How To Go from Brunei to Miri, Malaysia

Getting from Brunei to Miri is easy.  The simplest way to travel is on a direct bus that you can pre book, either at an agent or online. (the prices are the same either way).  To book your direct bus from Brunei to Miri and also from Miri to Brunei – book your seats here now.

If you’re looking at all the options of how to go get the bus to Miri, then there are also a series of public buses that you can take, that also include walking across the border.  You could fly (but that means going back via Kota Kinabalu and it takes a long time).

This guide to getting there focuses on catching the ONLY direct bus from Brunei to Miri which is run by PHLS.  It’s a very easy trip.

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Where to Stay in Miri

There are some great places to stay in Miri– here’s our pick of the luxury places to stay in Miri, mid-range places to stay in Miri, and budget accommodation in Miri.

Pullman Miri Waterfront, Miri: The Pullman Miri Waterfront is ideally located right in the center of Miri, conveniently surrounded by the main attractions of the city. Each sleek room at this luxury Miri hotel is equipped with a flat-screen TV, high-speed internet connection, a mini-bar, a mini-fridge, a private bathroom, a desk, a seating area, and a view of the bustling city. Enjoy a fine-dining experience at the Pullman Kitchen where international buffet and ala carte dishes are served.  You’ll also have the option of Le Café, a spacious open-concept café that serves light refreshments. The Pullman Miri has the Splash Pool Bar where you can enjoy light snacks while soaking in the infinity pool. The fitness center has a Jacuzzi, and steam and sauna rooms are also available. The Pullman Miri Waterfront is a luxury Miri hotel in Miri City. You can check room rates and availability here.

MCity Inn, Miri: The MCity Inn is situated in central Miri. Rooms at the MCity Inn have a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom with a shower and hairdryer, a view of the city, air-conditioning, and access to a WiFi connection. The mid-range Miri hotel has a coffee shop and room service. MCity Inn is a great place to stay when visiting Miri. Read more reviews and check rates and dates at this great Miri mid-range hotel option here.

Ajang Hotel, Miri: The Ajang Hotel is located in the Commercial Center in Miri. Each room at this budget hotel in Miri features air-conditioning, a flat-screen TV, a fridge, a private bathroom, an iron and ironing board, complimentary water, an in-room safe, a coffee/tea maker, and a complimentary WiFi connection. The budget Miri hotel has a coffee shop and room service. The Ajang Hotel is a popular place to stay in Miri. You can find out more about this in-demand accommodation in Miri and also check dates and rates here.

Brunei to Miri on the Bus

There’s one bus company that provides a through service from Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB), Brunei to Miri, Malaysia and that’s PHLS Express.  Bus tickets to travel from Brunei to Malaysia cost B$20 (thats the equivalent of SGD$20) per person. There are two buses a day.  There’s still only place you can book the bus online and that’s with Easybook here.

Our guide of the best things to do in Miri is here.

Brunei to Miri Bus Schedule

There are two direct buses a day from Brunei to Miri, they leave the waterfront in Bandar Seri Begawan at 0700 and 1300.   You will need to check in and board 30 minutes prior to that.

Buying Tickets for Brunei to Miri Bus

You can buy tickets onboard the bus (way too scary for me, when we have a flight to catch in Miri).  You can easily and safely book online and confirm your seats NOW 

PHLS Brunei Agent

Alternatively, you can visit a PHLS Brunei agent. You’ll pay the same price whether you book with easybook or whether you buy in person at an agent or on the bus.  The agent in BSB is BorneoTravelGuide.com.  Their location is noted on the map below.

Price of Ticket for Bus from Brunei to Miri

Tickets cost B$20/SGD$20 regardless of where you buy them from.   You can pay in Brunei or Singapore dollars, they’re the same value.  Save anxiety, and book your bus ticket from Brunei to Miri now!  

We booked our tickets at Borneo TravelGuide.com and paid in cash.  It’s now, however possible to book this bus (and others) online with Easybook across South East Asia.  There is no fee for using a credit card.  You can also book ferries from Kota Kinabalu to some of the islands off the coast there.

We had traveled to Brunei from Labuan – you can find out how we did that in our post on Labuan to Brunei.  

Where to Catch the Brunei to Miri Transport

The PHLS buses (including those to Kota Kinabalu) do NOT leave from the main Brunei bus station, also called the Jalon Cator bus station. Instead, they leave from a layby on the Waterfront.

