10 days in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia & Singapore Itinerary

A small but wealthy country benefiting hugely from large deposits of petroleum and natural gas, Brunei Darussalam sits on the vital sea routes connecting the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. While business-minded travelers make the trip to Brunei Darussalam to invest in some of Southeast Asia's biggest oil fields, tourists flock here to explore culturally rich cities and biologically diverse wilderness areas. National parks protect old-growth forests and coral reefs, providing a lush playground for intrepid hikers, bird-watchers, and divers. Well-rounded tours of Brunei Darussalam usually begin in Bandar Seri Begawan, a thriving capital city in which majestic mosques and modern museums contrast with a somewhat chaotic water village, where hundreds of private homes seem to float on the surface of the Brunei River.

An unusual blend of a developing nation and the modern world, Malaysia ranks as one of the richest countries in Southeast Asia, its prosperity largely resting on thriving high-tech industries. Malaysia vacations remain a more affordable alternative to the expensive tourism in some neighboring countries. Take a trip to Malaysia to explore busy cities filled with colonial-era architecture, tranquil tea plantations supporting a large portion of the local population, and dozens of scattered islands happily evading the worst aspects of mass tourism. While there may be fewer visitors, there's no shortage of fine beaches, mangrove estuaries, and verdant rainforests filled with exotic wildlife.