A tiny corner of Borneo.” “The smallest sovereign nation in Southeast Asia.” Negara Brunei Darussalam is often described in terms bordering on the miniscule. On the contrary, I discovered that Brunei is vast in terms of its natural wonders, its grand Islamic architecture, centuries of royal heritage, and a wealth of destinations for travelers like me who found out that it is virtually impossible to experience this Kingdom in just a day or two.

Our short two-day itinerary would take us to three distinctive areas of Brunei: the Temburong district with its ecologically rich pristine rainforests, the Brunei river with its famous Kampong Ayer water village and mangrove forests, and the nation’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan with its magnificent mosques and shopping and outdoor dining centers.

Early in the morning, we boarded a water taxi for a 45-minute ride to the first way station in the old town of Bangar before boarding a van for the Trandie Marina Resort, our designated base for this mountain trekking adventure. The resort is a sprawling camping ground under the canopies of centuries-old trees where owls and eagles build nests. Aside from air-conditioned rooms, showers and dining areas, the camp built what it calls teambuilding structures like climbing walls, abseiling towers, and rope and plank obstacle courses designed for groups looking for adventure-oriented activities. After enjoying a hot cup of tea and sandwiches, we boarded the local longboat called tamuai and headed up the Temburong River. Dressed in life vests, nylon shorts, and sneakers, we eagerly scanned for wildlife in the thickly wooded banks, moss-covered rocks, and fern gullies. Except for the droning of the boat’s motor, all I heard were distant cries of cicadas and birds and water splashing on stones sculpted by time into smooth ovals.

Our boatman, Michael Mang, expertly guided the motorized wooden vessel through the freshwater rapids. Michael belongs to the local Iban tribe, one of several ethnic groups who for several centuries have been living in this corner of Borneo. The Ibans are a proud, generous, and hospitable people with their own distinctive culture. Some of them still live in the famous longhouses: single-storey, palm-roofed structures on wooden stilts that can accommodate up to several families and could stretch to a block. In the old days, the Iban men practiced headhunting to enhance their status in the community. Today, young men still leave home to prove their worth -- except that they come back home laden with television sets, DVD players, or outboard motors instead of heads! A lot of them remain in Temburong where they are involved in eco-tourism as guides, resort staff, or in the case of Michael, boat drivers. The boat ride was exhilarating and relaxing at the same time. One minute we were shooting through whitewater rapids and the next moment we seemed to be floating on deep green water. After several snake turns, we arrived at the world- famous Ulu Temburong National Park. Like the Trandie resort, the park serves as a base for visitors who choose to stay overnight to explore the surrounding rainforests and waterways.

I was informed that there were several trails leading to the forest, but our guide suggested that we take the one with the newly installed wooden walkways. Halfway up the 385-meter trail, the thick nylon ropes I mistook earlier for a cordon (for off-limits areas) turned out to be indispensable climbing aids when my legs got tired. The trail was not entirely covered with wooden steps, though, and in some cases, we had to carefully step onto the wet ground in between gnarled roots. I sat on these roots to catch my breath and sip my bottled water. After about half an hour, we finally reached the Canopy Walkway, the climb not as exhausting as I thought. The steel-and-aluminum walkway provided a bird’s eye view of the surrounding forests. But more breathtaking is the panorama atop the 50-meter structure that rises above the canopy. Surrounded by pristine forests with the cloudless sky above and faint-blue mountains in the distance, I had a rare experience of seeing a sea of green and being in the midst of sounds and smells that only the forest can produce.

We managed to return to Bandar Seri Begawan in time for dinner at the Tamu Selera, an outdoor food center, reputedly a local favorite, in the heart of the capital. The place opens at about 6:00 PM with brightly lit stalls hawking fresh seafood, barbecue, rice meals, and a wide array of delicacies. The smoke-filled center was crowded with families and friends enjoying nasi lemak (steamed rice with coconut cream), satay (skewered and barbecued chicken), fried bananas, and a variety of grilled fish. We ordered fish deep-fried and topped with belacan (shrimp paste) with a side dish of sautéed kangkung (water spinach) and steaming cups of fluffy white rice. I washed it down with teh tarik, the famous hot beverage prepared by “pulling’ the tea -- pouring it back and forth repeatedly between vessels, giving it a thick froth and distinctive flavor.

