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One of the highlights of a trip to Brunei is a visit to Ulu Temburong National Park. If you make it all the way to Bandar Seri Begawan, you owe it to yourself to spend a day or two taking in the natural beauty of this rainforest.
The main event at Ulu Temburong is the canopy walk, which will have you huffing and puffing from all the stairs, and then leave you breathless from the spectacular views above Brunei’s pristine rainforest canopy.
Read on for how to plan your visit to Ulu Temburong National Park. I’ll tell you all about how to get there, what to expect, the best tours, and what to pack.
Ulu Temburong: Brunei’s National / Natural Treasure
Ulu Temburong National Park is the best kept secret in Borneo!
Nestled in the heart of Brunei’s rainforest, this park is a beacon of hope for eco-tourism, appealing to adventurers and nature enthusiasts alike. The dense canopy of green offers a brief escape out of the city and into one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems.
Established in 1991, the park is a testament to Brunei’s commitment to preserving its ecosystems against the backdrop of heartbreaking rapid deforestation in other parts of Borneo. Because Brunei has all that oil money, they have not had to sell out their pristine rainforests to the palm oil companies (unlike their neighbors). Ironically then, because of its wealth of oil, about 53 percent of Brunei is protected rainforest.
Ulu Temburong National Park takes up quite a bit of that, with its 50,000 hectares (123,552 acres) of pristine jungle. But only 100 of those acres are open to visitors, even further protecting the natural habitat. Unless you are a researcher, your visit will be confined to the limited area around the canopy walk and waterfall.
What to Expect at Ulu Temburong: the Canopy Walk
The main attraction of Ulu Temburong is the canopy walk, with breathtaking views high above the rainforest canopy. This adventure is not for the faint of heart, and especially not for those with a fear of heights.
This description is based on our experience with the Freme Explore Temburong + Canopy Walk package.
The bus picks you up at your hotel in Bandar Seri Begawan and makes an easy one-hour drive across the Jambatan Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien bridge to Ulu Temburong. The adventure begins at the Freme Rainforest Lodge!
Upon our arrival, lodge staff greeted us with tea and coffee and some local sweets.
Staff explained the program for the day, along with all important safety briefing and the dos and don’ts. They have lockers for items you don’t want to take on the boat. They provide a free water-filling station if you brought your own bottle, or they have drinks for sale. Definitely bring water with you—it is hot and humid and you will get sweaty and thirsty!
The lodge also provides an assortment of rubber shoes you can borrow if you didn’t bring the right footwear.
The fun starts with the 30-45 minute boat ride up the river in traditional “temuai” longtail boat to get to the start of the canopy walk. They put two or three guests in each boat, with a driver in the back manning the motor, and a spry fellow in front who guides the boat out of trouble with a big stick.
Furthermore, when we were visiting, there was a drought, so the boat men had to keep jumping out to pull the boat over the rocks, all while driving us upstream. They worked so hard, and I was stressed on their behalf!
Despite the excitement of sitting practically on the water as the roaring engine pushes against the current, the scenery itself is serene and relaxing.
Eventually you will arrive at an abandoned-looking building, which was once a lodge that welcomed visitors to the canopy walk. No more. There are NO amenities here anymore (at least in August 2023). The facility is all locked up. Even the bathrooms are locked. Our guide seemed surprised at the bathrooms being locked, so maybe it was a temporary condition while we were there.
This is therefore your notice to bring plenty of water and snacks because you will not be able to purchase anything once you leave the lodge. As for the bathrooms, well, there are a few popular spots behind the building. Hopefully they will get this facility back up and running.
And now it’s time to start climbing. You have to climb up a steep set of stairs to even get to the canopy walk.
Pretty early on you will reach a cable bridge. They are very safety-minded, so only a few people are allowed on the bridge at a time. It felt very secure.
And then stairs. And more stairs.
Finally, you arrive at the aluminum erector-set canopy walk structure and just look up… and up…and up.
I have to climb this thing?!?
Let’s get to it! They say the canopy structure was built by the same people who build oil rigs, so it should be pretty sound. It felt pretty sound, and somehow flimsy at the same time, mostly because it is made of aluminum and stretches up into the heavens.
Once again, there are limits to how many people are allowed on the canopy walk at the same time. Essentially you climb up the first tower, then cross a bridge to another tower…then another bridge to the final tower—with the best views.
This is where you get to take in the majesty of the pristine rainforest. It’s so cool to be above the tree canopy, kind of what it must feel like to be a bird.
And finally it’s time to take the long long switchback of skinny aluminum ladder stairs back to the bottom. The gaps are probably big enough to fall through, but just take one step at a time.
You make it down, exhilarated, and saunter back down the endless steps to meet your boat back to the lodge.
When there is not a drought, most tours will take you to a pretty waterfall with the option for a “fish spa” where little fish nibble at your toes. When we were there, our guide indicated that the waterfall was a mere trickle so it wasn’t really worth it, and we all agreed to skip it.
On the way back, our guides gave us the option to tube down the river to the lodge for the final 20 minutes or so of the journey. Despite the shallow water, it was a really fun way to end the day!
Those who didn’t want to tube were given the option of a quick zipline back at the lodge.
Either way, we all arrived at the lodge hungry just in time for a lovely lunch of local specialties.
If you are feeling grungy, you can shower at the lodge before heading back to Bandar Seri Begawan on the bus. You will probably be back in the city by around 5pm.
Getting to Ulu Temburong National Park
Don’t think you can just rock up to Ulu Temburong. While it is certainly possible to arrange your visit independently, it will take a lot of time, it’s very difficult and will probably not even save you that much money, if any.
