Brunei Darussalam is a small Sultanate on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo, sandwiched between the Malaysian state of Sarawak and the South China Sea. With a population of less than half a million and a sizeable income from oil and gas production, Brunei (map) is one of the wealthiest countries in Asia. Its capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, is a small city with stunning gold-domed mosques, impressive palaces (the Sultan’s Palace is the world’s largest inhabited palace), bustling markets and a fascinating floating village. There’s practically no crime and everyone speaks English. I’d been to Brunei two times before as I have family living there but I’d never ventured outside the capital.
A Brunei jungle safari in Temburong
On this occasion, I had the opportunity to go on a jungle safari in Brunei’s eastern province of Temburong. I wasn’t too enthusiastic to be honest as the safari tour included a four a.m. wake-up call the next morning for a jungle hike (in the dark) and a canopy walk to see the sunrise – you see, I’m not a morning person.
The boat ride to Temburong
As we boarded the speedboat in Bandar Seri Begawan that would take us to Temburong, I noticed the excitement of my fellow adventurers. I quietly told myself to be a sport and just enjoy the experience. The boat picked up speed and soon we were whizzing by the mangrove-edged shores of Brunei Bay. We spotted a few crocodiles along the way, resulting in a few shrieks of horror (or was it excitement?) in the boat. A thrilling series of twists and turns along the curly Temburong River followed and we soon arrived in a small community where we disembarked and boarded a bus. The bus took us to a makeshift pier along the Temburong River where we hopped into long boats.
We continued up the river, the cool breeze helping to dispense the tropical heat and humidity, and negotiated several rapids along the way. The virgin forest looked absolutely majestic. The sun pierced through densely packed trees whilst the call of a hornbill and the screech of macaques occasionally rose above the almost deafening chorus of crickets.
Ulu Ulu Resort
We arrived after the two-hour trip from Bandar at the Ulu Ulu Resort [July 2020 update: the Ulu Ulu Resort has ceased operations], our base in the jungle. I was shown to my room, a spacious private chalet with a comfortable bed and a large bathroom. I parked myself on the verandah and simply listened to the sounds of the jungle. That evening, after a lovely dinner (the roasted chicken and prawns were fantastic!), I crept into bed before the lights went out.
Temburong canopy walk
The next morning, a knock on my door sounded at 4 a.m., as promised. My lack of hesitation (or grumpiness) surprised me! I gathered my torchlight and camera and even managed a chuckle once I realised how excited I was. It’s all a frame-of-mind thing isn’t it?
We crossed the river by boat and proceeded with our hike up a muddy path (it had rained the night before), steadying ourselves with the roots and branches of trees and using our torchlights to guide us. The jungle was eerily quiet. The path led us to a series of steps that seemed to disappear up the hill. “There are 860 steps”, our guide mentioned casually. “Fabulous!”, was my reply. I made no attempt to hide my disdain.
Up we went, one step at a time, taking short breaks along the way to ease our heavy breathing. The jungle gradually awoke as we made our way up the hill. First the crickets, then the birds, followed by the macaques and the gibbons. We caught a glimpse of the gibbons as they hopped from branch to branch in search of breakfast.
The towers!
840 steps later, I turned a corner and froze in horror. There, at the top of the stairs, was a massive metal structure that towered high above the jungle canopy. Pangs of fear reeled through my body and I felt my legs literally go weak. “THAT’s the canopy walk?”, I asked. Our guide confirmed this, adding that the five 40-meter-high towers, connected by bridges above the canopy, are built atop a ridge. A seemingly never-ending series of ladders led visitors up the first tower.
I stood at the base of the first tower and strained my neck to see the top. “I can’t do this”, I thought as I wrapped my hands around the cold metal poles and thought of my fear of heights. “Oh, get over it! This would be another exciting challenge! Hey, you’ve jumped out of a plane before! This is peanuts.” I heard myself think. A short debate ensued in my mind as I inspected the structure. I made up my mind, summoned up the courage, took a few deep breaths and in one swift move, clambered onto the first of the ladders.
