The tiny, but thriving, Islamic Sultanate of Brunei perches on the northwestern coast of Borneo, completely encircled by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak which divides it in two. It has a population of 350,000, nearly seventy percent of which is made up of Malays and indigenes from the larger ethnic groups like the Murut and Dusun; the rest are Chinese, Indians, smaller indigenous tribes and expats.

They enjoy a quality of life that is quite unparalleled in Southeast Asia, with the literacy rate a staggering 93.7 percent of the population. Education and healthcare are free; houses, cars, and even pilgrimages to Mecca are subsidized; taxation on personal income is unheard of; and the average per capita salary is around US$19,000. The explanation is simple: oil, first discovered in 1903 at the site of what is now the town of Seria. That said, the problem remains that Brunei is more expensive than neighbouring Malaysia or even Singapore – hotel prices in the capital are at least double those in nearby Kota Kinabalu or Miri.

Most travellers still end up in Brunei either because of an enforced stopover on a Royal Brunei Airlines flight, or as a stepping stone to either Sabah or Sarawak. In the latter case, however, it can work out cheaper to take an internal MAS flight between Miri and Labuan or Kota Kinabalu rather than bussing it through Brunei. Brunei's climate, like that of neighbouring Sabah and Sarawak, is hot and humid, with average temperatures in the high twenties throughout the year.

Lying 440km north of the equator, Brunei has a tropical weather system, so even if you visit outside the wet season (usually November to February) there's every chance that you'll see some rain.