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The most famous
tourist attraction in the Temburong district is
the Rainforest Field Studies Centre which is
located at the town of Kuala Belalong in the
Batu Apoi Forest Reserve which is a large area
of primary rainforest that covers most of the
southern part of Temburong. This scientific
research centre is actually a joint venture
between the Brunei Shell Petroleum and the
Universiti Brunei Darussalam which was set up as
a training and research base conducting
experiments to understand more about Brunei's
lowland tropical forests.
Consisting of a
streamside complex of seven timber houses, this
place offers field research facilities providing
to a range of enquiry levels which comes from
bonafide overseas scientists to parties from
universities, secondary schools and government
bodies. Getting to this place may provide a
challenge to many visitors since it may involve
up to more than two hours of pushing and pulling
a long boat over a series of twenty three
upriver rapids. Despite the difficulties of
getting here, most visitors will find the effort
totally worthwhile as the beauty of this tourist
attraction is simply magnificent. The importance
of this place is also second to none as
described by one entomologist who found over
four hundred species of beetle on a single tree.
New discovery here never seems to end with
plenty more waiting to be discovered. Visitors
too can overnight at the Kuala Belalong
Rainforest Field Studies Centre since there are
accommodation and dining facilities for up to
two dozen people but permit has to be obtained
from the Universiti Brunei Darussalam for
overnight visits.
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