Recently refurbished, Sungai Liang
This was the first of the Forestry Department's jungle recreation parks and remains one of the best. It covers a hilly area of 14 hectares of largely undisturbed forest which forms part of a large arboretum reserve that was first gazetted in 1948. In 1970 part of the arboretum was turned into a small public park and developed further into its present form in 1989 with a network of well-maintained walking tracks radiating out from a central landscaped area with picnic shelters and cool lakes where swimming is allowed. It is popular at weekends with walkers, picnickers and joggers and has changing rooms.
Most of the trees are indigenous but as the park is also an arboretum so some exotic species have also been planted. The forest is mixed dipterocarp which is characteristic of Brunei Darussalam, and species include meranti, rubber, myrtle and macaranga trees intermingled with palms, including the spiky nibong, rattans, screwpines and lianas. One pencil-thin bamboo, Dinochloa, climbs tree trunks. Mammals are difficult to see but include the plantain squirrel, pig-tailed macaque, Bornean gibbon and the flying lemur. Roundleaf horseshoe bats can be found hanging under palm fronds. A visit to the park is a good opportunity to get to know more about Brunei Darussalam's jungle which covers 80 percent of its surface. The nearby forestry centre is also open to visitors.
© Brunei Shell Group of Companies
Original text researched and written by Nick wood . Text updated in 1996 by Haji Hussin bin Ahmad, re-researched and updated in 2000 by Hans Dols
Getting there:
To reach Sungai Liang Forest Recreation Park, turn left off the coastal highway at the main Sungai Liang junction - located about 70km from Bandar Seri Begawan. Proceed for another 450m along the road to Labi and look for the park's entrance on the right. 13 April, 2004 | 
Belait