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 250 species of birds for this route. We begin with mountain and highland species, followed with the lowland and coastal species. We end at an easier pace on the famous beach resort island of Langkawi.
Destinations: Kuala Lumpur- Fraser’s Hill – Kenyir Lake – Royal Belum – Kuala Gula – Maxwell hill – Langkawi
Trip Report : Langkawi Seasons – Langkawi Hornbills – Bukit Hijau & Sedim Canopy
Pick up point: Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Target Birds : 250 to 300 species
Destinations: Kuala Lumpur- Fraser’s Hill – Kenyir Lake – Royal Belum – Kuala Gula – Maxwell hill – Langkawi
Departure: On request
Duration : 13 days and 12 nights
The northern peninsular has a diverse range of habitat types to offer including lowland rainforest, montane forest, mangrove forest, mudflats, beaches, scrubland, rocky island outcrops and even some of the best diving in the region. With so much on offer this area will most surely excite and fulfill any nature traveler’s holiday. The infrastructure, accommodation, food and the added advantage of English being widely understood makes for an ideal and comfortable birding experience for birders. This tour will comprehensively cover most of the ecological niche habitats of Malaysian birds.
Within this biosphere lie the states of Selangor, Penang, Perak and Kedah and Terengganu. Collectively it offers vast expanse of untouched rainforest, golden beaches, secluded coral islands and amazing flora and fauna and fantastic birds. Of the 18 Important Bird Areas (IBA) in Peninsula Malaysia, 11 are to be found within the boundaries of these five states. In all, there are some 640 species of resident, including 120 common migrant, birds to be found in Peninsular Malaysia.
Our tours will start with a drive to the nearby hill retreat of Fraser’s Hill for highland birds. At Fraser’s Hill we will target to see about 50 -70 highland species such as the Chestnut-capped Laughing Thrush, Chestnut-crowned Laughing Thrush, Silvered-eared Mesia, Large Niltava, Streaked Spiderhunter, Blue-winged Minla, Lesser Tailed Drongo, Mountain Fulvetta, Grey-chinned Minivet, Golden Babbler, Little Pied Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Greater Yellownape Woodpecker and many others.
This is also a good place to catch the endemics of the Peninsula specifically the Malaysian Whistling Thrush and Malaysian Hill Partridge. After the highlands, we head to the lake districts on the east and central areas of the peninsular were we search for the lowland species like the Grey Headed Fish Eagle, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Rufous-bellied Eagle, Black Thighed Falconet, White-crowned Hornbill, Wrinkle Hornbill, Black Hornbill, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Helmeted Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill, Chestnut-bellied Malkoha, Red-billed Malkoha, Black Bellied Malkoha, Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, Long-tailed Parakeet, Brown Wood Owl, Large Tailed Nightjar, Black and Red Broadbill, Blue-winged Leafbird, Green Iora, and many others.
We next travel to the historic town of Taiping, which will be our base for the next days. Here we will make short trips to the Maxwell Hill for more highland species that are not found at Fraser’s Hill as well as do more lowlands birding. At Taiping and its nearby forest we will perhaps see most of the barbets, such as the Brown Barbet, Lineated Barbet, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Black-browed Barbet and Coppersmith Barbet. In the vicinity of Taiping, we will head to the coastal town of Kuala Gula for a day of mangrove and shore birds. Kuala Gula is reputed to be one of the main wetland bird sanctuaries in the country.
From Taiping we will travel to the resort island of Langkawi and along the way we will stop to bird at the world’s longest canopy walkway (925m long) for a unique experience of watching birds 30 meters up in the canopy of the trees.
Hop onto a comfortable ferry and we’ll make for the famed island of Langkawi. We will target those birds that we did not see while on the mainland as well as some of the birds only confined or accessible for the Malaysian list here on this island such as the Brown-winged Kingfisher, Mountain Hawk Eagle, Plain-backed Sparrow and Black-hooded Oriole.
We will also target other beauties such as Great Hornbill, Oriental Pied Hornbill (both of which are almost guaranteed in Langkawi), Crested Terns, Bridle Terns, Black-capped Kingfisher, Brown Hawk Owl, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Jerdon’s Baza, Black Baza, , Wreathed Hornbill, , Large Green Pigeon, Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Crimson Sunbird, Needle-tailed Swift, Red-wattled Lapwings and many others. The last few days in Langkawi we enjoy being pampered at the spa of the hotel and even catch some quite time relaxing on your hotel’s private beach before we head for your home country.
Day 1: Meet and greet, then transfer to Bukit Fraser (Fraser’s Hill) for 2-nights hotel. Evening birding.
Days 2-3: All day birding at Fraser’s Hill.
Day 4: Morning birding at Fraser’s Hill; transfer to Kenyir Lake for 2-nights. Evening birding at Kenyir Lake
Day 5: All day birding at Kenyir Lake
Day 6: Morning birding at Kenyir Lake; transfer to Royal Belum State Park for 1-night. Evening birding on the lake.
Day 7: Morning birding on the lake; after lunch transfer to Taiping (186 kms / 2 hours 30 minutes) – 2-nights Taiping Golf Resort. Evening birding around Taiping.
Day 8: Morning birding at Maxwell Hill; afternoon birding at Kuala Gula and rice paddies en route. Overnight in Taiping.
Day 9: Early transfer to Sedim– morning birding at canopy walkway. After lunch continue to Kuala Kedah Jetty for ferry to Langkawi
Days 10-12: Relaxed birding in Langkawi.
Day 13: Departure
Minimum 2 persons on twin sharing room
Accommodation: Fraser’s Hill : Shazan Inn Hotel*** , Kenyir : Sutera Resort****, Royal Belum: Belum Rainforest Resort*****, Taiping : Flemington Taiping***, Langkawi : Fave Hotel ***
Package Inclusive of : Accommodation in twin sharing room, breakfast, bird guide, all land transportation.
Not Included in Price: Domestic airfare, Lunch, Dinner, Beverages, Camera fees where applicable, Tips and porter
