Brunei Follows Suit With Indigenous River Safaris in Ulu Temburong

Written By: Abhirup Gan

Abhirup Gan

I'm Abhirup Gan, a Mass Communication graduate and digital marketing professional. Driven by a passion for storytelling, I create insightful, research-led content that explores tourism trends, destination stories, and hospitality developments with depth and clarity. Through my writing, I hope to inspire readers to discover not only where to travel, but the stories, cultures, and experiences that make every journey meaningful.

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September 7, 2026 1:42 PM

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Ulu Temburong National Park, located in Temburong District, Brunei, is implementing a unique form of nature tourism with a focus on river access, rainforest visits and community-based guiding in its roadless setting. Spanning approximately 50,000 hectares, the Ulu Temburong National Park preserves primary rainforest in the Temburong District of Brunei and is part of one of the nation’s most significant wildernesses. Also referred to as the “Green Jewel of Brunei”, the national park offers tours focusing on rivers, jungle hikes, canopy viewing and diverse species instead of typical road-based tours. This protected area can be accessed via the city of Bandar Seri Begawan using a combination of boating and road transportation, with the last leg of the tour taking place on riverways. In Ulu Temburong National Park, tourists visit via longboats sailing along the Temburong River, after which visitors enter the rainforests to go for walks and see the forests via canopy tours.

River Journeys Form the Gateway to the Forest

The Temburong River is the principal gateway for visitors travelling towards Ulu Temburong. Boats transport travellers through a changing landscape of river channels, forested banks and steep hills before reaching park facilities.

The river journey creates a clear distinction between Ulu Temburong and road-accessible rainforest destinations elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Visitors do not simply arrive by vehicle at a forest entrance and begin a short excursion. Instead, the transition from urban Brunei to river and rainforest environments forms part of a multi-stage journey.

The smaller Belalong River provides another important route into the forest. Its surrounding environment contains research facilities and trails that allow visitors to explore lowland rainforest habitats under guided conditions.

Traditional boat knowledge also remains relevant to communities in the wider Temburong area. Local boatmen possess experience navigating the region’s rivers, creating opportunities for tourism employment linked directly to the protected landscape.

Primary Forest Supports Biodiversity Tourism

Ulu Temburong contains extensive lowland rainforest with towering trees, dense vegetation, streams and steep terrain. The park’s biodiversity includes hundreds of tree species and numerous mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Dipterocarp trees form an important component of Bornean rainforest ecosystems, with some reaching considerable heights above the forest canopy. For visitors, these forests provide opportunities for wildlife observation and nature photography while demonstrating the scale and complexity of primary tropical rainforest.

The park’s biodiversity is particularly suited to specialist tourism. Birdwatchers can search for Bornean species, while naturalists can encounter insects, frogs, reptiles and other smaller rainforest organisms that become visible during guided walks.

Morning and evening excursions provide different wildlife opportunities. Early walks can coincide with increased bird activity, while nocturnal excursions introduce visitors to the sounds and species of the forest after sunset.

Canopy Experiences Provide a Different View

One of Ulu Temburong’s most recognisable tourism features is the Canopy Walkway, which rises above the forest floor and provides elevated views across the rainforest.

The structure consists of a series of towers and bridges that allow visitors to observe the upper levels of the forest. From the canopy, travellers can see the layered structure of the rainforest and surrounding hills, offering a perspective that is impossible from conventional ground-level trails.

The experience also connects tourism with environmental education. Visitors can observe the density of the forest, identify different tree forms and watch birds moving through the canopy.

The walkway has become one of Brunei’s signature adventure tourism attractions while remaining integrated into the wider protected-area experience.

Guided Trails Explore the Forest Floor

Ground-level trails provide a different encounter with Ulu Temburong. Guides lead visitors through humid forest environments, across streams and along paths surrounded by dense vegetation.

One of the better-known excursions includes the route towards Sungai Apan Waterfall, where travellers can combine rainforest walking with freshwater swimming. Other trails explore the forest around park facilities and research areas.

The guided format is important because rainforest conditions can change rapidly. River levels, rainfall, slippery terrain and dense vegetation make local knowledge valuable for visitors unfamiliar with the environment.

Guides can also explain the relationships between trees, insects, birds and waterways, transforming a forest walk into a broader natural-history experience.

Sumbiling Eco Village Adds Community Tourism

Community-based tourism adds another layer to the Temburong visitor experience. Sumbiling Eco Village, located in the wider Temburong area, provides visitors with opportunities to experience local culture and rainforest surroundings through accommodation, food and guided activities.

The village-based model allows tourism spending to reach local households rather than being concentrated exclusively in large urban accommodation providers. Visitors can stay in a rural setting, experience local food and participate in activities connected with the surrounding environment.

Community tourism also creates opportunities for residents to work as guides, boat operators, cooks and hosts. These roles connect tourism income with the natural and cultural resources of Temburong.

Iban Heritage Adds Cultural Depth

Indigenous communities form part of the cultural landscape surrounding Temburong, including Iban communities whose traditional knowledge includes relationships with forests, rivers, plants and local food systems.

Tourism activities can incorporate cultural interpretation through food preparation, storytelling, handicrafts and demonstrations of traditional practices. River travel also provides a direct connection between cultural heritage and the geography of the region.

For visitors, the combination of rainforest and community experiences provides a more complete understanding of Temburong than wildlife viewing alone.

Research and Tourism Share the Belalong Landscape

The Kuala Belalong Rainforest Field Studies Centre has made the region an important location for tropical forest research. Researchers have studied biodiversity, forest ecology and climate-related processes in the Belalong area.

The presence of scientific research adds an educational dimension to nature tourism. Visitors can encounter a landscape that is not only protected for recreation but also used for long-term ecological study.

This connection is particularly relevant for specialist travellers interested in botany, zoology, conservation and tropical ecology.

Water-Based Adventures Extend the Experience

River activities remain central to Temburong tourism. Longboat journeys, river exploration and waterfall excursions allow visitors to experience the park without extensive infrastructure cutting through the forest.

The rivers also provide natural routes between communities and protected areas. Travelling by boat reduces the need for conventional road construction inside the rainforest while maintaining access for tourism.

Adventure activities around waterfalls and streams add recreational opportunities, although conditions depend on weather and river levels.

Brunei Protects a Roadless Rainforest Experience

The tourism identity of the Ulu Temburong has come about because of its isolation from regular roads. The two elements of river transportation and forest exploration have brought about a situation in which low density is created. Transport, forest observation and outside activity become complementary factors in such a situation. For visitors who have had the opportunity to visit the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan, Temburong provides a whole new side to the country. In such a scenario, tourist activities could be planned in which a visit to the urban attractions of the city would be coupled with a multi-day trip to the rainforest involving river transportation, canopy trips, waterfalls and villages. Thus, tourism would become a cycle where the rainforest is the focal point, and local boatmen, guides and enterprises from villages get involved in tourism. With the development of sustainable tourism in Brunei, Ulu Temburong has become a place where the river becomes the gateway to the rainforest.