Brunei is one of those special places in the world that has the balance of modernity and ecology just right. As soon as I crossed the land border from Malaysia it was clear it was a unique place, the towering dipterocarps, lush green virgin forests as far as the eye can see, beautiful Islamic architecture and a relaxed, perhaps even serene, pace of human activity.
During this post we’ll take a look at some of the hidden treasures the country offers including the mangrove ecosystems of the Brunei Delta, hiking trails through the rainforests around the capital, wreck diving in the South China Sea and some of the marvelous plants I met along the way.
Let’s start with a little geography and a super brief history of the country.
Geography and History
Brunei is a small, oil-rich nation located on the northern coast of Borneo, the worlds third largest island in the Pacific Ocean which is shared by Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.
The earliest evidence of human settlement in the region dates back to the Neolithic period. The Dusun were among the earliest groups to settle in the region and are one of the largest indigenous ethnic groups in Brunei today, contributing significantly to the country's cultural heritage. Hinduism, Buddhism, Indian, Chinese, Javanese and Malay cultural influences were an important part of the regions development before the arrival of Islam in the 15th century. Islamic influence ushered in a era ruled by a powerful sultanate centered around the city of Bandar Seri Begawan that established strong trade relations with neighboring kingdoms and empires, including China, the Malay Archipelago and beyond.
During the colonial period, European powers sought to establish a presence in Brunei and in the 16th century, Spain and Portugal attempted to colonize the region, but their influence was limited. In the 19th century, Brunei came under British protection and eventually became a British protectorate.
There is a beautiful mural in the lobby of the Empire Hotel that illustrates Sultan Bolkiah's lavish reception to the first Europeans to visit Brunei in 1521, when the remnants of Ferdinand Magellan's fleet sailed into Brunei Bay on the homeward leg of their circumnavigation of the world.
The country was held under a brutal occupation by Japan during World War II and following the war, Brunei regained its independence from Britain in 1961. The discovery of significant oil reserves in the 1960s transformed Brunei's economy, making it one of the wealthiest nations in the world. The country is currently a constitutional monarchy with a focus on Islamic values and environmental conservation. The capital of Brunei is Bandar Seri Begawan often shortened to BSB.
Brunei River
One of the most impressionable aspects of Brunei is how beautifully integrated the place is with pristine natural habitat. A boat trip that leaves from the waterfront in the center of Bandar Seri Begawan exemplifies this perfectly. First passing through a traditional water village called Kampong Ayer, around just a few bends of the river you are seemingly transported into the heart of the wilderness where crocodiles roam the waters and proboscis monkey munch on leaves in the tree canopies.
Brunei is home to a variety of mangrove species, many of which can be found along the banks of the Brunei River and in other coastal areas The most common species are Rhizophora apiculata - Bakau minyak characterized by its red-brown roots, which often look like stilts. Avicennia alba -Api-api has grey-green leaves and pneumatophores (breathing roots) that stick out of the mud. Bruguiera gymnorrhiza - Berembang has distinctive, knee-shaped roots that help to stabilize the plant in the soft mud. Cerbera manghas - Nyireh laut is known for its poisonous fruits, that are used to make fish poison.
The Palm-like plants you can see in the above video are also mangrove species, Nypa fruticans - Nipah Palm. While not a true palm, it shares many characteristics with palms. It has large, fan-shaped leaves that can grow up to 9 meters long. The fruits, which are about the size of a tennis ball, are enclosed in a large spiny husk, are edible. Sap from the inflorescence can also be extracted and is boiled down to produce a dark, sticky sugar with a distinctive flavor and used to make alcoholic beverages.
Estuarine crocodile - Crocodylus porosus is the largest living reptile in the world and a formidable predator found in the Brunei River and other coastal waterways. These crocodiles are known for their aggressive nature and their ability to survive in both freshwater and saltwater environments. It’s relatively easy to spot the crocodiles during a short a boat trip from the center.
While the crocodiles are primarily associated with estuarine environments, they can also be found in freshwater habitats and occasionally on some of the beautiful sandy beaches.
The specific bird species found in Brunei's river and estuaries can vary depending on the season and the particular location. However, the area is generally known for it’s rich birdlife and offers excellent opportunities for birdwatching.
The star of the show is Proboscis Monkey - Nasalis larvatus that you can see clustered in groups along the river banks eating young leaves, unripe fruits, and seeds. The mature males, recognizable by their elongated nose, will often be seen alone.
The monkeys play a vital role in the ecosystem by dispersing seeds. I wondered whether the consumption of too many leaves can cause stress and hinder tree growth. Certain spots where the families hang out the trees seem to be almost completely defoliated. There were no signs of dead trees around so presumably it’s not a problem.
