Fraser’s Hill

Fraser's Hill has long been a favorite destination for local and international bird watchers.

The relatively undisturbed jungle clad mountain terrain and the cool climate attracts over 250 species of birds, some coming from as far as Siberia. The best times to see the migrants as well as the residents are between October and April. So we recommend you pack your binocular along with you.

Around the middle of the year, international as well as local bird watchers gather at the hill resort to participate in the Fraser's Hill International Bird Race, a non-competitive event that requires bird watchers to race against time to spot as many bird species as possible within the routes in Fraser's Hill. Some of the species found here are silver-eared mesia, chestnut-capped laughing thrush, blue-winged minla, golden babbler, mountain bulbul, mountain fulvettta, red-headed trogon, bronze drongo and greater yellow-naped.

Maxwell Hill

Malaysia's first and least developed hill-station resort. The highest hill was originally named Maxwell Hill, after the mountain base of William Edward Maxwell an Assistant British Resident. As the area developed into a rest and recuperation retreat - mainly for local 40 -administrators and other visitors from the district - the entire highland settlement became known as Maxwell Hill.

Today, Maxwell Hill is known locally as Bukit Larut. There are walking trails, guesthouses and unspoilt forest and gardens. There are many species of mountain birds and wildlife to observe here. Bukit Larut's habitats include lowland diperocarp forest through to upper montane forest around Gunung Hijau, its highest peak at around 1,450 metres.

A variety of herbs, orchids and ferns grow among the trees. Some 25 species of mammals and more than 200 bird species have been recorded at Bukit Larut and around its foothills in Taiping's Lake Gardens. Notable mammal sightings include the dark handed gibbon, clouded leopard, serow, flat-headed cat, white-bellied rat and the lawas round leaf horseshoe bat. Some of the special birds include the orange-breasted trogon, mountain peacock pheasant, cutia and peregrine falcon.

Bukit Larut is one of West Malaysia's best, undisturbed natural sanctuaries.

Genting Highlands

Designated as an Important Bird Area (MY09) by BirdLife International and its country partner, Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), Genting Highlands and its surrounding areas are part of the birding route for bird-watching tours and companies especially when using the Kuala Lumpur-Taman Negara-Kuala Lumpur route. It’s pristine forests, variety of eco systems such as the lowland rainforest of the Old Gombak Road that starts at about 150m above sea level, lower montane from 750m – 1500m and to the Upper Montane forests that starts from about 1500m at the highest points of Genting which is estimated at 1,760m. Different elevation simply means different forest types and this would also mean different species of birds.

This coupled with good road systems, infrastructure and hotel services makes Genting Highlands an interesting and potential hotspot for bird-watching. With about 254 species to its impressive birdlist, this site has been officially added to the Bird-Malaysia tour route and listings.