Bangar

Tiny Bruneian district town and rainforest gateway, separated from the capital by mangroves and Malaysian Sarawak.

Bangar is the main town of Temburong, Brunei's eastern district, separated from the rest of the country by a wedge of Malaysian Sarawak. The town itself is tiny — a few shops, a mosque, a couple of places to eat — but it is the gateway to Ulu Temburong National Park, one of the best-preserved patches of primary rainforest in Borneo.

The park's canopy walkway, strung between aluminium towers high above the forest floor, gives dizzying views across unbroken jungle. Getting there involves a longboat ride up the Temburong River and a walk through the forest — the journey is half the experience. Bangar is reached from Bandar Seri Begawan by a scenic speedboat ride through the mangrove-lined Brunei Bay, or via the new Temburong Bridge.

Guide

Getting There

Bangar is reached from Bandar Seri Begawan by speedboat across Brunei Bay — a journey of about 45 minutes through mangrove channels that is scenic in its own right. The speedboat terminal in BSB is at the Serasa Ferry Terminal. Alternatively, the Temburong Bridge, opened in 2020, connects Bangar to the rest of Brunei by road — a drive of roughly one hour from BSB. The bridge crosses over Malaysian Sarawak on pillars, an engineering achievement driven by the practical need to connect the exclave without crossing Malaysian territory by land.

Guide

Things to Do

Bangar itself is a small administrative town with limited conventional sights — the reason to come is Ulu Temburong National Park, reached from the town's jetty by longboat. The journey upriver is itself half the experience. Allow a full day for the national park; the canopy walkway alone justifies the trip from Bandar Seri Begawan.