“It's a country that people don't know it exists, but it exists.”
A small country, a warm welcome
Mike Boisvert went to Brunei in 2023. It shares the island of Borneo with Malaysia and Indonesia, it is a kingdom, and it is a strict country, with rules a visitor should know before going. Not many tourists go. And yet it became one of his favorite countries. “You have like no expectation. And then you just end up being people being super friendly.” His TikToks were watched across the country, he did an interview with a newspaper, and people knew him on the street.
His local contact was Wadi Bob (@wadibob), a skater and professional photographer who picked him up at the border, hosted him and fed him. For part of his stay, Mike lived alone in a photo studio. “I was living with like 200 cameras.”
Where to skate
The heart of the scene is the skatepark in the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. It's a pretty big park, but the ground is so rough that it makes skating really hard. “At least they have a park, you know?” Mike regrets not talking about the ground in his newspaper interview, to help get it redone. There is a smaller park in Tutong, and the street spots are pretty good: a street spot in Bandar is Mike's number one place to skate in the country.
Skaters to know
The scene is about 20 to 25 skaters. Adib AV (@adib_av) is Mike's number one pick, a freestyle skater doing tricks Mike had never seen before. Mardi (@mardinovic_) is the OG, the slappy king. Ma'sum Akramin (@jabbadahuwet) is one of the best local street skaters, always pushing himself. Uneek Skateshop (@unksk8shop) is the only skate shop in the country, and still going.
If you go
Visit the floating village, where people still live and get around by boat and bridges. On the river, you can see monkeys and the king's palace. The mosque is beautiful, and Tasek park is a nature spot right in the city.
Mike's honest advice: if you are short on time in the region, Brunei can wait. If you do go, you'll find a truly unique place. The barrier is size and strictness: not enough skaters and places to skate. What would help is a JACKALOPE Block Party, to bring eyes on skateboarding there. And the most underrated thing about Brunei, for Mike: the hospitality of the people.
Photos and videos: Mike Boisvert / The Skate Nomad. Part of the JACKALOPE Skate Atlas, one country at a time, with the skaters who live there. See every country on the map.
