Brunei is a bit of a bore on the entertainment front, mainly due to the outright ban on alcohol as well as the distinct lack of bars, pubs and clubs. The main emphasis is on shopping and dining, and if you’re not particularly big into drinking and clubbing, Brunei can be positively refreshing.
Foreigners can, in fact, bring in alcohol and drink in the confines of their hotel room, or indeed head for one of the BYO (‘bring your own’) restaurants. There is also the odd cultural show, along with cinemas in mega malls and plenty of sporting events.
Bars and pubs: With a ban on alcohol there are few bars and pubs as such that are available to tourists. One exception is the Tagz Lounge at the Sheraton Utama Hotel in the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. While they cannot sell you alcohol, you can take in your own (purchased from duty-free at the airport), have them serve it to you and buy mixers.
Live music: There is the odd live band but the lack of bars, pubs and clubs makes it tough to know where to look. Some of Bandar Seri Begawan’s large hotels have the odd live gig, while Jerudong Park, in the southwest of the country, sometimes puts on shows with local talent.
Nightclubs and discos: The only real discos are in Bandar Seri Begawan, located out of the way in backstreet shop houses. They are inconspicuous from the front and are out of the way for tourists. Expats and oil workers who know the lay of the land have been known to gain entry to these places where beer is served at a premium, despite what the guidebooks say.