All activities / Trekking / Hiking / Ulu Temburong
Trekking / Hiking in Ulu Temburong
Brunei's Green Jewel, a strictly protected national park in the country's isolated Temburong district reached only by boat up the Temburong River, an unlogged lowland and hill rainforest famous for its aluminium canopy walkway high above the treetops.
Why here
Ulu Temburong National Park protects a slice of primary Borneo rainforest that has never been logged, and Brunei keeps it that way by allowing access only through licensed operators and only by river. You reach it on a longboat ride up the shallow, rapid-strewn Temburong River, then climb a tall aluminium canopy walkway that lifts you around fifty metres up through the layers of the forest to look out over unbroken jungle and, at dawn, listen to gibbons and hornbills. Below, boardwalks and forest trails lead to a cool river plunge pool and, for the curious, a session standing still while tiger leeches and butterflies find you. Because entry is capped and guided, the forest stays quiet and intact, a rare thing in Borneo, and the trip doubles as a window into Iban and local Temburong life along the river.
Best months
The park is open year round but the rivers run more reliably in the wetter months; the drier stretches around February to April and June to August make the longboat ride and trails easier. It is hot and very humid, and the canopy tower is a steep climb up stairways and ladders, so a basic level of fitness helps. Leeches are part of the experience in the wet; long socks and repellent are sensible. Trips run from Bandar Seri Begawan as long day tours or overnight stays.
Getting there & around
Temburong is a district of Brunei cut off from the rest of the country by Malaysian territory; the fast way in is the Temburong Bridge from Bandar Seri Begawan to Bangar, then a licensed operator's minibus and longboat to the park entrance. Independent entry is not permitted, so book a day trip or overnight through a licensed Brunei operator, which handles the permits, boats and guides. Bring dry-bag protection for cameras on the splashy river run.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (2)
Borneo Guide
OutfitterBorneo Guide, operated by Hasa Incentives Sdn Bhd under Brunei tourism licence KPSU/TDD/2002/2TO, is an eco-focused operator that runs day trips and overnight stays into Ulu Temburong National Park. Its trips pair the longboat run up the Temburong River and the climb up the roughly fifty metre aluminium canopy walkway with a stay at its own Sumbiling Eco Village on the park's edge, and it employs local Temburong people as guides and boatmen.
Freme Travel Services
OutfitterFreme Travel Services is one of Brunei's established travel companies and a longstanding inbound operator, with partnerships with international brands such as Trafalgar and Contiki. It runs licensed Temburong tours that combine the Temburong River longboat, waterfall trekking and the Ulu Temburong canopy tower, offered as day trips and overnight packages from Bandar Seri Begawan. Its wider programme covers Brunei city and Kampong Ayer water village tours.