Ulu Temburong National Park

Looking up at the canopy walkway... long way up!

Breakfast was eggs and fried rice, and then Rudy and I departed Sumbiling with Ricky at the helm of the world's fastest longboat. We tore up the river, overtaking the park rangers who were going to register us, and arrived in record time. I've tried looking up a lot of websites to find out what the story is with accommodation in the park and I'd heard that there were lodges, but couldn't find any way to book them. Turns out they were taken over by Ulu Ulu resort a number of years ago and it has since taken over the park management as well. They collect all the entry fees and in return they provide... nothing. I needed to use the bathroom and we headed off in the direction indicated by the ranger, only to be yelled at by one of the rudest men I have ever met. "WHERE YOU GOING?? THIS PRIVATE PROPERTY!!!" he yelled over and over. It turns out he is the manager of the whole shebang. So you pay entry but they don't want you to use the toilets, their trails have rotted away and their signs bear no resemblance to the actual facilities. Hmmm.....

Way up above the tallest trees

Despite that, there is an area that is managed by Forestry and we went there (amid many jokes to each other about not stepping on the "private" stair or looking at the "private" tree...) It's a 350m staircase with a 200 metre rise. If you think about it... that's pretty steep. Once we got to the top of the ridge, there was a canopy walkway. It was extremely high and supported by aluminium scaffolding, but well-maintained. Up we climbed until we were actually above the rainforest canopy. Some of those trees are seriously tall, and it was quite eerie to be up so high above them. It's apparently one of the longest canopy walkways in the world, and by the end of it I was well ready to get down. There's only so much one person can take!!

We trotted back down the staircase, passing by other groups as we went. Because we had left so early we beat all the other groups and had it to ourselves. I was very glad about this once I was up there, because even Rudy's movement freaked me out. We went back to the boat via a suspension bridge. This was one of the most sturdy, reinforced, concretey bridges I have ever seen, yet they made everyone who walked across wear a lifejacket. Apparently version one of the bridge, which was more of the rope swing variety, broke with people on it. Twelve years ago. Yeah.... anyway... We got back in the boat and went a short way down the river to a small rocky beach with a stream coming out. We walked up the stream to the end, where a gorgeous waterfall awaited. By now I was saturated with sweat anyway so I didn't even bother changing into the swimsuit I'd brought, and just went in fully-clothed. Again we had the place to ourselves, so we just sat down in the water and enjoyed ourselves for a while. There are spa fish in this water so I took my shoes off and let them do their thing. These ones are bigger than the ones at the fish spa though and some of them bit with enthusiasm! Rudy found stones that you could grind into paint so we decorated ourselves and declared a new tribe.

Rudy and I in our new tribal paint

We were lucky because the water was clear when we got there but of course walking through quickly changed that. As we left, the other group of people was walking in. There were about 15 of them and I felt very glad that I was on my own! Got the fish spa and the facial all to myself.

After we got back I enjoyed a shower in the sun, then it was lunch time. I was sitting on the floor of the main area so Rudy got me a mat and of course I promptly went to sleep. When I woke up it started raining like it was never going to stop. There was a brilliant storm and it was so nice to watch from under the shelter, feel perfectly warm and have endless tea and a book to read. And Gossip Girl on the laptop...