Temburong is the forested finger of land set adrift from the rest of Brunei by the Malaysian district of Limbang, which was snatched from Brunei’s control in 1890 by Raja Brooke of Sarawak. The population of Temburong is barely 10,000, with Malays living alongside a scattered population of Iban, Murut and Kadazan tribespeople. The whole district has a village atmosphere; wherever you go in Temburong, it seems that everybody knows one another.
Speedboats for Temburong leave regularly from the jetty on Jalan Residency in Bandar Seri Begawan. They roar downriver, passing briefly into Brunei Bay, before weaving through the mangrove channels as far as Bangar, Temburong’s main town. The journey itself is an adventure: look out for proboscis monkeys swimming across the narrow channels.
Bangar (not to be confused with Bandar) is a quiet place with a single row of shophouses and a sultry, sleepy air. There’s a mosque, a few government offices, a resthouse and a few coffee shops for passing the time of day, otherwise there’s no particular reason to linger. Most people carry straight on in the direction of the Ulu Temburong National Park, the principal attraction for visitors to the district.
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