After dinner, we drove around the capital and saw the mosques, which were said to be at their glittering best in the evening. We parked across the street from the Yayasan Shopping Complex near the river to see the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, a hulking edifice that indeed shimmered in the fading dark-blue skies. Built in the 1950s by the 28th sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien, the mosque is characterized by its golden dome, Italian marble, Arabian carpets, Shanghai granite, and European stained glass. The following morning, we went to visit the water village for tea and rice cakes with the locals and the mangrove forest to see if the rare proboscis monkey would show up. In a water taxi, we cruised downriver and in a few minutes the golden dome and sweeping roofline of the Royal Palace were visible above the thick mangroves. Known as the largest residential palace in the world, the palace, formally known as Istana Nurul Iman, sitson top of a hill overlooking the city and the Brunei River. Even from a distance, the sight of the palace, with its 1,700-plus rooms, impressed me, given that it serves as the seat of government and houses the office of the Prime Minister.

As we approached the mangrove forest, the boat driver, an experienced wildlife guide, would occasionally stop the engine as he scanned the nearby outgrowth for the presence of the rare monkeys from afar. He slowly allowed the boat to drift and enter a small opening among the mangroves. We quietly searched the trees. We were in luck! A plump reddish-brown creature with a large protruding nose was seated on branches about twenty feet above. The proboscis monkey was lounging in the morning sun and quietly watching us. Then, it turned out, a female and her baby -- his family -- sat nearby! An endangered species, this monkey is protected by law in Brunei and the rest of Malaysia. As we eased back into the river, we wished the creature long life and profuse breeding.

Our boat turned back to Bandar Seri Begawan. Soon, we were on the outskirts of the largest water village in the world consisting of forty-two neighborhoods linked by walkways or accessed via small water taxis. Kampong Ayer is home to more than 30,000 inhabitants living in modern houses built on top of foundations that had sunk on the riverbed centuries ago. We were welcomed by Hajji Hamid in his large house, which has been home to his clan for at least six generations. Hamid said that in his younger years, the concrete structure used to stand on timber and had nipa leaves as roofing materials. Elsewhere, satellite dishes and air conditioning units sprouted from walls and roofs. Like many of his neighbors, our host is a hardworking entrepreneur whose boat building, maintenance, and rental businesses have contributed to his prosperity. We proceeded to enrich our hearts and souls with a short visit to the Royal Regalia Museum and the Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque. We took off our shoes at the entrance and proceeded to the vast repository built to commemorate the silver jubilee of the Sultan’s accession to the throne. The centerpiece is the royal chariot that carried the 29th Sultan during his coronation. Roughly the length of a 40-footer container, the gigantic chariot is embellished with exquisite carvings, gold trimmings, and a fur-lined throne. Surrounding the chariot is the complete collection of decorated spears, shields, umbrellas, musical instruments, and poles that accompanied the newly crowned Sultan. Described as “the greatest example of Islamic architecture in Southeast Asia,” “the most iconic cultural treasure of Brunei,” and “the largest and most significant mosque” in the country, the mosque is indeed a magnificent work of art that can uplift the spirits of Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The slender, soaring minarets and golden domes shimmer in the day and glow at night. Locally known as the Kiarong Mosque, the structure was built with European marble, Philippine hardwood, Austrian crystal, and gold-plated tiles and is surrounded by manicured gardens.

To get a feel of the local taste, we visited the pasar malam (night market) in Gadong district. The market opens at five in the afternoon and is roughly divided into dry and wet sections. Thick smoke billowed from barbecue stands where juicy chicken, beef, lamb, and fish are grilled. Various rice meals and curried dishes are ready to be ladled into take-out packages alongside banana fritters or sticky rice cakes.

We had only an hour or so to say goodbye to the city known as the Abode of Peace, so we decided to have coffee by the river, with the bright lights of the capital and the twinkling lamps of the water village as backdrop. As I sipped my coffee on the terrace of Fratini’s overlooking the fast-flowing Brunei River, I felt that there was so much to see and so little time to explore this ‘tiny’ sultanate. But having sampled the forest, the waterways, and the nation’s vibrant capital, I knew I had visited just the right places, those that best represent this small, wealthy, and peaceful nation.