Use caution when asking locals for transportation information. People here are friendly and very helpful, but when asking about transportation, you’ll get three different answers from three different people, even people whose job it is to help tourists.
BY CAR:
There is one “motorway”, from Bandar Seri Begawan (the capital) along the coast. It is almost all dual carriageway from Muara to Kuala Belait and the toll bridge to Malaysia/Sarawak in the west).
There is also a side road off this, which runs into the jungle towards the settlement of Labi and beyond. Excellent scenery, and a 4-wheel drive may be useful, but the road is now sealed up to the longhouses some distance beyond Labi. Stock up on water at the convenient shop at the junction.
BY TAXI:
There are not many taxis in Brunei, because car ownership and usage are high. There are always some at the airport and some in the Belait District, but little chance of finding a free taxi along the road, especially during morning and afternoon peak hours when they are hired by businessmen. Needing a taxi might require a phone call. The main taxi stand is direct north of the bus station in the capital with only a few taxis waiting.
None of the taxis has a taxi meter since there is no taxi company nor regulation requiring to have one. Drivers have fixed prices for most trips, although the tariffs may vary between different drivers, or they will give a price for an irregular trip.
The ride-hailing app of choice is Dart.
BY TOUR VANS:
Another alternative is hiring a tour van to drive you around Brunei, for example, for a whole day, or several hours. Try asking them from the ferry counters in Muara. Discuss the price first before agreeing to board the van.
BY BOAT:
Water taxis – 209 km; navigable by craft drawing less than 1.2 m. Water taxis are available in the capital.
BY BUS:
Around the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, there is a good-sized network of minibuses. Brunei’s high rate of private car ownership means very few Bruneians take these buses, which largely cater to foreign workers. The speed of the buses are limited to 50 km/h but are quite efficient and reliable.
In general, the bus system around the capital radiates from the bus terminal in the central district. There are designated bus stops along each route but passengers are picked up or let off at unofficial locations at the discretion of the driver. The unofficial mode of operation makes easy travel and entice patronage. There are maps of the bus routes at the terminal. Routes are numbered and the buses are different colors depending on the route. The fare is $1 which is normally collected by a conductor but may also be collected by the driver. The passenger can advise the driver the location to disembark. The buses run every 20–40 minutes from about 6AM to 6PM. Sometimes, the conductor asks the passengers their respective locations to disembark and skips part of the route, to the dismay of passenger who wish to catch the bus. The buses run roughly every 20–40 minutes from 6AM to 6PM, but there’s no strict schedule. It is quite normal to wait 30 to 45 minutes for a bus.
There is also an infrequent long-distance bus which runs between BSB and Seria through Tutong.