A lot of blogs talk about taking a speedboat from Bandar Seri Begawan to Bangar, then taking a longtail boat. But in 2023 my research trying to figure out how to get there, I don’t think that’s a viable option anymore. My guess is that once the Jambatan Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien bridge and causeway opened up in 2020, driving became the easiest and fastest option. The drive now takes about one hour from the capital.
There are essentially three ways to get from Bandar Seri Begawan to Ulu Temburong:
- Book a tour: This is the easiest and probably the cheapest way to visit Ulu Temburong. Most tours will pick you up at a downtown hotel in the morning and bring you back in the evening.
- Rent a car: If you have a few people, it might be cheaper to rent a car and drive to Ulu Temburong, but you will still have to pay for a tour to visit the park.
- Hire a taxi / Dart: This is probably the most stressful way to visit! You have to find a driver willing to take you on the one-hour drive to Ulu Temburong and then figure out how to get back to Bandar at the end of the day. My guess is that there are not a lot of Dart or taxi drivers around so you might find yourself begging for a ride, or spending a lot of money to have the driver wait for you.
In short, I highly recommend making your life easier and booking a tour, especially if you don’t have a car and are only going for the day.
Ulu Temburong Tour Packages
Like so many things in Brunei, it really helps to plan in advance to arrange a tour. There aren’t that many operators, so availability is somewhat limited. That said, we were able to arrange our tour through our hotel when we arrived, so only a few days in advance.
I recommend looking at one of two options: a day tour with Freme (I believe resellers like Viator and Get Your Guide even use them), or an overnight at Sumbiling Eco Village with a Borneo Guide tour.
Read on for details on each option.
Freme Rainforest Lodge
The canopy walk experience I described above was through Freme, and I thought it was a worthwhile tour. It was well organized, convenient, and an overall fun day. While the tour is certainly not cheap, it is good value.
The current (non-resident) price for the Explore Temburong + Canopy Walk package is BND$155 (about US$115) per person, including transportation to and from Bandar Seri Begawan.
We arranged for our tour with Freme (yes, they are the main game in town) through our hotel (Capital Residence Suites, the best place to stay in Bandar Seri Begawan!).
Sumbiling Eco Village / Borneo Guide
If you want to visit Ulu Temburong independently, consider spending a few days in the jungle at Sumbiling Eco Village. They offer tents and rooms, clean toilets and showers, warm meals, and also provide a few options for tours in the park, including the canopy walk and night walks. It’s not fancy, but guests report that the hospitality is warm, the food delicious.
They offer what looks like similar canopy walk tours as Freme, booked through Borneo Guide.
You can also arrange the stay and tours directly through Borneo Guide. The three day, two night adventure is going for BND$325 (US$240) and includes lodging, meals, canopy walk and a night walk.
I wish I had known about this option prior to planning my trip to Brunei—it would have been lovely to spend a few days relaxing in the jungle and connecting with nature.
What to Bring to Ulu Temburong National Park
So, you’ve decided to go!
You need to pack a few essentials to make the most of your visit to Ulu Temburong. You will need to prepare for a few different environments: bright sun, humid jungle, water sports, and swimming.
Clothing
This is one of the few places in Brunei where it’s ok to break the modesty mold and wear shorts and short sleeves. That said, it’s sunny out on the water, so you might want to wear long sleeves or pants to protect yourself from the sun and bugs. That said, you’ll also want to bring a hat to protect from the sun, preferably one with a chin strap.
If you plan on engaging in water sports, or just want to take a dip in the cool waters, wear a bathing suit under your hiking gear.
You will need sturdy shoes that are comfortable for climbing up the steps and along the canopy walk—but are also ok in the water. Hiking sandals are perfect for this. You could also bring one pair of shoes for walking and another for the water.
After all that sweating and splashing, you are going to want to jump in the shower when you get back to the lodge. So bring a towel and a fresh change of clothes.
If you are visiting during rainy season and are worried about downpours, you might consider bringing a rainjacket or poncho. It is so hot and humid, however, you will probably get just as wet inside as out…so I probably would only bring one if I needed to protect my gear.
Sun and Bug Protection
You will be out on the water on the longtail boat with little to no shade for about 45 minutes on the way to the canopy walk. In addition to wearing a hat, you will probably want to slather on some sunblock.
You should plan to put on some insect repellant before you leave the lodge. You’ll want an insect repellant that is not harmful to nature (but still somehow keeps the bugs away from you!).
Gear
Take your usual photo equipment (mobile phone/camera/GoPro) to capture the experience. Just make sure you have a good case, and a strap or tether. You don’t want to drop your phone from the top of the canopy walk!
You might also consider a waterproof bag to keep your valuables dry while you are out on the boat, but unless something crazy happens, there will just be the occasional splash.
Make sure to bring a reusable water bottle that can be refilled at the lodge.
Complete Packing List
In sum, here is your complete Ulu Temburong packing list:
- Short sleeve/long sleeve shirt
- Shorts/trousers
- Bathing suit
- Change of clothes
- Hat
- Hiking sandals or water shoes
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellant
- Camera, phone camera, GoPro, etc.
- Protective case for phone, camera, etc.
- Tether/strap for phone, camera, etc.
- Waterproof bag
- Water bottle
- Snacks
Final Thoughts
Ulu Temburong National Park is as a testament to Brunei’s dedication to conservation. This tiny nation is committed to protecting these pristine environments for future generations. Every step along the jungle floor and up the canopy walk steps leads to incredible views across the treetops that remind you of the irreplaceable beauty of our natural world.
It’s a splurge, for sure, but it was a super fun day.
Check out more fun things to do in Brunei in my 13 Fun Things to Do in Bandar Seri Bagawan post.
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