Primate Watching

Seeing this Species

 

I was initially planning to visit Fraser's Hill for the Siamang, for this place has been variously noted as a good spot to see the loudest gibbon species in the world. I was only there for a morning due to time constraints. No Siamang, but instead, the Malayan Pale-thighed Langur was seen two times, one about 5 minutes into the Bishop Trail, and another on a cable wire above a road!

 

Fraser's Hill, Pahang, Malaysia 

Nicknamed "The Little England of Malaysia", the colonial roots of Fraser's Hill began from the discovery of the plateau bordered by the seven hills by its namesake, Louis James Fraser. The central point of Fraser's Hill is a small clock tower, surrounded by picturesque colonial-style buildings now conserved for post office, police station, clinic, cafés, restaurants, and hotels. Just in front of the clock tower is the Puncak Inn, where you can receive free information and maps for exploring this town.

 

The cool climate of Fraser's Hill makes primate watching a breeze. There are 8 nature trails of varying terrain and distance. I recommend the Bishop Trail (1,500 meters) because I saw the Malayan Pale-Thighed Langur just a few hundred meters from the entrance, and this trail is one of the most pristine. The Pine Tree Trail (5,000 meters) is the most physically challenging with steep slopes, but features a majestic view of the mountains. Most of the other trails are wide with open canopy, probably not a good spot for primates.

 

How to get there

Locally named as Bukit Fraser, Fraser's Hill is in the central region of Peninsular Malaysia in the state of Pahang. It is about two hours drive north of Kuala Lumpur. The second hour of drive follows an extremely winding road up to the top, at an average altitude of 1,200 meters. You may also catch a bus from the Pudu Raya bus terminal at Kuala Lumpur, heading towards Kuala Kubu Bharu.

 

Probability of Success: ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◇

 

Overlapping species: Greater Slow Loris, Long-tailed Macaque, Southern Pig-tailed Macaque, Reid's Dusky Langur, Siamang, Malaysian White-handed Gibbon

 

Other sites:

Bintan Island, Indonesia

This island is easy to get to from another island, Singapore. From the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore, take a ferry to the Bandar Bentan Telani Ferry Terminal in Bintan. The journey is only about an hour.

 

Overlapping species: Greater Slow Loris, Long-tailed Macaque

 

Local contacts: