A Day Trip to Ulu Temburong National Park in Brunei

Before traveling to Brunei, I already knew that the number one thing to do there was visiting Ulu Temburong National Park. It’s one of the country’s main attractions, and for a nature lover like me, it turned out to be the highlight of my trip. The park covers 50,000 hectares of pristine rainforest and is home to rare plants and more than 40 butterfly species.

Booking the Tour

The park is massive, but only a small fraction is open to visitors—and the only way to get there is by boat. That’s why the most common way to visit is through a guided tour. You can choose between a day trip (like I did) or a multi-day experience.

On my first day in Brunei, I looked up some tour companies online and headed to the first one: BorneoGuide, whose office is conveniently located in the city center near the main bus station. A day trip costs $125 per person when booking for two or more people. They also offer a “Complete Rainforest Experience”, which includes two nights in the park. But this time for me, a day trip was enough—it covered all the highlights, such as the canopy walk and a refreshing waterfall swim. The package also included transportation, drinking water, and meals.

I hadn’t done much research on different operators beforehand, but I was very happy with my choice. BorneoGuide is an eco-friendly company that employs local people from Temburong and also offers overnight stays at their Sumbiling Eco Village.

If you’re visiting during the high season, I recommend booking your tour in advance by emailing the company.

 

Day Trip to Ulu Temburong National Park

The day started at 7:30 a.m. when our driver picked us up from the hotel. Along the way, we collected three more travelers: an elderly German lady and two Japanese women—a mother and daughter, I assumed.

At the jetty, we met a local woman who was helping us with the boat tickets. She explained that the next speedboat was already full and that we’d have to wait an hour for the following one. I was a bit baffled as to why she hadn’t bought the tickets in advance, but after traveling for so long, I’ve learned that things rarely run as smoothly as they would back home.

Around nine o’clock, we finally boarded a small speedboat for the 45-minute journey to Bangar, the only town in Temburong. The ride itself was already a highlight—first gliding along the Brunei River, then crossing a stretch of ocean, and finally winding through the narrow river channels of the Temburong River.

In Bangar, we were greeted by Seha, a lovely young woman who would be our guide for the day. We soon learned that, unlike most women in western Brunei, she wasn’t Muslim but a member of the Iban tribe. Listening to her stories and learning about her culture and traditions throughout the day was fascinating.

Our first stop in Bangar was the local market to grab some snacks before heading to Sumbiling Eco Village, where BorneoGuide has its lodge. Seha explained that the grounds had once been her ancestral village, and that her relatives had reached an agreement with BorneoGuide: the company would rent the land and employ local Iban people.

At the Eco Village, we enjoyed our breakfast snacks—delicious fried bananas and vegetables—and had a short briefing about the day’s schedule. There was also time to use the toilet and refill our water bottles. The lodge looked so peaceful, tucked away in the rainforest with a river flowing right beside it, that I almost regretted not booking the multi-day trip.

From there, we put on life vests and boarded another boat, this time a much smaller one that seated just seven people in a line.

I enjoyed this ride even more than the first. Being in such a small boat gave us even better views of the rainforest as we wove through the narrow river channels. We made a brief stop at Ulu Ulu Resort’s jetty to register and fill out some paperwork before continuing the last stretch of the journey.

 

Ulu Temburong Canopy Walk

The highlight of the trip was without a doubt the famous Ulu Temburong Canopy Walk. After the boat ride, we began the climb—about 800 steps leading up to the canopy walkway.

At first, the climb felt easy, but the humid, hot weather quickly caught up with me. I was sweating like it was the hardest workout of my life. Thankfully, there were four rest stops along the way with benches where we could sit and catch our breath.

When we finally reached the top, there was still one more challenge: climbing a tall metal scaffolding to access the canopy walk itself. The walkway stretches across the treetops and connects to three towers that you can climb for the best views.

Safety rules were strict—no more than five people at a time on the walkway, and no more than two people at once on the towers. Luckily, besides our group, there was no one else around, so we had the canopy walk entirely to ourselves.

I headed straight to the first tower, as Seha had told us that the best views were from the first and third. She was right—the sight from the top took my breath away. In every direction, I was surrounded by an endless sea of green rainforest stretching as far as the eye could see.

The canopy walk is definitely not for anyone with a fear of heights, but for everyone else, the effort is absolutely worth it. I couldn’t stop admiring the view, and after spending a long time on the first tower, I eventually climbed down and wandered along the walkways, taking plenty of photos.

Waterfall Swim

 After the canopy walk, we returned to the boat and headed for a nearby waterfall. It was a small but beautiful spot, with two sections: a lower waterfall with a natural pool and a smaller set of upper falls with another pool. I climbed back and forth between the two, enjoying both.

One of the unexpected highlights was the natural “fish spa.” Tiny fish nibbled at the dead skin on my feet whenever I stayed still in the water. It was both ticklish and oddly relaxing. After the sweaty climb up to the canopy walk, a refreshing swim in the waterfall pools was the perfect way to end the adventure.

Lunch and Returning to Bandar Seri Begawan

After the waterfall swim, we returned to Sumbiling Eco Village for lunch prepared by Seha’s aunt. I hadn’t mentioned my vegan diet beforehand, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the meal included rice, mixed vegetables, and some greens that reminded me of dishes I’d eaten in Africa. There was also chicken, but since everything was cooked and served separately, it was easy for me to skip. The food was delicious, and after such a long morning, everyone was more than ready to eat.

Not long after lunch, we headed back to Bangar to catch our boat to Bandar Seri Begawan. Just like in the morning, we didn’t manage to get on the first departing boat because Seha could only buy the tickets once we arrived at the jetty. This time, though, I didn’t mind the wait—there was nothing left to do except look forward to a shower back at the hotel.

When we arrived in the capital, our driver was already waiting and dropped us off at our hotels. It had been a long but incredibly rewarding day—an experience I know I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

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