🛍️ The Mall Gadong – Brunei’s biggest shopping centre, worth a visit once!
When you’re in Brunei, don’t miss The Mall Gadong – it’s known as the country’s largest shopping centre, right in the bustling Gadong commercial area. Hearing it’s the “biggest mall” sets pretty high expectations, but when you step inside, you might need to adjust them a bit – Brunei’s a small country with a population under 500,000, so “biggest” here follows their own standards.
The building has about 5 levels, not super wide horizontally but each level has a fair few diverse shops. The first impressive thing is the beautifully and uniquely decorated ceiling – I kept looking up at it. Air-con’s nice and cold, so popping in to escape the heat’s a solid reason!
My favourites:
Basement level B1 has a big supermarket with reasonable prices, mostly imported from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore – handy for snacks, drinks or personal stuff.
Ground floor has a money exchange counter, super convenient for tourists.
There’s a food court, KFC, coffee shops, cinema, even Pop Mart and MINISO – I was pretty surprised they’ve got these brands here!
Lower level has bakery counters that look pretty tempting.
Souvenir shop on the ground floor – easiest spot if you want to grab Brunei gifts for family.
What I didn’t love:
No major international high-end fashion brands – if you’re expecting a luxury shopping vibe like Orchard Road or Pavilion, you’ll be a bit disappointed.
Some upper levels sell heaps of telecom gear and nail salons – not really useful for tourists.
The smell in the mall’s a bit strong according to some people.
Overall the mall’s pretty quiet, nothing super special to “hunt down” like tourists often expect.
My tips:
Best to visit in the late arvo or evening or on weekends when it’s busier and the vibe’s way livelier. Don’t skip the basement supermarket if you want cheap snacks. Taxis are plentiful around here but traffic can be shocking, so pick your pickup spot wisely. All up, it’s a must-do in Brunei – 1-2 hours is plenty to check it out!
