Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital of Brunei, a small state on the island of Borneo, overlooking the South China Sea and bordering Malaysia. An absolute Islamic monarchy, a Sultanate. Brunei is an enormously rich state: since 1929, the year of the discovery of oil and natural gas fields, its wealth has continued to increase. The country is a tax haven. The state does not require any taxes or fees to its citizens, the health and education systems are totally free. However, since 2019 the Sultanate has introduced the shari’a, Islamic law. In Brunei, the death penalty by stoning against adulterers and homosexuals is legal. The decision, despite having raised enormous controversies at an international level, is effective. Islamic fundamentalism does not help tourism which is almost completely absent. Brunei is definitely not the country you think of going to Southeast Asia but it is not difficult to visit it starting from neighboring Malaysia.
