Tasek Lama Recreational Park

You do not call Brunei "The Kingdom of Unexpected Treasure" for nothing. We have all the surprises that could wow you everytime. Brunei, despite the minuscule size in comparison to its neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, has a vast land left untouched and well-preserved. One of the best landmarks that the kingdom has to offer is its natural waterfall that stands majestically right in the middle of the city Bandar Seri Begawan.

The Tasek Lama Recreational Park is infact a water reservoir that supplies water to nearly half of the state. Due to its strategic location and the geographical features, the area is now turned into a park for the public and tourists to enjoy. With its recent upgrading, thanks to the tourism board campaign to promote eco-tourism in the country, the park was given a major facial uplift that is comparable to any other recreational parks found in other countries.

The best time to go to the park would be during weekend in the morning when there is less people around. Then you would be able to enjoy all the facilities and sceneries all to yourself without any interruption. The way I see it, the park has a very big potential to do more than just a jogging or hiking track. It has a small stream that you can go tubing, of course the tubing wouldn't be as long or as exhilirating as in Luang Prabang, Laos, but still it can be done.

Sad to say that the park has all the facilities that are very much under-utilised. One good example is the rock-climbing wall that is left rotting under the weather. Standing as tall as a 4-storey building, I can imagine if rock-climbing enthusiast from all over the world going there to try it out.

If you ever go there, I must recommend you to try its reflexology walking track. Pebbles were arrange in an intricate way to ensure that every soles in contact with them will get the maximum pressure as if you are going through a reflexology massage. Have a look at the picture yourself! I remember a colleague of mine from the UK who comes to Brunei and visit the park just to walk on the reflexology walk.

There is also another attraction that you just need to try - the hill climbing. Nothing too extreme but still breathtaking - literally. This is the main attraction of the place among the locals and expats here. The track started with a few flights of concrete staircases and then the rest of the track was left as how it was before - earth. The track requires about 40 to an hour to finish, depending on how fast you go (and how many times you stop). The best thing about this walk is that you would be able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the whole Bandar Seri Begawan, the city of Brunei from up there.

The closest hotels to this park are the Sheraton Utama Hotel (5-7 minutes walk), the Jubilee Hotel (10-15 minutes walk), the Youth Centre (7-10 minutes walk) and the Brunei Hotel (15-20 minutes walk). However, if you are staying in a different hotel, you can just ask the front desk for information on how to get there.