On the way back from the river trip into the Mangrove the boat passes through Kampong Ayer, a town built on the river on stilts, an architectural style similar to the settlements that have been traced back to the eighth century. The water village incudes housing as well as police & fire stations, schools, government buildings and everything you’d expect to find in a town with everything connected via walkways.
Hiking Around the Capital
Much like the way virgin forests have been obliterated in Europe and America to make way for grains and grazing, much of Southeast Asia’s forests have been cleared to make way for Oil Palm - Elaeis guineensis plantations. Plantations started on Borneo during the late 19th century but really picked up the pace within the last 50 years. The expansion of plantations to meet global demand for palm oil is having a significant negative impact on the region’s biodiversity and ecosystems. For example, orangutan populations have declined dramatically due to habitat loss from palm oil plantations.
Due to Brunei's abundant fossil oil reserves and its long-standing respect for wildlife, the country has not felt the need to clear its rainforests for agriculture. As a result, its rainforests are likely among the best preserved in Borneo, if not the world. Just a short walk from pretty much anywhere in the country you are likely to end up in primary forest, the most biodiverse form of rainforest where trees have never been logged or disturbed by human activity. One such place is the Tasek Lama Recreational Park.
Tasek Lama Recreational Park is a short 10 minute walk from the center. It starts off as a landscaped park and leads to various trails within the surrounding forests with resting areas and watchtowers that provide an opportunity to get into the canopies.
There is a section of the trail that veers up the slopes and circles back around to the entrance. The roots meander over the slopes creating intricate patterns and providing staircases through the forest with ropes conveniently placed for the very steep parts.
It was on this trail that I encountered my first Pitcher plant in the wild. These unique plants have evolved specialized pitcher-shaped leaves that attract, trap, and drown insects, providing a source of nutrients. No idea of the species, there more than 50 recorded carnivorous pitcher plant species on Borneo.
There are many more trails around the city, just type “trails” into google maps to locate them. I think most of them are well marked and all within 10 -15km or so from the center.
Bukit Patoi
On the way out of the country I stopped off for a last hike up the Bukit Patoi trail, that is located on the road towards Malaysia just after the Brunei bridge. This trail provides a small taster of what you can expect to find deeper in the rain forest and is inhabited by some of the tallest trees in the world, including a tree from Fabaceae, Koompassia exceisa - Tualang.
The tree has a smooth and slippery trunk discouraging sun bears - Helarctos malayanus from climbing up the tree making these trees an attractive hiving spot for giant honey bees Apis dorsata.
Another incredible tree growing in these forests is Castanopsis corallocarpus known locally as Berangan or Malay Chestnut, highly valued for their timber and edible nuts. The trees have the most incredible buttress roots that were so vast it was impossible to get a photo of the entire base of the tree. The photo below shows a small section that was around 2m high that stretches out for 6m or so like a solid fence.
One of the most fascinating aspects of this destination is its unique geological formations. The hill is composed of sandstone, which has been sculpted over millennia by wind, water, and erosion. The result is a stunning array of rock formations, including towering cliffs, hidden caves, and unusual rock formations that resemble ancient sculptures.
Along the 1800m trail to the top there are excellent infographics providing details of the plants and their role in the ecosystem.
As you make your way through the jungle occasionally you will hear the canopies rustle vigorously and the sound and sight of fruits thudding to the ground. Possibly Gibbons, Langurs or Long-tailed macaques all of which inhabit the area.
At the top of trail is a gorgeous view of the surrounding area accompanied by an astonishingly loud wild symphony, the unforgettable sound of a vigorous ancient rainforest.
Scuba Diving
There are couple of dive centers in BSB and some interesting dive sites just off the coast to the south of Brunei bay including a number of wreck dives. You need advanced certification to visit most of them as the depth exceeds 30m but I was more than happy with my first wreck dive, Dolphine Wreck, a relatively shallow wreck at 18m suitable for the entry level certified. The wreck is home to a variety of marine life with schools of fish around and within wreck.
It’s probably one of the most memorable dives I have made and although the visibility was bad due to recent and ongoing stormy weather and, the surge was quite strong, the variety of shoaling fish around and within the wreck along with the barnacle and coral growth claiming the sunken ship as home was wonderful to witness. Here’s a short video from the dive. Thanks to @rasonable.ramil from @oceanicquestdive for a great dive.
UBD
The UBD Botanical Research Centre is Brunei's first botanical garden, located within University Brunei Darussalam campus and serves as a crucial hub for research, education, and conservation of the nation's rich flora. The garden houses over 500 plant species, many of which are native to Brunei and Borneo and researchers at the garden study plant ecology, taxonomy, and ethnobotany and display the plants along with information throughout the garden and greenhouse. It’s well worth a visit if you are in the area. The garden includes a section dedicated to stingless bees with three species housed in hives in the garden. I’ll be writing a post specifically about these incredible organisms in the near future.
