Red-bearded Bee-eater by Colin Bushell

Tour Dates: Monday 15th – Friday 26th March 2027 (Kula Lumpar to Kula Lumpar)
Tour Price: £3,999 plus flight
Estimated Flight Price: London to Kula Lumpar approx. £900 return
Deposit: £600 per per person
Conservation Donation from Wise Birding: £150 – £250
Minimum Number: 6 people
Maximum Group Size: 7 people

Target Birds:
Ferruginous Partridge, Malayan Partridge, Malayan Crested Fireback, Mountain Peacock-pheasant, Gould’s Frogmouth, Buffy Fish Owl, Diard’s Trogon, White-crowned Hornbill, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Great Hornbill, Helmeted Hornbill (rare), Black Hornbill, Bushy-crested Hornbill, Wrinkled Hornbill, Rail Babbler, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Banded Kingfisher, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Fire-tufted Barbet, Sooty Barbet, White-bellied Woodpecker, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Black-thighed Falconet, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Long-tailed Broadbill, Black-and-red Broadbill, Banded Broadbill, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, Green Broadbill, Garnet Pitta, Blue-winged Pitta, Western Hooded Pitta, Crested Jayshrike, Malayan Black-capped Babbler, Malayan Laughingthrush, Blue Nuthatch, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, Lesser Shortwing, Siberian Blue Robin and Malayan Whistling Thrush.

Target Mammals:
Assamese Macaque, Grey Langur, Capped Langur, Golden Langur, Himalayan Yellow-throated Marten, Sambar, Large-eared Pika and a chance of Red Panda too.

Tour Summary:
This tour to Malaysia includes the classic birding sites of Fraser’s Hill and Taman Negara, giving us ample opportunity to experience the avifauna of the mountains and lowland rainforests of the peninsula. Starting near Kuala Lumpur, we will visit Hulu Langat and Shah Alam Botanical Gardens, holding a wide variety of tropical south-east Asian birds including Drongos, Malkohas, Bee-eaters, Broadbills and our first Pittas. Moving to the coastal mangroves and mudflats near Kuala Selangor will allow us to add considerable variety to our bird lists, before a three-night stay at Fraser’s Hill. Here we’ll walk the mountain roads and visit feeding stations in search of Malayan Partridge, Blue Nuthatch, Fire-tufted Barbet, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Malayan Laughingthrush and much more. Descending to the lowlands of Merapoh and Taman Negara, we’ll hope to see the remainder of several species of Hornbill possible on this tour and those “forest jewels” such as Garnet Pitta, Diard’s Trogon, Rufous-collared Kingfisher and Malayan Crested Fireback. Our adventure ends with a return to the foothills in search of Mountain Peacock-pheasant and Ferruginous Partridge, before returning to Kuala Lumpur for our flight home. Birdwatching in Peninsula Malaysia is incredibly rewarding. 

Accommodation: 11 nights in Malaysia
2 nights Kula Lumpur, 1 night Kuala Selangor, 3 nights Fraser’s Hill, 2 nights Gua Musang, 2 nights Taman Negara and 1 night Bukit Tinggi.

Day 1: Arrive Kula Lumpar
Afternoon arrival in Kuala Lumpur and transfer to a nearby hotel.
Overnight Kula Lumpar

Day 2: Hulu Langat Lowland Forest
Hulu Langat consists of a mixture of lowland secondary and primary rainforest and the first site where we can test our skills, searching the different strata of the forest for species occupying their distinct niches. One inhabitant of the forest floor is the incredible looking Rail Babbler and Hulu Langat is the first of a few locations we visit during this trip where it can be seen. However, they are rather furtive birds, walking the leaf litter, but the good news is they have a very distinctive song. There will be plenty to occupy us as we listen for Rail Babbler though, with Blue-banded and Rufous-collared Kingfishers, Banded Woodpecker, Banded and Black-and-red Broadbills and Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler all present. If we can find a fruiting tree, we’ll linger a while as Golden-whiskered Barbet, and Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker may appear and we’ll check the exposed perches above the canopy for Black-thighed Falconets. Overnight Kuala Lumpur