Map of Where to Catch the Bus Brunei to Miri

If you’re looking for a google maps reference, then its just along from the intersection of Jalan Macarthur (the waterfront road name) and Jalan Kianggaesh.

It is REALLY easy to spot them, this area is not built up and there aren’t huge numbers of buses around.

How Long does the Bus from Brunei to Miri Take?

This trip takes around 3 hours, including the border crossing.  It’s a really simple way to get from Brunei to Miri!

Bandar Seri Begawan to Miri & Kuala Belait to Miri Bus.

There’s a short stop at Seria (we arrived at 14:35 and departed at 15:07, although it was scheduled to leave at 15:00).  There are toilets (not pleasant) and several stores here to spend your last Brunei Dollars in.  The prices are the same as they are in BSB. The second stop is at Kuala Belait, where we pulled into the small bus station.  PHLS Express also provides a service from Kuala Belait to Miri and from Miri to Kuala Belait.  Here, we picked up a single passenger and departed two minutes later. We now have 7 people on the bus, so I shouldn’t have worried about it being full!

The final stop was at the border itself, but that’s only for immigration. We arrived at the Brunei border at 16:00. In the no mans land between the two borders we saw the returning Miri to Bandar Seri Begawan bus.

What’s the Procedure at the Border Crossing on the Brunei Miri Bus?

Passport details were taken of all passengers upon the sale of the ticket and also again on boarding the bus.  When we arrived at Malaysian immigration, our attendant leapt off and disappeared with the details (not the passports, we kept those). The bus drove and stopped outside Brunei Immigration, we filed off the bus and stood in a line.   (Our bus with it’s seven passengers were the only customers immigration had).  We were duly stamped out of the country. We jumped back on the bus and drove to Malaysian Immigration. Same procedure, off the bus, into the line, this time our passport was stamped by a dude wearing a heavy metal T Shirt.  It was quite the most laidback immigration procedure I’ve ever been through.

You can read more here about what you need to do to plan any trip to Malaysia.

Still inside the building, there were two “Health Screening” booths, where we were questioned separately. When the first question is “When did you leave the UK?” you know it’s going to be a longer than normal interrogation. It didn’t last too long however, the screeners were mainly interested if we’d been in Korea because of the MERS outbreak (yes).  When? (October 2014) and then they were no longer interested as we hadn’t been to Africa, so we were free to board the bus again.

The whole two country immigration procedure, including driving between them took no longer than 30 minutes.  It would have been longer if there were more folks on the bus.

Where do the Buses stop at in Miri

There are three stops in Miri – the Tudan Bus Terminal, the Pujut Corner Express bus Terminal and e-Mart. Our bus went straight to the final stop, Pujut Corner Express Bus Terminal, arriving at 1700. Although we drove past the Tudan Bus Terminal, it was in the middle of nowhere and we didn’t stop.

Pujut Corner to Miri Centre

At Pujut Corner there were no buses to Miri centre available (and it didn’t look like there would be).  A swarm of taxi drivers made it clear that we weren’t going to be stuck. We went with Mr Then who took us to Miri centre for 18 RM in a short 20 minutes.  During this time he convinced us that he was the man to take us to the airport the next morning for 25 RM.

Catching the Miri to Brunei Bus

If you want to get the bus to Miri to Brunei then you’ll need to get a taxi to the Pujut corner station.  This is one of the Miri Bus Terminals, make sure you get to Pujut Corner.  Arrange a taxi with your accommodation beforehand.  Book your tickets for the bus beforehand for the Miri Brunei bus to avoid disappointment.

Miri to Brunei Bus Schedule

The PHLS Express bus leaves Miri at 0800 and 1545.    The travel time for the Miri to Brunei Bus (Bandar Seri Begawan) is around 3 hours.

Is the Direct Bus from Brunei to Miri worth it?

You might be able to take local buses and make connections a little cheaper, but this was an easy way to cross another border.  The bus to Miri from Brunei is not a particularly exciting or interesting route and you won’t save much money by taking multiple local buses.  So, when it comes to transport from Brunei to Miri or Miro to Brunei by bus – its a resounding YES for the direct bus!  It’s such an easy trip.

Let us know if you’ve done this trip and how it was for you!

Our next stop after Miri, was Mulu National Park, which is incredible > read all about Mulu National Park.

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