Background of Kampong Ayer

Kampong Ayer is also known as the Water Village and is located in the middle of the Brunei River. Ten percent of the nation's total population lives in the area. The locals have lived in Kampong Ayer for over 1300 years. Kampong Ayer has existed as early as the reign of Sultan Muhammad Shah, in 14th century. It is described by Antonio Pigafetta in 1521 that Kampong Ayer is made up of about 25,000 households with a palace built in the middle. Kampong Ayer becomes the centre of attraction for tourists, not only because of the uniqueness of Kampong Ayer; tourist attractions such as the flora and fauna surroundings of Kampong Ayer, such as Proboscis Monkey and Mangroves, have also become on of its important traits.

Proboscis Monkey

The Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus) is known in Malay as ‘Monyet Belanda’ which can also be translated as ‘Dutch monkey’, as Indonesians noticed the Dutch colonisers often also had a large belly and nose. It is also famously known as the Long-nosed Monkey. It is a reddish-brown monkey that is endemic to the south-east Asian island of Borneo. A distinctive trait of this monkey is the male's large protruding nose, from which it takes its name. It is thought to be used to attract females and is a characteristic of the males, reaching up to 7 inches in length. The females also have big noses, but not as big as the males. The nose also serves as a resonating chamber, amplifying their warning calls. When the animal becomes agitated its nose swells with blood, making warning calls louder and more intense.