To arrange a tour of the garden email - office.brc@ubd.edu.bn. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their work at the garden.
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Plants of Interest
Queen Sago - Cycas rumphii is a species of tree-sized cycad in the family Cycadaceae. It is native from Borneo and Java in Indonesia to Papua New Guinea. A Bruneian delicacy called Ambuyat is derived from the cycad starch interior trunk of this plant.
Mix the starch with with boiling hot water and you get a tasteless gluey substance which is eaten using two-pronged bamboo sticks, called chandas, in a twirling motion to get the starch into a ball.
The Ambuyat is then dipped in sour sauces made from local fruits such as Binjai - Mangifera caesia, and various other spicy dips including Sambal Tempoyak made from fermented Durian - Durio zibethinus. In the Malaysian states of Sarawak, Sabah, and Labuan, it is sometimes known as Linut.
Cyrtostachys renda - Lipstick Palm - If driving into Brunei from Malaysia across the Labu Temburong Border you will immediately notice this plant growing on the edges of the Mangrove forest that the new road/bridge crossing Brunei Bay passes through. These plants grow in lowland peat swamp forest, especially in coastal areas, but more rarely occur in peat swamps in uplands from 0 – 500 m above sea level.
It’s a striking tropical plant, its most distinctive feature being a vibrant red crownshaft which resembles a tube of lipstick. This bright red color contrasts beautifully with the slender, green trunk and feathery, green leaves. The overall effect is one of elegance and exotic beauty that has earned this plant a place as common ornamental in the tropics
Ziziphus spp. - It’s always a pleasure when you find an interesting plant in an unsuspecting location, in this case a fine specimen of Ziziphus in the car park of a Supasave store.
Borneo is a hotspot for Ziziphus species diversity. Recent studies have identified 13 species of Ziziphus growing on the island, including several endemic species, making Borneo the island with the greatest known diversity of Ziziphus species in the world. I’m not sure what the photographed species is but there are five Endemic species: Ziziphus borneensis, Z. cuspidata, Z. domatiata, Z. puberula, and Z. ridleyana. The fruits of some Ziziphus species may be toxic if consumed in large quantities so I just tried a few of the fruits that ripen yellow/orange. I’m still here and they tasted pretty good. The bletted softer fruit was sweeter with the crisper, but ripe, fruits holding a tinge of bitterness.
Mata Kuching - Euphoria malaiense - is a cousin of the Longan (Dragon Eye Fruit) and one of Borneo's unique tropical fruits. The taste is somewhat similar to Snake Fruit - Salacca zalacca but it is sweeter and more juicy.
The fruit is incredibly satisfying to open, breaking the skin with a little pop and a gentle squeeze to release the succulent little sphere. Mata Kuching translates to Cat’s Eye Fruit in English and when you open the fruit it’s obvious why. The plants appear to require full sun to fruit well and can often be seen growing in the residential gardens around the city often along with Mango - Mangifera indica.
Rhodomyrtus tomentosa - Myrtle-leaved rose, is a flowering plant native to Southeast Asia that can be grown as a shrub or a small tree. Within its native range, R. tomentosa is a quick-growing early successional species and sprouts prolifically after a fire. The plant produces small, round berries that are edible when ripe with a sweet, slightly tart flavor and can be eaten fresh or used to make jams, jellies, and wine.
The plant has various traditional medicinal uses in Southeast Asia. Different parts of the plant are believed to have properties that can treat various ailments. Being relatively low-maintenance it’s also a popular ornamental plant, often used in gardens, parks, and landscapes and is admired for its attractive flowers and foliage.
The Dipterocarps - Not a species but an entire family well worth a mention is Dipterocarpaceae that comprises 16 genera and roughly 700 species. Its members can be found throughout the tropical regions of the world, though they hit their greatest numbers in the forests of southeast Asia and specifically Borneo. Brunei’s untouched forests are an excellent place to get up close to these magnificent organisms, well.. get up close to the huge buttresses. The canopies of some species can grow to 80m breaking high in the sky and you’ll need a telescope to see the leaves and flowers.
Not all the species are giants and many dipterocarps live out their entire lives in the forest understory but all provide fruits, pollen, nectar, and habitat for a myriad forms of life and as a family, serve as the backbone to the forest ecosystem. The wood of the taller species is highly sought after and dipterocarp forests have taken a huge hit with many species within this family threatened with extinction. Fortunately these magnificent plants and the ecosystems they are intrinsically linked too, have a safe haven in Brunei!
That’s all for now, thanks for reading!
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