[top photo: A group of people enjoying a longboat ride along the rivers of the Ulu Temburong National Park in Brunei.]
By Cheryl Tan
PARK AND RIDE
Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei
Unlike its South-east Asian counterparts, oil-rich Brunei is not a hot spot for tourists.
But there are emerging finds in this tiny wealthy nation.
Sunshine Borneo Tours' director of business development Kamil Abdul Hamid says the Ulu Temburong National Park is a must-go.
It has a canopy walk 45m above the forest floor and the rainforest it is located in is filled with cascading waterfalls, winding tributaries and trekking routes.
Book a room at Ulu Ulu Resort for soothing cricket sounds and fresh air.
Mr Hamid, who is in his late 40s, goes to the resort two to three times a month. He says: "I love it and want to live there."
But he warns that the resort, the only one in the rainforest, has no Internet connection and telephone signals can be wonky.
"You can only reply and send SMSes there," he says.
The resort organises treks to waterfalls, longboat rides (above) along the rivers and kayaking.
Where to stay: Ulu Ulu Resort has rooms with modern amenities and a choice of rooms with air-conditioning or ceiling fans. Rates start from B$393 (S$392) for a three-day, two night stay.
Getting there: Take a two- hour-plus Singapore Airlines flight ($460) to Bandar Seri Begawan. Head to the Kianggeh main jetty and take a 45-minute speedboat ride (B$6) to Bangar, Temburong. A 30-minute road trip will take you to Batang Duri (B$15 a trip), where you will need to get on a longboat for a 40-minute-plus journey (B$119) to the resort.
Pay: About $989 a person. Also, Sunshine Borneo Tours offers packages to the resort from $681, excluding airfare. To book, go to www.uluuluresort.com or call +(67) 3-244-1791.