Malayan Partridge by Colin Bushell

Day 3. Morning at Shah Alam Botanical Garden and afternoon transfer to Kuala Selangor
This morning we will travel the short distance to the Shah Alam Botanical Gardens, an area best described as “urban rainforest”. A mix of ornamental gardens, lakes, agricultural plots and remnant primary and secondary forest, Shah Alam holds many interesting bird species. Many are common and widespread such as Zebra Dove, Asian Red-eyed Bulbul and Asian Glossy Starlings, but the gardens are also the home to Black-thighed Falconets, Blue-tailed and Blue-throated Bee-eaters, Blue-eared Kingfishers and we stand a good chance of seeing Blue-winged and Western Hooded Pittas here too. Pink-necked Pigeon, Raffle’s Malkoha, Greater Flameback and Little Spiderhunter should all be seen and the gardens are a great place for Broadbills too, with Banded and Black-and-Yellow Broadbills regularly encountered.
After a busy morning of birds we then drive to Kuala Selangor and if time permits visit the local paddyfields where we can see a variety of herons and egrets, Black-winged Kite, Yellow and Cinnamon Bitterns, Whiskered Terns, White-breasted Woodswallows and White-throated Kingfishers. We may also venture out for some night birding as this is a good area to find Dusky Eagle-owl and Buffy Fish Owl. Overnight Kuala Selangor

Day 4: Morning birding Kula Selangor. Afternoon transfer to Fraser’s Hill.
We have a full morning to explore the Kula Selangor area where we will search the Mangrove and paddyfield areas and, if the tide is favourable, the coastal wetlands for waders. The raucous calls of Collared Kingfishers and the fluty song of Black-naped Orioles will certainly be audible as we look for the real Mangrove specialties such as Golden-bellied Gerygone, Mangrove Whistler and Pied Trillers. Pied Fantails, Little Bronze Cuckoo and even Mangrove Blue Flycatcher can be seen here, plus a chance of White-bellied Sea-eagle overhead. If conditions are good, we can check the coastal mudflats for Terek Sandpiper, Mongolian Plover and Red-necked Stints before driving to Fraser’s Hill. The cooler climate of Fraser’s Hill will make a pleasant change from the humid coastal lowlands as we make a few stops en route to the hill station. We could see Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrikes, Large Woodshrikes and a new suite of bulbuls up here that include the attractive Scaly-breasted and less ornate Buff-vented and Cinereous Bulbuls. This will be a mere taster of what is to come over the next few days on “The Hill” as we watch the mixed species feeding flocks from the roads and visit feeding stations. Overnight Fraser’s Hill

Days 5 & 6: Two full days birding Fraser’s Hill
Over the next two days we explore the quiet roads of Fraser’s Hill in search of some of our most wanted bird species of the tour. Waiting for passing mixed species flocks of Long-tailed Sibias, Mountain Fulvettas and Golden Babblers. We will try hard for Blue Nuthatch, one of the key species of a Peninsula Malaysia tour! We will also pay attention to any fruiting trees in the area and watch for Hume’s White-eyes, Red-throated and Black-browed Barbets, Black-eared and White-browed Shrike-babblers and Orange-breasted Trogon. Feeding stations are now a well-established feature of any tropical birding trip and Fraser’s Hill has some unmissable roadside sites to visit. Chestnut-capped and Malayan Laughingthrushes, Silver-eared Mesias, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Lesser Shortwing and Malayan Partridge will be among our targets as we wait patiently, watching the feeding station intently. However, there will undoubtedly be distractions in the canopy with noisy Fire-tufted Barbets, Rhinoceros and Bushy-crested Hornbills plus Sooty Barbets all trying to distract us. Fraser’s Hill is the home of many colourful birds such as Red-bearded Bee-eater, Red-headed Trogon, Silver-breasted, Long-tailed and Green Broadbills and Common Green Magpie and we hope to see most of these during our stay here. Overnights Fraser’s Hill

Black-and-Yellow Broadbill by Colin Bushell

Day 7 and 8: Morning birding Fraser’s Hill. Transfer to Merapoh Sungai Relau NP and birding there in the afternoon and the following day
We will spend the morning at Fraser’s Hill looking for any of the birds we have not seen, before making the journey to Merapoh Sungai Relau National Park. During the late afternoon and the following day, we will explore the park’s virgin rainforest and it is a superb introduction to the lowland species that are present at Taman Negara. Great Argus and Malayan Peacock-pheasant, two forest floor dwellers are here, but they can be tough to see. Large Wren Babbler, Malayan Black-capped Babbler and Short-tailed Babbler should be easier in the same habitat. Garnet Pitta will certainly be one of our main target birds on the forest floor and then higher in the upper forest level and canopy we may find White-crowned Hornbill, Black-bellied and Chestnut-breasted Malkohas, Green Broadbill and Scarlet-rumped Trogon. Overnights Gua Musang

