Brunei

Brunei is one of those countries that most people struggle to place on a map. Tucked into the northern coast of Borneo, surrounded entirely by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, this tiny sultanate is barely the size of Delaware. But what Brunei lacks in size, it makes up for in wealth. Massive oil and natural gas reserves have made it one of the richest nations per capita in the world. There is no income tax, education is free, healthcare is free, and the government subsidizes everything from housing to rice.

The Sultan of Brunei lives in the Istana Nurul Iman, the largest residential palace on Earth with 1,788 rooms, and he has ruled since 1967 - making him one of the longest-reigning monarchs alive. But Brunei is not all gold domes and supercars. Over 70% of the country is covered in pristine tropical rainforest, home to proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, and some of the oldest trees in Southeast Asia. The capital's water village, Kampong Ayer, is a 1,300-year-old settlement of 30,000 people living in stilt houses over the Brunei River, a floating city within the city. It is a place of quiet contradictions - immense wealth alongside deep tradition, global luxury beside untouched jungle.