Destinations: Kuala Lumpur- Bukit Tingi – Taman Negara Merapoh – Fraser’s Hill – Kampar – Taiping – Maxwell Hills – Sedim Canopy Walkway – Penang
This is our signature tour. It comes highly recommended and we are the first tour company that has created and offer the Northern Route. We average over 270 species of birds for this route. We begin with mountain and highland species, followed with the lowland and coastal species. We end at Sedim Canopy walk way and drop off at Penang International Airport.
Target Birds : 270 to 300 species
Pick up point: Kuala Lumpur International Airport Or Hotels in Kuala Lumpur
Drop Off : Penang International Airport
Duration : 13 days and 12 nights
Best Months: February to September
Accommodation: Bukit Tinggi: Colmar Tropicale***, Taman negara Meapoh : The Dome***, Fraser’s Hill : Shazan Inn Hotel** , Kampar: , Taiping : Flemington**, Penang: Ixora Hotel***
Package Inclusive of : Accommodation in twin sharing room, breakfast, bird guide, all land transportation, Park Entrance fees, Forestry permit.
Not Included in Price: Domestic airfare, Lunch, Dinner, Beverages, Camera fees where applicable, Tips and porter
Terms and Condition Apply
This journey through Peninsular Malaysia route, birders will experience lowland dipterocarp forest, riverine and limestone landscapes, hill forest, montane forest, wetlands, mangroves, and forest canopy systems—together supporting one of the richest avifaunas in Southeast Asia.
The tour begins in Kuala Lumpur, where urban parks, wetlands, and forest edges can already produce notable species such as **Blue-throated Bee-eater, Oriental Pied Hornbill, Asian Koel, Banded Woodpecker, Pink-necked Green Pigeon*, and a variety of swiftlets and sunbirds.
From here, the route heads north to *Bukit Tinggi, where foothill forest provides an introduction to mid-elevation species. Star birds in this zone include **Sultan Tit, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Chestnut-naped Forktail, Grey-chinned Minivet, Large Niltava*, and mixed flocks containing babblers, drongos, and leafbirds.
The journey continues to *Taman Negara (Merapoh sector), one of the most productive birding areas in Peninsular Malaysia. Birding here focuses on lowland and riverine forest species, with star birds such as **Crested Fireback, Great Argus, Garnet Pitta, Banded Pitta, Rail-babbler, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Red-bearded Bee-eater, and an impressive diversity of hornbills including **Rhinoceros, Wreathed, Black, Helmeted, and **Bushy-crested Hornbill. Night birding may yield **Large-tailed Nightjar, Brown Wood Owl, and **Buffy Fish Owl*.
From Merapoh, the tour ascends to the montane forests of *Fraser’s Hill, a classic highland birding site. In this cooler, mossy forest, birders target montane specialists such as **Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush, Silver-eared Mesia, Blue-winged Minla, Mountain Fulvetta, Streaked Spiderhunter, Grey-chinned Minivet, Lesser Shortwing, Verditer Flycatcher, and **Little Pied Flycatcher. Endemics and near-endemics include **Malaysian Whistling Thrush* and *Malaysian Hill Partridge*.
Descending into the lowlands, the route continues to *Kampar, where secondary forest, river corridors, and agricultural edges produce a different assemblage of species. Star birds here may include **Black-thighed Falconet, Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Long-tailed Parakeet, Plaintive Cuckoo, Oriental Honey-buzzard, and wetland-associated birds such as **Purple Heron, Lesser Adjutant, and **Pheasant-tailed Jacana*.
The tour then moves on to *Taiping, a long-established birding base surrounded by varied habitats. In Taiping Lake Gardens and adjacent forests, birders can expect **Lineated Barbet, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Brown Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Red-crowned Barbet, Blue-throated Bee-eater, Black-naped Monarch, and **Asian Paradise Flycatcher. Nearby wetlands and mangroves support **Milky Stork, Lesser Adjutant, Oriental Darter, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher*, and numerous shorebirds during migration periods.
From Taiping, excursions are made to *Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut)* to search for montane species not always recorded at Fraser’s Hill. Star birds here include *Slaty-backed Forktail, Black-throated Sunbird, White-tailed Flycatcher, Hill Blue Flycatcher*, and additional highland babblers and flycatchers.
The journey concludes at *Sedim, home to one of the longest canopy walkways in the region. Birding from the elevated canopy level provides a unique opportunity to observe species that are often difficult to see from the ground, including **Red-crowned Barbet, Green Broadbill, Asian Fairy-bluebird, Greater Green Leafbird, Scarlet Minivet*, and canopy-moving mixed flocks, as well as raptors soaring above the forest.
By following this north–south arc across multiple elevations and habitat types, the tour offers birders comprehensive coverage of Peninsular Malaysia’s avifauna, with strong potential for high species diversity and multiple regional specialities within a single, well-structured itinerary.
Destinations: Kuala Lumpur- Bukit Tingi – Taman Negara Merapoh – Fraser’s Hill – Kampar – Taiping – Maxwell Hills – Sedim Canopy Walkway – Penang
Day 1: Meet and greet at KLIA or Kuala Lumpur Hotel. Morning birding in Kuala Lumpur. Travel to Bukit Tinggi.
Day 2: Full day birding at Bukit Tinggi.
Day 3: Bukit Tinggi to Taman Negara (Merapoh). Afternoon birding en route and around Merapoh.
Day 4: Full day birding at Taman Negara (Merapoh).
Day 5: Full day birding at Taman Negara (Merapoh).
Day 6: Merapoh to Fraser’s Hill. Afternoon birding at Fraser’s Hill.
Day 7: Full day birding at Fraser’s Hill.
Day 8: Full day birding at Fraser’s Hill.
Day 9: Fraser’s Hill to Kampar. Afternoon birding around Kampar.
Day 10: Kampar to Taiping. Afternoon birding at Taiping Lake Gardens.
Day 11: Full day birding to Maxwell Hill (Bukit Larut).
Day 12: Taiping birding and Kuala Gula mangroves and rice paddies.
Day 13: Sedim Canopy Walkway birding. Transfer for departure at Penang International Airport
-End of tour-
