[albatross02]

Hello togehter,

I want next year travel 2 to 3 months.
One idea is 4 to 6 weeks to Thailand and add another country.
Start date is middle or end of January.
Which countries are recommend before or after Thailand for bird watching ?
It means good condition ( not too much rain ) in January, February or April.

Thank You very much.


Best regards
Dieter

[andyadcock]

You have a great choice depending on how intensive your birding will be.

If it were me, I'd have a whole month in Thailand then split the rest between Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Cambodia and Malaysia are easy with visa on arrival and excellent air and land routes from Thailand. Vietnam is a little trickier or at least was when I did it as you need a visa in advance with exact dates of travel.

[albatross02]

Hi Andy,

thank you for the information.
How is about birdlife in Malaysia and Vietnam, is it very similar to Thailand ?
How is about food in nationalparks in Vietnam und Malaysia, is it needed to bring by my own ?
I read Taman Negara has heavy rain in Dezember and January. But February start to become sunny.
Budget I think about 2.000 Euro per month excluded long distance flight.
I like to sleep in medium budget accomodation, but I will use also my own tent in Thailand.

From map view is easy to hire a car in Malaysia drive north and continue in Thailand. But there is needed a place to give back car in Malaysia and pick up new one behind the border in Thailand.
But I do not know if the some stations near the boarder.


Best regards
Dieter

[andyadcock]

Hi Dieter,
most places in Malaysia and Vietnam, food will be available and it's good food! There are a lot of species that you won't see in Thailand.

2000E per month is a lot of money out there and you can live well on this, most people don't use a car but if you can, why not.

This is an old book now but buying it will give you a very good idea of what you can do and how.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Where-Watch.../dp/071364303X

There are some new sites now that are not in this book but it's a good starting point if you know nothing of this part of the World.

[jurek]

Hi Albatross,

Why not India or Sri Lanka as the intermediate step? Also, Peninsular Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur is fantastic, mostly easy, birding, with many birds different than Thailand.

I, however, recommend flying longer distances as road traffic is slow and hassle in all these countries. I don't think it is possible or convenient to cross borders by rental car in SE Asia, except maybe from Singapore to Malaysia. So from Bangkok flight to Chiang Mai, maybe Kuala Lumpur, or a stopover in Colombo, Goa, New Dehli or Guhawati.

[albatross02]

Hello Jurek,

thank You for the information.
I want visit hot spots of Thailand between south and Chiang Mai/ Chinag Rai.

Awful traffic is mosty in Bangkok or maybe at Phuket island.
If you have to drive trough Bangkok, than do it from Saturday lunch time to Sunday coffee time. Than main streets through Bangkok quite empty.

I suppose Kuala Lumpur is similar situation like Bangkok ?

For information I have yet
Thailand
http://www.norththailandbirding.com/
https://www.thaibirding.com/

I was 3 times in Thailand. The far south I have never visited yet.
Last December I was in Krabi.

Vietnam
http://www.exoticbirding.com/vietnam/about-birding.html
http://forestbirding.com/best-of-vietnam-birding.html
https://www.vietnamwildtour.com/destinations

Malaysia
https://www.expatgo.com/my/2017/05/0...hing-malaysia/
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/article...ssential-guide




Best regards
Dieter

[jurek]

Driving in Kuala Lumpur is a traffic jam similar to Bangkok. However I crossed the city at night and went north towards Taman Negara. Roads there are usually less crowded and rather good quality. About Vietnam I cannot help you, I only heard that birds are trapped so rarer and shy.

[andyadcock]

Originally Posted by jurek

Hi Albatross,

Why not India or Sri Lanka as the intermediate step? Also, Peninsular Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur is fantastic, mostly easy, birding, with many birds different than Thailand.

I, however, recommend flying longer distances as road traffic is slow and hassle in all these countries. I don't think it is possible or convenient to cross borders by rental car in SE Asia, except maybe from Singapore to Malaysia. So from Bangkok flight to Chiang Mai, maybe Kuala Lumpur, or a stopover in Colombo, Goa, New Dehli or Guhawati.

You could fly to Chiang Mai and rent a car there, that's what we did and we got a cheaper rate for keeping the car for ten days.

[Steve Babbs]

Malaysia really is the obvious place. I spent six months just in the two countries on one trip and have been back to both (Malaysia twice) so you really won't run out of stuff to look at.

[albatross02]

Originally Posted by Steve Babbs

Malaysia really is the obvious place. I spent six months just in the two countries on one trip and have been back to both (Malaysia twice) so you really won't run out of stuff to look at.

For Thailand I think March is the best. Especially north and waders in Laem Pak Bia/ Pak Thale.
Westcoast of Malaysia I think is good from January to March.
Eastcoast of Malaysia and Taman Negara is good from February ?