Overcoming my fear of heights
The ladders were arranged in a zig-zag pattern, strangely reminding me of the fire escapes in old New York buildings. I was grateful for that thought as it took my mind off the fear that was engulfing me. My whole body trembled but I concentrated on achieving a steady rhythm in my movements: “1 step, 2 step, 3 step, 4 step, hand on the pole, pull yourself up, turn on your left foot…” and so forth. I said this out loud on each ladder and landing until I reached the top.
Once on top, I peered down and felt a cold chill run down my spine. I told myself to focus on the horizon where a spectacular view awaited me: the early-morning sun was slowly rising far in the horizon whilst the forest-clad hills extended as far as I could see. Through the highest branches in the trees, I noticed patches of morning mist hovering ever so gently above the forest. Several colourful birds flew by. It was simply magical!
I felt my body relax and even managed to hold my camera steady for a few photos. I continued across the bridge to the second tower. My confidence grew with each step, and by the time I reached the third tower, I felt like a pro!
I spent about a half hour simply taking in the views and the sounds, before descending the last tower. When I was safely back on the ground, I felt triumphant as I looked up at the towers and the bridges above me. It was a wondrous experience to see the jungle from above and I’m so happy that I took that first step onto the ladder.
Note: my trip to Brunei was made possible by Royal Brunei Airlines. Royal Brunei operates regular services from most Southeast Asian cities as well as from Shanghai, London and Melbourne to Brunei.
Oh gosh, I went on a float down the river but didn’t even think of alligators or crocodiles! Haha! It was a wondrous experience for sure!
Cheers,
Keith
Thanks for making me relive that Temburong canopy conquest, among other things. Did you not try the swim towards the riverbank without regard for what might be a surprise company of alligator that may be resting by the side? What makes this trip/adventure quite marvelous was my golden age at which I went on the tour. Age didn’t matter just yet even with the 860 steps of sometimes slippery trail as I still had stamina for such strenuous hike, not to mention a brief bathing by the waterfalls.
Hey Janice,
OMG indeed! Haha! It was a great challenge but glad I did it – the views were pretty phenomenal! 🙂
Cheers,
Keith
OMG – can’t believe you had to climb that reallllly tall metal stairway! That would freak us out way more than the crocodiles. But the jungle views must have been worth it :-).
Oh, the canopy walk looks just terrific!!
I guess the views mush have been fabulous from up there 🙂
I’ve learned over the years that some of the most breath taking views and experience can happen during sun rise. It can be such a pain to get up but what an experience. A little short term pain of waking up early for long term gain of the memories and experiences and the great photos. I’m not sure I would have been quite as brave as you on those towers.
Looks like it was worth it to get to the top but just looking at your pics makes me feel a little dizzy – the barriers don’t look very high!
Wow, these photos remind me of my trip to Peru for our honeymoon. You could easily mistake these scenes for the Amazon Rain Forest. That canopy walk is insanely high! So much more high then the one we went to in Peru.
[…] Reise wert. Das durfte ich bei meinem Besuch in Banda Seri Begawan persönlich erleben. Keith von Vevet Escape hat sich aus der Hauptstadt rausgetraut und einen Trip in den Dschungel unternommen. Wer sich die […]
This bridge is so awesome and the boat ride must have been so much fun! Hope to make it there soon!
Hahahaha! It wasn’t a pretty sight (my face at 4am and when I saw the canopy walk). 😉
Hugs,
Keith
Glad I did this safari as it did show a different side of Brunei. And it was loads of fun.
Cheers,
Keith
Thanks Rob! 🙂
I love these pics!!!
Wow, fantastic post! I really only ever read about people spending the day in Bandar Seri Begawan if they manage to make a stop in Brunei. This looks like a ton of fun. That view is definitely worth the trek (they usually are!). Great photos! Thanks for sharing this and safe travels!
Haha! I would have liked to see your face at 4 a.m. and then when you found out about the canopy walk.
You’ve been really brave and I’m not sure if I would have had the same courage. Looks like a fantastic experience, though. And what a view…