Features

Brunei - Back to Nature

30 Sep 2010

With 70 percent of Brunei still covered by primary rainforests, my first-time visit to the sultanate would not have been complete without an out-of-town trip to Ulu Temburong  National Park, the best preserved forest cover in the island of Borneo.

It was a circuitous route going there.  From Kianggeh Jetty in Bandar Seri Begawan, we took a speedboat to Bangar town and watched a slice of river village life as we passed through the channel. Alighting at Bangar, we had a long drive to Batang Duri, where we boarded a longboat to the national park. The longboat was so narrow that a seat can only carry one person, so our little group was sitting in a single file through its length. The 30-minute ride in the middle of healthy mangrove forests.

Two hours after leaving the city, we were standing at the jetty of Ulu Ulu Resort, the 23-room property inside the 50,000ha Ulu Temburong National Park.

I was ushered to one of the newly renovated villas that face the river. The resort encourages guests to explore the nature outside their door, so visitors are weaned from their attachment to technology.  At daytime, power is cut off in much of the resort’s facility. Electricity only kicks in at sundown until about 7am.

I spent the late afternoon lounged on the daybed just outside my cabin, watching the sky go dark and just taking in the sounds of the rainforests around me.

After a simple home-cooked dinner at the Valley Café, resort supervisor and nature tour guide Eric Jamat handed me a flashlight. In pitch-black darkness, we went on a night jungle trek.  It was a foretaste of what was in store for me early the following day with the canopy walk.

At five in the morning after a quick breakfast, Eric and I took a longboat to the other side of the park for the canopy walk. Our objective was to reach the top of the steel canopy tower in time to see the sunrise.

It was not an easy task. We had to climb many steps and we had to scale hills whose slopes were wet from the morning dew. Alone, Eric can cover the distance from the river edge to the foot of the canopy tower in half an hour. It took us an hour as I kept asking for short breaks. Eric took that time to point out interesting flora and fauna that came in sight.

At the foot of the tower, we had to climb another 602 steps to reach the canopy walk. This was easier as I had something firm to hold on to and the surface is even and not slippery. I was very thankful that I am not afraid of heights so I was able to enjoy the sights. I looked down to see the forest canopy a few feet below me. Unfortunately, we missed the sunrise, but still, the view from the top of that leafy canopy was magnificent to behold.

There is a whole new world 43 metres above the forest floor. I can hear the birds and insects and I watched them fly above the canopy darting from one treetop to another.

We arrived back at the resort at 9am and had a full breakfast. As I had another round of afternoon appointments in the city, I had to miss the waterfall trek. Maybe next time.

GETTING THERE

An experience in itself, the circuitous trip starts with a 45-minute speedboat ride from Kianggeh Jetty in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan to Bangar town, followed by another 45-minute drive to Batang Duri jetty, and finally, a half-an-hour longboat ride amidst mangrove forests to the Ulu Temburong National Park.

Brunei International Airport, only 11km from the capital, is served by Royal Brunei Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines, Air Asia and Thai Airways International.

Ulu-Ulu Resort has rates for day trips and multi-day stays. Website: www.uluuluresort.com

Loading comments...

Search Flight

See a whole year of Reward Seat Availability on one page at SeatSpy.com

Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Business Traveller March 2024 edition
Be up-to-date
Magazine Subscription
To see our latest subscription offers for Business Traveller editions worldwide, click on the Subscribe & Save link below
Polls