Start: 7th April 2026 | End: 17th April 2026 | Meeting location: Kuala Lumpur | Spaces available: 8
Included in the tour:
- Expert herpetologist guides.
- Accommodation.
- Transport.
- Food & drinks.
- National park fees.
- Permit fees.
Cameron Highlands pit viper (Trimeresurus nebularis)
Malayan mountain dragon (Malayodracon robinsonii).
Larut shrub frog (Philautus larutensis).
Rhaegal's false bloodsucker (Pseudocalotes rhaegal).
Black-striped coral snake (Calliophis nigrotaeniatus) venter.
Three-lined short-limbed skink (Larutia trifasciata).
Large-eyed false cobra (Pseudoxenodon macrops).
Yellow-throated false bloodsucker (Pseudocalotes flavigula).
Red-mountain keelback (Hebius sanguineum).
Cameron Highlands sticky frog (Kalophrynus yongi).
The beautiful Cameron Highlands endemic Schulz's reed snake (Macrocalamus schulzi).
Long-legged horned frog (Megophrys longipes).
Titiwangsa horned lizard (Acanthosaura titiwangsaensis).
Gunung Inas keelback (Hebius inas)
Tweedie's reed snake (Macrocalamus tweediei).
Cameron Highlands pit viper (Trimeresurus nebularis).
Mirkwood forest slug snake (Asthenodipsas lasgalenensis).
Red bamboo ratsnake (Oreocryptophis porphyracea)
Black-striped coral snake (Calliophis nigrotaeniatus).
Nights 1 & 2: Cameron Highlands:
The expedition begins with 2 nights in montane forests of Peninsular Malaysia’s central mountain range. This cool-weather climate is home to unique and fascinating array of highland-restricted species, including many localised endemics. While finding snakes can be challenging here, our team have several locations which consistently produce good numbers of snakes. Our biggest targets will be the species which cannot be observed elsewhere on this tour; red bamboo ratsnake (Oreocryptophis porphyracea laticinctus), Cameron Highlands pit viper (Trimeresurus nebularis) and black-striped coral snake (Calliophis nigrotaeniatus). There are many other very rare species occurring here, such as the Sunda form of the large-eyed false cobra (Pseudoxenodon cf. macrops), collared many-toothed snake (Sibynophis collaris) and the impressive three-lined short-limbed skink (Larutia trifasciata), all of which would be incredible encounters. The most abundant snakes in the mossy forests of the Cameron Highlands are colourful fossorial reed snakes (Macrocalamus sp.) and the bright red-eyed slug eating snakes (Asthenodipsas lasgalensis). There are also multiple critically endangered species of frog which are restricted to the mossy peaks, which are most active in rainy conditions.
At this location, we will stay in a comfortable hotel near the town centre, where we can eat delicious local food with easy access to the forest. Daytime activities will include hiking to waterfalls, visiting the famous Boh tea plantations and trying the locally grown strawberries.
Sunday king cobra (Ophiophagus bungarus).
Great angle-headed lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)
Harlequin flying frog (Rhacophorus pardalis)
Reticulated python (Malayopython reticulatus)
Mangrove cat snake (Boiga melanota)
Armoured horned dragon (Acanthosaura armata).
Norhayati's flying frog (Rhacophorus norhayatii)
Keeled rat snake (Ptyas carinata)
Red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps).
Peter's bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus consobrinus)
Blood python (Python brongersmai).
Malaysian parachute gecko (Gekko cicakterbang).
Dark-headed cat snake (Boiga nigriceps).
Wallace's flying frog (Rhacophorus nigropalmatus)
Olive tree skink (Dasia olivacea).
Sumatran cobra (Naja sumatrana).
Dog-toothed cat snake (Boiga nigriceps).
Long-nosed horned frog (Pelobatrachus nasuta).
Sumatran cobra (Naja sumatrana).
Cinnamon frog (Nyctixalus pictus)
Ridley's cave racer (Elaphe taeniura ridleyi).
Wagler's pit viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri)
Malayan krait (Bungarus candidus).
Nights 3-6: Kelantan:
Our second destination is nestled at the base of remote mountains in northern Kelantan province, where we will spend 4 nights searching both day and night for rare and exciting herpetofauna. While an encounter is still very rare, this is probably the best place in Peninsula Malaysia for observing king cobra - and our trip intersects with their breeding season to give us the best possible chance. Sumatran cobra (Naja sumatrana) is also relatively abundant here, often displaying an unusual speckled/banded pattern. Northern Kelantan is rich with elapidae, with both Malayan krait (Bungarus candidus), red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps) and the yellow-morph banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) occurring in here, while we have observed the dark form of the Malaysian blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgata flaviceps) in the past. There are limestone karst formations not far from our accommodation, where we can search for Ridley's cave racer (Elaphe taeniura ridleyi). The sheer number of amphibian and reptile diversity is immense, with a seemingly endless number of species we can see on a daily basis.
While most forest in this area has been selectively logged, there are still patches of mature rainforest in certain valleys. In these areas, it is possible to find Abbott's angle-headed lizard (Gonocephalus doriae abbotti) and the mythical Malaysian locality Sumatran pit viper (Trimeresurus sumatranus) - two of the rarest reptiles in Malaysia, both threatened heavily by habitat degradation. An encounter with the latter would be an incredible significant discovery.
