Natural Fish Spa Treatment in Temburong

Our last place of interest to visit was a waterfall, which unfortunately I cannot recall the name exactly. I am not sure if it is called Sungai Lubok or Labuk or anything that is familiar sounding. While the name may not have made an impression on me, the waterfall itself definitely did. There are fishes in the streams and ponds and a rich vegetation thrived wherever nature supports it. The water is extraordinarily clear and so chilly. We walked along the river until we came upon the waterfall which was gushing out in good volumes. BT and I enjoyed a wonderful natural fish spa, all free of charge and without a strict time limit. The sun that filtered through the thick vegetation embraced us gently. The roar of the waterfall in front of us amazed us. The chill of the water and the bites of the little fishes sent us jolting with a mixture of laughers, chills and thrills.

It was an experience which, in about a decade's time, money will not be able to buy. I am completely amazed by how intimate I was with nature and cannot imagine how much closer I can get with nature. I was completely in my element and almost forgot BT was with me!

BT and I went for a swim in the waterfall pool. We inched our way into the pool to allow our body to acclimatise to its chilly waters. It felt awesome and at the same time, so awfully cold when we went under the falls. Just what a wonderful little jewel of Brunei this place is! This place is unbelievably too sensational!

I saw some common split gills on one of the fallen tree trunk along the river. These were way bigger than the ones found on a rotting log at home.


Sun rays in the water


Wild ginger, which the natives gather and use in their cooking


River path we took to get to the waterfall


Wild inedible fruits that look like Kembayau (Canarium odontophyllum). Our guide said this isn't the Kembayau. Check out this blog to see how similar these wild fruits looked.

Another wild inedible fruit


The waterfall and pond


Water flowing down in enough volumes that could give us a natural massage


This is me enjoying my natural foot spa. I truly felt that I was interacting with nature. It may sound absurd that I was thinking about how great my communication with Mother Earth was going while I was feeding the fishes with my dead cells. I am fascinated beyond words by how pure of nature this experience is. I marveled at how I get to be with the fishes, the falls, the rocks and the jungle. Nothing here is man-made, which made it feels untainted and so brilliant. It was an experience to die for. The water was really cold (I said this a million times) and it was very ticklish with the many fishes attacking my toes and legs. They bit on my hands and arms too. They literally bite on any skin that comes into water. I placed my hands over my legs to make sure the fishes did not swim up to my thighs if they ended up swimming in my pants!


This picture vaguely showed a fish swimming over my left foot. I have to stay very still for the fishes to come. Any movements would sent the little fishes scurrying to other potential feeding sites. When we were in deeper parts of the pond, the fishes would peck on us at our arms or shoulders. BT let out a cry each time this happen and I would be laughing like a crazy cow at how a grown man of six feet over has cowered over the prowess of these little fishes. Unable to withstand the fishes going at him each time he stood still, BT came hurrying out of the pond several times only to find the chilly and fun waters irresistible. So, he would go back in the water again and again.


Alas, it was time to leave the waterfall and I came across a small shoal of tiny fishes in another stream. According to our guide, the fishes in the streams are not attracted to human dead cells like the ones in the waterfall ponds.


BT trying to fight the chills and fear of the fishes


Enjoying the heavy splashes of the waterfall