One of the must-experience things to do in Malaysia is Bird Watching in Cameron Highlands, in Pahang. This birding adventure is undoubtedly going to give you a very different and unique experience in Malaysia.

For the locals, Cameron Highlands is a perfect birdwatching location due to the cooling climate and the overall highland feel. This place is a win-win for both birder and family as you can do both in one go.

Bird Watching in Cameron Highlands

Cameron Highlands is located in Pahang and takes about three hours to drive one way from Kuala Lumpur city and could take up to four hours if you take a simple stop-and-drive method.

The area here is known as the montane rainforest, shared with the main Titiwangsa Mountain Range. The elevations at Cameron Highlands range from 800 metres (2,600 ft) to 1,603 metres (5,259 ft) above sea level.

There are also eight towns found here: Ringlet, Tanah Rata, Brinchang, the Bertam Valley, Kea Farm, Tringkap, Kampung Kuala Terla, Kampung Raja and Blue Valley. The highlands were also named after British explorer and geologist William Cameron in 1885.

Bird watching in Cameron Highlands has been quite popular over the last few decades but not as popular as in Fraser’s Hill due to the isolation and quietness offered. Cameron’s is a top-rated tourist destination among locals and foreigners.

As for bird guides at Cameron Highlands, there may be one or two available, but they need to be pre-booked before you head there. Most of the tour services here offer general hiking or trekking tours, seeing the Rafflesia flower, or visiting the Orang Asli villages.

How much will it cost for a birdwatching guide in Cameron Highlands?

The price before the Covid19 pandemic varies from RM150 to RM180 for four hours, usually including transport there and often a minimum of two persons. However, you must double-check as prices have increased in the last two years.

How Many Bird Species in Cameron Highlands?

To date, there have not been any updates to the number of birds found in Cameron Highlands. The last count was done by the Regional Environmental Awareness of Cameron Highlands (REACH) in 2012.

According to to REACH, there are 177 bird species found in Cameron Highlands, and the number could be a little more. Until there is an updated checklist, we will assume the number of species is 177.

One of the best places to see birds is the Brinchang Lookout Tower, a telecommunication tower located near the Mossy Forest. Many trails are easy to use, but it is best to engage a bird guide if you are on an all-out bird hunt.

Type of Birds Found at Cameron Highlands

In general, you can find most of the common montane rainforest bird species here, and some of the notable ones include;

1. Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle
2. Black Wing Flycatcher-shrike
3. Common Flameback
4. Fire-tufted Barbet
5. Golden-throated Barbet
6. Brown Wood-Owl
7. Buffy Fish-Owl
8. Red-headed Trogon
9. Blue-tailed Bee-Eater
10. Stork-billed Kingfisher
11. Little Cuckoo-Dove
12. Asian Emerald Dove
13. White-breasted Waterhen
14. Grey-headed Swamphen
15. Red Junglefowl
16. Plume-toed Swiftlet
17. Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle
18. Tiger Shrike
19. Slaty-backed Forktail
20. Little Pied Flycatcher
21. Oriental Magpie-Robin
22. White-tailed Robin
23. Black-throated Sunbird
24. Crimson Sunbird
25. Rufous-winged Fulvetta
26. Yellow-vented Bulbul
27. Mountain Bulbul
28. Black-crested Bulbul
29. Ochraceous Bulbul
30. Scaly-breasted Bulbul
31. Blue Nuthatch
32. Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler
33. Hume’s White-Eye
34. Mountain Tailorbird
35. White-breasted Woodswallow
36. Large Cuckooshrike
37. Grey Wagtail
38. Black-and-red Broadbill
39. Chestnut-tailed Minla
40. Silver-eared Mesia
41. Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush
42. Streaked Spiderhunter

However, if you are a list hunter and seek out rare species like the Mountain Peacock Pheasant, you will need to spend a little more time exploring Cameron Highlands for this. You will also need a good bird guide.

Overall, most birders here are casual birders or bird photographers looking for that killer shot. I always find that luck is one of the main factors in spotting the birds.

Bird Watching Climate at Cameron Highlands

The good news is that you can expect a cooling climate through the highlands, and the higher you go birding, the cooler it becomes. On average, you can expect an average temperature of 18 °C (64 °F) to 25 °C (77 °F) during the day and as low as 9 °C (48.0 °F) at night.

