Wild Malaysia

The Lake Gardens area of central KL hosts two award-winning wildlife attractions: a 21-acre bird park, featuring the world’s largest free-flying aviary (whose resident hornbills are the star species); and a garden where 5,000 tropical butterflies flit through an exotic array of host flora. Milky storks and silver-leaf monkeys top the tick lists of visitors to the Selangor Reserve, an area of carefully preserved coastal mangrove wetland northwest of the city, where a network of boardwalks and unpaved trails wind to a pair of strategically placed hide-towers – a fragrant and delightful escape from the metropolis.

A towering, 43-metre, resplendently gilded statue of the Hindu God Murugan guards the entrance to the Batu cave complex, on the northern outskirts of KL. Eroded from vast limestone cliffs, the loftiest cavern – known for obvious reasons as ‘Cathedral Cave’ – holds the largest Hindu shrine in the world outside India. A sweeping flight of 272 leads from the great Murugan statue to its entrance

At an altitude of roughly 1,500m (5,000ft), Fraser’s Hill lies only a couple of hours’ drive northeast of KL, but the contrast in climate and atmosphere is total. Refreshingly cool air envelops the dense, moist, moss-covered forests and peaks where, in the 1890s, the Scottish tin prospector, Louis James Fraser, established a mining camp. The hill station is today of particular interest to birdwatchers as its beautiful woodland hosts around 270 species, including hornbills. The annual Bird Race, in which participants compete to identify as many species as possible from the official list, attracts ornithologists from all over the world.

Encompassing 4,323-square-kilometres of primary rainforest, rivers and cloud-fringed mountains, Taman Negara is the country’s top national park. Its few remaining large mammals, which include elephants, leopards and rhinos, are rarely sighted these days, but it’s still worth the trip to experience the jungle in the raw: the cacophony of insect and bird noise is a revelation.

A superb canopy walk suspended 30m above the forest floor makes for an adrenalin-fuelled introduction to Taman Negara, while rides on wooden longboats take visitors deeper into the park to waterfalls, caves and the start of longer trails. Orang Asli villages where visitors are invited to try their hand at blowpipe hunting and fire making are other attractions.

Connected to the coast by road only in the 1930s, Cameron Highlands was one of very last hill stations to be established by the British, and the area still evokes the twilight of the empire. Miles of lush tea plantations carpet the rolling hills of this hidden plateau land, which at a mean elevation of around 1,500m (5,000ft) is considerably cooler than the coastal strip, offering the perfect spot to break the long journey between the capital and Penang.

Tea production continues to dominate the local economy of the Highlands and plantation visits occupy much of today, along with trips to honey, strawberry and butterfly farms. British travellers hankering for a taste of home should also drop into the Smokehouse in Tanah Rata, the hill station’s main town, for a Devonshire cream tea, served in a quintessentially English, half-timbered, wood-panelled dining room with horse brasses on the walls. A network of walking trails to viewpoints and Orang Asli villages provides gentle post-prandial workouts.

Enjoy the majesty of Malaysia’s finest tract of rainforest in this beautiful five-star eco-resort, on the lake island of Pulau Banding in Gerik – surely one of the most stylish ways to enjoy the unique atmosphere of tropical jungle anywhere in Asia. Views over the canopy extend from most of the rooms and bamboo-clad terraces. You can relax by the infinity pool, join a guided birding walk, kayak on the river, visit local Orang Asli villages or picnic by the spectacular Sungai Ruok waterfall.

Walk among the Gaharu trees, learning about the plants, insects and birds of the adjacent forest, or take a full-day cruise to the nearby Temengor Reserve and Royal Belum State Park (NB 7-days’ notice required to secure permission – discuss with your consultant), where you can follow trails leading to Rafflesia plants in full bloom and salt licks attracting larger mammals. Swim with mahseer fish in a hidden sanctuary by a shimmering waterfall, and later, visit the feeding grounds of giant hornbills, which congregate here in record-breaking numbers between August and October.

Dominating the forested interior of Langkawi is Gunung Machinchang, a striking, sugar-loaf mountain that may be ascended by cable car. Near the summit, a concrete-and-steel Sky Bridge arcs over the forest canopy, affording matchless views across the treetops to the sand-splashed, jungle-backed coastline below.

Recently voted among the world’s ‘Top Ten Beaches’ by National Geographic magazine, dreamy Datai, on the far northwestern tip of Langkawi, is framed by a tangle of strangler figs and ancient trees full of wildlife, with the marble crags of Gunung Machinchang towering behind – an astoundingly beautiful sight. “What much of Thailand used to be like 25 years ago” is how TransIndus clients often describe Tanjung Rhu, on the Langkawi’s northern tip. Talcum-powder-soft sand and wonderful views over the turquoise water to a scattering of islets and limestone outcrops offshore are ample rewards for the journey out to it.