Kota Kinabalu i think good in February and March.
http://www.klimadiagramme.de/Austral...akinabalu.html

Sarawak from April to September
http://www.klimadiagramme.de/Australien/kuching.html

Is Tioman also worth for bird watching ?

[albatross02]

Originally Posted by andyadcock

You could fly to Chiang Mai and rent a car there, that's what we did and we got a cheaper rate for keeping the car for ten days.

I drove once from Chiang Rai to Bangkok in 3,5 weeks.
Last November/ December I drove 3,5 weeks from Bangkok to Phuket.
Only Bangkok is awful from Monday morning to Friday evening.
Bring back car to car rental at Bangkok airport can be diffcult.

[albatross02]

Originally Posted by Steve Babbs

Malaysia really is the obvious place. I spent six months just in the two countries on one trip and have been back to both (Malaysia twice) so you really won't run out of stuff to look at.

It said Maylasia east coast can be good for snorkelling, especially islands at east coast.

[albatross02]

Originally Posted by jurek

Driving in Kuala Lumpur is a traffic jam similar to Bangkok. However I crossed the city at night and went north towards Taman Negara. Roads there are usually less crowded and rather good quality. About Vietnam I cannot help you, I only heard that birds are trapped so rarer and shy.

Is Taman Negara reachable by car or is boat transfer needed ?
If boat transfer needed maybe go by public transport to Taman Negara.
I want stay there 5 - 7 days or maybe longer.

[andyadcock]

Originally Posted by albatross02

Is Taman Negara reachable by car or is boat transfer needed ?
If boat transfer needed maybe go by public transport to Taman Negara.
I want stay there 5 - 7 days or maybe longer.

It is possible to get to TN by bus so it must be possible by car.

https://www.busonlineticket.com/bus-to-taman-negara

'There are a number of ways to travel to this iconic natural landmark, such as taking the train (KTM) or bus to Taman Negara. However, the KTM station will merely stop at the nearest point to Taman Negara, which is the Jerantut station about an hour’s drive away from the destination.

Therefore, most travelers would actually opt to take the bus to Taman Negara, which will make pickups and drop offs in a few different locations in Taman Negara like the Wan Cafe and Han Rainforest Resort. However, you can only get the bus to Taman Negara at a couple of selected locations like the Jetty Kuala Besut, Hotel Mandarin Pacific at Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur and the Mariamman Building near the Pasar Seni LRT station'.

I assume you know that there are two options for accomodation on either sides of the river at TN with the cheaper accomodation and floating restaraunts on one side and the expensive resort on the other?

[jurek]

TN is across the river from the nearest village (reachable by a bus or a car). You can stay in TN proper, or you can stay (cheaper) outside and arrange a cheap and quick transport across the river every morning.

[albatross02]

Dear all together.
Thank You very much for information.

Best regards
Dieter

[Steve Babbs]

Originally Posted by albatross02

It said Maylasia east coast can be good for snorkelling, especially islands at east coast.

There's pretty good snorkelling on Tioman although birding is dull there, and it's very hard to get in the forest. Tioman is pleasant and surprisingly quiet outside the weekends, when there are lots of visitors from Singapore.

Just to confirm TN is now very easily reachable by car. And if you're someone who likes a drink, don't believe the reports that it is 'dry'; it's not.

[andyadcock]

Originally Posted by Steve Babbs

There's pretty good snorkelling on Tioman although birding is dull there, and it's very hard to get in the forest. Tioman is pleasant and surprisingly quiet outside the weekends, when there are lots of visitors from Singapore.

Just to confirm TN is now very easily reachable by car. And if you're someone who likes a drink, don't believe the reports that it is 'dry'; it's not.

It's changed then Steve because I can assure you that when I was there almost 20 years ago, only the resort sold booze, none on the village side.

[Steve Babbs]

I was there last year and there were several shops that sold booze and several restaurants that would let you drink it while having a meal, although none of the floating restaurants allowed it.

[temmie]

everything about beer (and a bit of info on birds) is written down in my report :-)
https://users.ugent.be/~hmatheve/hm/MALAYSIA18.html

I guess other shops have started selling beer at Kuala Tahan becaue they saw the popularity of the one shop selling...? :-)

[Steve Babbs]

Originally Posted by temmie

everything about beer (and a bit of info on birds) is written down in my report :-)
https://users.ugent.be/~hmatheve/hm/MALAYSIA18.html

I guess other shops have started selling beer at Kuala Tahan becaue they saw the popularity of the one shop selling...? :-)

Actually several may have been two places. But it certainly wasn't an issue: they were well stocked.