Day 9: Morning Merapoh Sungai Relau NP. Afternoon transfer to Kula Tahan and Taman Negara
After a final morning in Merapoh Sungai Relau NP we drive to Kuala Tahan we will leave our bus driver and be transported across the river to Taman Negara, our home for the next two nights. After check-in we may have time for some initial exploration of the area, perhaps on the local boardwalks or at a clearing near our cabins. Blue-rumped Parrots, Silver-rumped Spinetails and Brown-backed Needletails are often seen over the lodge clearing and if there are any fruiting trees nearby we could find Little Green Pigeons, Thick-billed Green Pigeons and a variety of Bulbuls. Overnight Taman Negara

Day 10: Full day birding Taman Negara
The lowland rainforests of Taman Negara are renowned as one of south-east Asia’s top birding sites. Here, we will explore the area on the forest trails and boardwalks and also by boat during our stay. We can expect to see some interesting species even near our accommodation, with chances to see Malaysian Crested Fireback, Red-and-black Broadbill and Asian Fairy-bluebird all possible just by our cabins. Venturing into the forest and birding from the boardwalk we could find a wealth of babblers including Scaly-crowned, Sooty-capped, Chestnut-rumped and Chestnut-winged Babblers. As at Fraser’s Hill, fruiting trees in the forest can be a source of good birds here, with Crimson-breasted and Yellow-vented Flowerpeckers, Greater and Lesser Green Leafbirds and Red-throated Barbets all possible. Concentrating on the forest interior we will head in search of Diard’s Trogon, Rufous-collared and Banded Kingfishers, White-bellied and Great Slaty Woodpecker, Crested Jayshrike, Malayan Black Magpie and try our hardest to see Garnet Pitta and Rail Babbler if we haven’t seen them already! Along the rivers we will keep an eye out for the threatened Straw-headed Bulbul, Crested Serpent Eagle, Lesser Fish Eagle, Abbot’s Babblers and Blue-banded Kingfisher. There is a good chance of seeing Hornbills from the boat as the Taman Negara area boasts a very respectable list of these wonderful species with Great, White-crowned, Rhinoceros, Helmeted, Oriental Pied and Wrinkled all present. As if this wasn’t enough there are usually a few owls, nightjars and frogmouths not too far from our cabins, so we will be kept very busy during our time at Taman Negara. Overnight Taman Negara

Streaked Wren-babbler by Colin Bushell

Day 11: Morning birding Taman Negara. Transfer to Bukit Tinggi for afternoon birding.
After a final morning at Taman Negara in search of any species we may have missed from the boardwalks, we will cross the river to Kuala Tahan and meet with our bus and driver for the transfer to Bukit Tingii for som afternoon birding in the foothills. Yellow-crowned Barbet, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Grey-bellied Bulbul, Buff-breasted Babbler, Long-billed and Yellow-eared Spiderhunters are just a few of the likely bird species we could see this afternoon. Overnight Bukit Tinggi.

Day 12: Morning birding Bukit Tinggi and afternoon transfer to Kuala Lumpur for late evening flights home.
If we haven’t done so already, this morning we will visit the blind near a feeding station this morning. The main attraction here is undoubtedly the Mountain Peacock-pheasants that visit the area, but there is also a chance that Ferruginous Partridges will be around (even Rail Babblers have been seen here). After our final morning birding, we will sadly have to leave and make our way back to Kuala Lumpur with a final stop en route for dinner. We will arrive at the airport for the early evening ready for the overnight flight back to the UK.

Please note this is a flexible itinerary which may need to be adjusted slightly dependent on arrival / departure times, weather conditions and the most recent information from our local guides

Leaders: Colin Bushell plus local guide
Included in cost: Accommodation, all meals from dinner on Day 1 to dinner on Day 12, bottled/filtrated water, all entrance fees, all land transport and boat trips and services of local guide and leader.
Not included in cost: International airfare, travel insurance, drinks other than bottled water, laundry, items of a personal nature.
Single Supplement: £699 therefore we strongly recommend sharing
Transport: Bus and boats (Taman Negara)
Difficulty: Easy aEasy walking on roads, trails and boardwalks. There are however some steep steps up to the feeding station at Bukit Tinggi and from the dock to reception at Taman Negara. Walking: Most birding on this tour is done from quiet roads, boardwalks or trails. Trails can become wet and muddy after rain, so good walking shoes/boots are recommended. We will venture out before dawn or dusk for night birds, but these excursions are mostly along roads or boardwalks.
Accommodation: A good standard with private facilities at all hotels and lodges.
Climate: Hot and humid near Kuala Lumpur and Kuala Selangor. Cooler in the highlands of Fraser’s Hill and Bukit Tingii. Expect some rain at times
Tour Start Point: Kula Lumpar, Malaysia
Tour End Point: Kula Lumpar, Malaysia
Suggested Airlines: British Airways direct