Our accommodation is jungle bungalows situated next to a waterfall and surrounded by forest. Snakes regularly show up in the guesthouse garden, along with rhinoceros hornbills and other interesting wildlife. On some of the roads in this area, we can observe regularly see elephants, while many other rarer mammals and even Malayan tiger can be sighted here. We will eat in local restaurants, sometimes driving to the nearest town for fuel and other food options.
Malayan banded coral snake (Calliophis intestinalis).
Pied warty frog (Theloderma asperum).
Blue-eyed bamboo ratsnake (Gonyosoma coeruleum).
Red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps).
Endemic Titiwangsa horned dragon (Acanthosaura titiwangsaensis).
Blotched forest skink (Sphenomorphus praesignis) juvenile.
Twin-spotted flying frog (Rhacophorus rhodopus).
Blue bronzeback (Dendrelaphis cyanochloris).
Sabah pit viper (Trimeresurus sabahi fucatus).
Cat gecko (Aleuroscalabotes felinus).
Jasper cat snake (Boiga jaspidea).
Norhayati's flying frog (Rhacophorus norhayatii).
Long-tailed ground snake (Gongylosoma longicauda).
Vertebral slug snake (Asthenodipsas vertebralis).
Bengkulu cat snake (Boiga bengkuluensis).
Schlegel's reed snake (Calamaria schlegeli).
Blunt-headed slug snake (Aplopeltura boa).
White-spotted cat snake (Boiga drapiezii).
Leonard's pipe snake (Anomochilus leonardi).
Butler's wolf snake (Lycodon butleri).
Malayan bug-eyed frog (Theloderma leprosum).
Hagen's pit viper (Trimeresurus hageni).
Blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgata flaviceps).
Mountain pit viper (Ovophis convictus).
Nights 7-10 - Bukit Fraser:
Expedition Malaysia 2026 concludes with 4 nights at the wonderful highland resort of Bukit Fraser. This destination has been an all-time favourite for our guides for more than 10 years, and consistent success with some of the most desirable herpetofauna in Peninsula Malaysia has made it an absolute necessity to visit on every single trip. The unique positioning of this location between upper-dipterocarp and submontane forest provides a magnificent diversity of herpetofauna, and the crisp mountain climate makes hiking an enjoyable experience no matter what time of day. If we did not see them in Kelantan, this area is one of the best places in the world to observe Malaysian blue coral snake (Calliophis bivirgata) and red-headed krait (Bungarus flaviceps). If the area gets heavy rainfall, we can encounter the rare Malayan mountain pit viper (ovophis convictus) and many interesting highlands frogs. Jade flying frog (Zhangixalus prominanus), twin-spotted flying frog (Rhacophorus bipunctatus) and bird-poop frog (Theloderma asperum) are regular sights along the upper part of the mountain, while the incredible and rare mossy wart frog (Theloderma leprosum) has been sighted here several times too. The cool weather here creates the perfect climate for enjoyable walking by both night and day, so we will embark on many daytime herping escapades where we have a good chance to see different species of snake, as well as interesting montane lizards.
As well as spending time in the highlands, we will visit a lowland forest site where we often see Hagen's pit viper (Trimeresurus hageni), along with cat gecko (Aleuroscalabotes felinus) and Norhayati's flying frog (Rhacophorus norhayatii). Road cruising in the area can produce lots of different snakes, especially different cat snakes (Boiga sp.) and rare diurnals during daytime cruising. Our accommodation is a comfortable hotel at the high elevations of the mountain, and we will eat at various restaurants dotted around the hill station for our meals.
Accommodation:
We stay in hotels and guesthouses adjacent to or within prime herping habitat at every location on this expedition. There will be phone service (4/5G) at all accommodations throughout the tour.
Food:
Malaysia is a multicultural country with a broad variety of cuisine. You will have the opportunity to try Malay, Chinese and Indian food, as well as western classics. Each location on the tour has easily accessible shops where snacks can be bought.
Environmental conditions & fitness:
The lowlands of Peninsula Malaysia are steaming hot and humid all year round, with daytime temperatures exceeding 30c on a daily basis. However, the climate at Bukit Fraser and the Cameron Highlands is significantly colder, and can drop as low as 15c at night at the latter, rarely exceeding 26c during the daytime at both locations. Cool weather clothing is important, as well as hiking clothes suitable for hot temperatures. A rain jacket is also absolutely essential, as one must be prepared for heavy rain at any time in Malaysia.
Travel information:
All participants must arrive in Kuala Lumpur at the designated meeting location before 12:00pm on the 7th April 2026. On the 17th April at 12:00pm (midday), we will leave Bukit Fraser and arrive at KL SENTRAL by 15:00pm, where the tour will end.
Kuala Lumpur has a huge international airport, and direct transport links to the city. It is the guests’ responsibility to meet all entry requirements needed to enter Malaysia, including visa procedures. Explore Herpetology can help advise entry requirements. Guests travelling from most countries do not require a visa to visit Malaysia for less than 30 days. Make sure to check the entry requirements for your country before booking.
