Ulu Temburong National Park

It is the first national park in Brunei that is protected since 1991. There many adventures you can do in the area including the most exciting activity on the Canopy Walkway where you can see the green forest from over 60 meters above the ridge of the mountain. This walkway, built with steel towers supporting the cable way.

Flora

Vegetation in the reserve is in the form of tropical low forests with the Shorea, Dryobalanops and Dipterocarpus genera as the dominant species of plants. The primary lowland and upland forests are Dipterocarp forests, while the lowland montane forests are largely in the southern part. Mangroves are seen in the coastal areas. Rattan species are also common at the ground level of the forests. Other common varieties noted in the forest are gingers, begonias, gesneriads, aroids, Ixorablooms. Along the river courses, the plants species noted are palms, ferns, mosses and lichens. Fruiting figs and geocarpicfigs on which birds feed are also extensive.

Fauna

Fauna include mammals, reptiles, butterflies and insects and birds. The most popular, totally arboreal faunal species, is Müller's Bornean gibbon which is grey-brown in colour and is without tail. Its habitat is mostly the forest canopy and is occasionally seen at mid-canopy level. Squirrels, in particular the tiny plain pygmy squirrel near human habitations, and black spotted rock frog (Staurois natator) are also reported from the park. Orchids and snakes, particularly the coloured Wagler's pit viper, reside on tree tops.

The bushy-crested hornbill (Anorrhinus galeritus), rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), broadbills, black-and-yellow broadbill (Eurylaimus ochromalus), and swiftlets are notable birds in the park.

There are four hundred species of butterfly, some quite rare, and the most famous is the Rajah Brooke's birdwing which is given the name "white rajah" honouring James Brooke. The area was under his private authority as part of Sarawak during the colonial era; the male species have jet black wing colour and emerald green banding. Another variety of butterfly is the tree nymph (Idea stolli), which is a white and black spotted species. Other species of insects found are centipedes, giant forest ant (Camponotus gigas), lantern bugs and termites.

Conservation

The park is under the control of the Forestry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources. Offices of the National Park Headquarters are located near the confluence of Sungei Belalong with Temburong river. A research station was established and studies conducted on the forest ecology in the central Belalong area during the 1991-92 which proved the importance of wildlife and forest species in this park. The park is part of the Heart of Borneo international conservation agreement.

visit to Kampung Ayer in Brunei