Hello 2020!

And what an exciting year it’s going to be. We’ve only just finished up with all of the fun events and activities that the Brunei December Festival had lined up for us, before we’re plunged headfirst into a new form of chaos: the post-holiday blues, the end of school holidays, Chinese New Year preparations, the upcoming Brunei National Day celebrations, and - for the hospitality tourism industry throughout ASEAN – the ATF Brunei 2020!

The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) will be celebrating its 39th run this year, which means the ASEAN members are coming together this January to promote ASEAN as one tourist destination. The hosting of this event rotates among the ASEAN nations and this year, the honour goes to our little Sultanate. We’ve made a little ATF special in this issue to talk a bit about the event, and for our ATF guests, we’ve also made a list of things you absolutely must do when you’re in Brunei.

We love lists, almost as much as we love our Abode of Peace, and so for this issue we decided to come up with a list of reasons why we love Brunei (right now). When we sat down and compiled the list, it grew to such an alarming number that we had no choice but to cap it off at 15. But do know that while those are just 15 of the reasons listed, there are so many more reasons why we love our country, and more reasons pop up every day.

This issue won’t be all about Brunei, however. Our intrepid Assistant Editor Sheyenne had a marvellous time over at Zamboanga attending the Hermosa Festival and then spent a few days hiking and relaxing at serene Tawau. We’d like to thank our friends over at the Regional Office IX from the Philippines Department of Tourism for sending us over to Zamboanga, and Royal Brunei Airlines for the lovely trip to Tawau.

2020 marks the 14th year that Borneo Insider’s Guide has been in print, and we’re thankful for each year that passes that allows us to continue sharing what we love about this big island to the world, and we remain ever so grateful to our readers and clients who continue chugging along with us on our journey. We wish you all a Happy New Year, and a prosperous year ahead!