Bandar Seri Begawan - Picturesque water village, Kampong Ayer, has stood the test of time and continues to impress visitors to the Sultanate with its unique way of life. It is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Brunei Darussalam.

Australian tourists Ralph Williams and his wife, Dawn, who viewed an exhibition on the 'Heart of Borneo' initiative at the Kg Ayer Cultural & Tourism Gallery yesterday, said: "The weather here is very humid compared to Queensland but the beautiful atmosphere in the Sultanate make you forget about the hot weather."

Dawn said that the water village took her breath away because it was a very fascinating and beautiful place. She was also amazed by the architecture of hundreds of stilt houses around Kg Ayer, which for more than a millennium continues to be the world's biggest settlement on water in existence. In 1521, Antonio Pigafetta dubbed Kg Ayer as the 'Venice of the East'.

Kg Ayer is one of the highlights of the special exhibition on the 'Heart of Borneo' initiative, which was launched on September 27 at the Kg Ayer Cultural & Tourism Gallery.

This is the first time that Brunei, which became a member country of the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) in 2007, has organised an exhibition to celebrate World Tourism Day.

Members of the public should not miss this opportunity to learn more about the uniqueness of Brunei. The exhibition will end on October 4.

The 'Heart of Borneo' initiative is a tri-country conservation initiative, supported by the World Wildlife Fund that aims to preserve one of the most important centres of biological diversity in the world, approximately 220,000 square kilometres of in Kampong Ayer equatorial forests and numerous wildlife species.

The three governments in Borneo - Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia officially launched the initiative and declared their commitment to support it on March 27 2006, during the Eighth Conference of Parties Convention of Biological Diversity, held in Brazil.

The 'Heart of Borneo' initiative aims to conserve forest and freshwater habitats, as well as their full range of biological diversity and ecological services, for the enjoyment and benefit of future generations of Bruneians. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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