Bukit Pagon, Mountain summit near Limbang, Malaysia.
Bukit Pagon is a mountain summit straddling the Malaysia-Brunei border with two distinct peaks surrounded by thick tropical forest. The southern peak represents the highest point and is enclosed by lush vegetation that covers the entire area.
In December 1962, Lieutenant Rupert van der Horst of 42 Commando led a patrol to Bukit Pagon to investigate a TNKU base near the Sungei Pasia river. In June 1966, Indonesian Lieutenant Sumbi crossed into Brunei with 50 men; a two-week search across the mountain's terrain followed, and by 3 September 1966, 46 were dead or captured. Sumbi was captured near Bukit Pagon, ending the incursion.
The mountain lies in Temburong District, a part of Brunei separated from the rest of the country by Sarawak. The border follows the ridge, and the summit is known locally as Bukit Pagon, the highest point in Brunei at 1,841 metres. The name 'Pagon' is used for species found on its slopes, such as the moth Chrysocraspeda pagon.
Bukit Pagon lies in Temburong District, separated from the rest of Brunei by Sarawak, so access is normally arranged from Lawas in Sarawak or by boat up the Sungei Pasia. The climb passes the 1,618-metre and 1,670-metre points where moth specimens were collected, and the border ridge continues into Malaysia. Plan for days of walking, not a day hike.
The rare pitcher plant Nepenthes lowii grows on the slopes, and two moths were named from specimens taken here: Biston inouei, described in 1994 from a male collected at 1,618 m, and Chrysocraspeda pagon, described in 1997 from a specimen at 1,670 m.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,595 contributors worldwide.