Tasek Merimbun

Tasek Merimbun is the country's largest lake, an S-shaped body of blackwater in Tutong district, stained dark by tannins leaching from the surrounding peat swamp forest. It is an ASEAN Heritage Park, protecting habitat for the Bornean clouded leopard, otters, hornbills and the rare white-collared fruit bat, along with pitcher plants and orchids in the swamp forest. Boardwalks run out over the water to a small wooded island reached by a bridge, and the setting is quiet in a way that Brunei generally is - visitors often have the place entirely to themselves.

History

Dusun people are believed to have lived here for centuries, and by local tradition the lake is named after Imbun, a village head's son from Merangking Hilir who found it while hunting and settled here with his family; ruins of a sacred ancestral site have been found on Pulau Jelundong. In 1967 the first director of the Museums Department saw its value as a sanctuary, a survey in 1983 and 1984 found the rare white-collared fruit bat, and on 29 November 1984 it became the first ASEAN Heritage Park, formally inaugurated on 27 May 2000 (Wikipedia, Tasek Merimbun).

What you'll find

• The blackwater lake - tannin-dark water reflecting the forest.
• Boardwalks and the island bridge - the walk out over the water.
• Peat swamp forest - pitcher plants, orchids and specialised trees.
• Birdlife - hornbills, kingfishers and forest species.

When to go

Brunei is hot and humid year round with rain possible any day; the drier months from February to April are marginally easier. Early morning is best for wildlife and cooler walking. Rain here arrives hard and passes quickly.

Things to know

Facilities are minimal and the site is quiet to the point of feeling deserted - there is often no one on duty. Boardwalks have deteriorated in sections over the years and some may be closed. Wildlife is present but shy; expect birds and insects rather than mammals. Mosquitoes are constant. Getting here needs a car as public transport is impractical.

Nearby

Tutong town, the Tutong river and the road toward Seria.

Key facts