Fodor's Expert Review Mausoleum of Sultan Bolkiah V
Bandar Seri Begawan
Dubbed "The Singing Admiral" for his seafaring prowess, Sultan Bolkiah V reigned from the 1480s to 1520s, a golden age, when Brunei's realm stretched across much of Borneo and overseas to Manila in the Philippines. Carvings on this mausoleum—echoed on the National Museum façade—show Chinese, Javanese, Arab, and Hindu influences, and the tomb overlooks the river, flowing toward the seas Bolkiah V loved to explore.