This means birders must bring along jackets or windbreakers when they go birding. While it may be a specific temperature outside in the main areas, it could drop a little when you go into the montane rainforest areas.

Best Time for Bird Watching in Cameron Highlands

This is a crucial and valid question that most birders will want to know, and not to worry, I will share the best and worst times to go bird watching in Cameron Highlands for you.

Again, Cameron’s is well known as a local tourist destination because of the cooling climate. During the Malaysian school holidays, this place becomes chaotic and congested, so you must avoid visiting.

When is the Best Time for Bird Watching at Cameron Highlands?

Any weekday as long as it is not a public holiday. Usually, come in on a Sunday or Monday and spend a minimum of two or three days until Wednesday or Thursday. This is the optimum time without the tourist, and the entire place will be peaceful and quiet.

For timing, it is also recommended that you go from 7.00 AM to 10.00 AM and then again from 4.00 PM to around 6.30 PM. This is if you are the casual type that loves a break in-between your bird watching.

You can start birding at around 6.30 AM for the extreme bird watchers to 7.00 PM. You can also take a quick lunch break or get re-supplies at any of the towns here. Some claim that from 11.00 AM to about 3.00 PM, the rainforest goes silent, but you never know.

The months of May to July are migratory bird seasons, whereas September to March is the resident bird season.

When to Avoid Cameron Highlands – Malaysia school holidays, public holidays, and super long weekends are the three main times that birders should avoid Cameron Highlands as you will regret it. Hotels will be at full capacity, restaurants full, and trails busy and noisy. And the worst part is moving around as the roads up here will be jammed up with bikes, cars and trucks.

What is Available in Cameron Highlands? 

This place is a top-rated tourist destination for foreigners and locals, and this place can be a birder’s nightmare on weekends and school holidays. And because of tourism, a lot of development is done all over the highlands.

You will be able to find hotels, motels, Airbnb, and homestays for accommodations, but you need to book them in advance. Avoid trying to go there and book your stay because it may be full. One or two luxury resorts are available at Cameron Highlands and apartment rentals.

There is plenty available in terms of food and beverage, including a Starbucks and some fast-food joints. Some local restaurants serving Asian or Malaysian food are open, while some European and Western restaurants are also. A small hawker food centre is also found around the Brinchang area.

On Friday and Saturday nights, there is a night market or Pasar Malam at Golden Hills, an area in Brinchang. The Golden Hills Pasar Malam operates on weekends from 4.00 PM to 11.00 PM. Expect a lot of local Malay food, snacks, strawberries and cacti for sale here.

Towns like Brinchang are fully equipped with banks, mosques, churches, hardware stores, convenience stores, mini markets and just about anything you can think of in general consumer goods. No, you will not find a bird watching shop here, so please bring all you need for this.

There are plenty available for attractions that even spending three days here will not allow you to see all. The most popular attractions in Cameron Highlands are the famous Mossy Forest, Boh Tea Plantation and the Bharat Tea Plantation.

How to Go to Cameron Highlands?

If you are local, it is best to self-drive to Cameron Highlands. There are four ways you can get here, depending on where you are coming from.

• From Kuala Lumpur and the South – Use the NKVE to Tapah, then take Highway 59 via Ringlet.
• From Ipoh, Penang and the North – Use NKVE Southbound and take Highway A181 (185) to Blue Valley.
• From Gua Musang, Terengganu and Kelantan – Use Highway 185 via Gua Musang to Blue Valley.
• From Pahang and Kuantan – Head to Sg Koyan and use Highway 102 to Ringlet.

For foreigners visiting, it is best to rent a car and self-drive up to Cameron Highlands. This is provided you are comfortable driving on the road’s left side and are confident with our road system. Honestly, it is not too hard if you abide by the road rules.

For those who cannot drive, you can always engage a bird guide that will go with you or a tour company that can send you up to Cameron Highlands and bring you back down when you are done.

Conclusion

Cameron Highlands is truly one of the beautiful places to do bird watching and photography, but it must be done during non-peak times and on weekdays. Again, I strongly recommend you do not come here during the weekend of any school holidays or public holidays as the place will be extra crowded.

We all want to do some peaceful bird watching in Cameron Highlands, and any other distractions will come in between this, which will give us a bad experience.