An off the beaten track adventure

Brunei’s beauty and legends are not just confined to the Capital or rainforest region of Temburong. Hidden away in the back streets, a series of lakes and waterfalls collectively known as Tasek Meradun holds an amazing array of untouched wilderness just 11km from the capital.

All you need to get started on the adventure is a pair of comfortable walking shoes, clothes that can get wet and permission to enter from the head of the simpang. He’s hard to miss as his house is the only one at that simpang and he usually sits outside. Once permission has been granted, it is just a 5 minute walk to the nearest waterfall. Locals love to take a dip and soak in the majestic beauty of the waterfall and greenery that lives on the moist cliff face. You can see the water trickling down the wall nourishing the plants and creating a beautiful sight; combined with the sound of the cascading water, the intensity of which depends on the season, the spot is very soothing.

The beauty of Tasek Meraduns nature is complimented by the stories shared by the locals for generations. One such legend is of the fairy princess that resides in a cave hidden on the cliff face. As legend goes, that every once in a while she would climb down from the cave and bathe in waters of Tasek Meradun and be guarded by a Harimau Jadian or Tiger.

If you decide, to take this, off the beaten track adventure, you may spot the princess and her tiger. This article has been adapted from the May 2015  Brunei Times article “Beauty and legends of Tasek Meradun” found here.