Fodor's Expert Review Kampong Ayer

Home to 30,000 people spread over more than two dozen settlements along the Brunei River, Kampong Ayer (Water Village) was dubbed "Venice of the East" by early European traders. People have lived in these water villages for more than 600 years, close to the sea where they make their living. The modern face of life in Kampong Ayer includes schools, clinics, and even fire stations, all floating on stilts just inches above the water's surface. Hire a water taxi to tour the area in late afternoon or early evening, or see it via the boardwalks west of the Yayasan Complex that connect the settlements.