated as their Western urbanized cities of Karachi and Lahore that logically would make foreigners feel at home, fully contrastive to the imagery of rickshaw camels and people bouncing produce top over their heads. Karachi, the eighth largest city in the world, it is cosmopolitan, with a beach! But Pakistan is rather the Mountaineer crowd pleaser with its lure of Karakorum and K2, as well as its almost unheard of scenic spectacle of Baltoro glacier northward, which is one of the longest glaciers outside of the polar regions. They are even more unheard of Lakes of the country and glittering beaches that are politically veiled by tumultuous borders of Iran, India and Afghanistan.

Since 2007, rhythmic efforts failed in the launch of the Pakistan tourism industry have left people question if the new around the world speaks of Pakistan is worth seeing, being a hard neighborhood that is. However, the mythical leopards in the world, as well as Pakistani food that the majority of us know and love as kebabs with rice or flatbread.

Meat is fairly standard and is an important ingredient in many dishes served with clips based on starch like rice, bread, or tubers such as potatoes. Vegetarian dishes such as da it are also tasty and healthy food options. Pakistani desserts are as wild as intense as the religious agitation and the flavors are as abundant as natural resources. Cold ice cream stand out against the heat is a favorite with abundant flavors of kulfi, pistachio, also many ways to serve. Shirini or mithai are the generic names for more sweets in Pakistan which varies by region. International fast food chains grows everything like McDonalds, Subway, Pizza Hut, KFC, domino and many other European networks.

Pakistani cuisine varies in the region and the personal taste of its chef, ranging from mild to spicy. It is good but to inform them of your preferences of individuals in terms of spices and warms up, while you follow the courtesy of eaten without cutlery, do not eat too much all at the same time or finishing your squeaky Board clean, granite is especially if you do not know the plate heat factor, or simply because rude behaviors are all. A means of clean plate that you want more, too left means that you do not enjoy it, so leave a little on the plate. It is important to stay hydrated, it is unsafe to drink tap water.

Safe travel and enjoy.

For more valuable backpackers travel information and destinations in around the world please visit http://www.backpackingaddictz.com.

E-mail: admin@backpackingaddictz.com

Josh
Backpack Addictz

Addictz backpack is a website created by backpackers for backpackers use. On this site you will find much valuable information about different destinations around the world and tips and advice on budget travel and backpackers. You will also find a blog of enthusiastic and insightful backpackers who is regularly updated with new posts and article.

Addictz EGuides backpacking trip are a fantastic, cheap and easy way to grab a lot of backpacking information before starting on his quest of backpackers.