MY · Melaka · 2.40°N 101.87°E

tanjung tuan

Forest trail to an old lighthouse, with raptors streaming overhead every March.

Best time
February to April for the raptor migration, peaking in March. Otherwise any time; weekday mornings are quietest.
How long
Half a day
Getting there
About 1.5 hours' drive from KL. Head for Port Dickson and follow the coast road south past the beaches to Blue Lagoon, where the forest reserve begins.
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MY · Melakatanjung tuan2.40°N 101.87°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Forest trail to an old lighthouse, with raptors streaming overhead every March.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingTanjung TuanMY, Melaka
KLtanjung tuan
≈ 85 km from KL, as the crow flies
A magnificent red sunset over the Malaccan exclave of Tanjung Tuan and the coastline of Pasir Panjang, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan viewed from the Malaccan side of the Linggi River mouth.

Photo: AyyanD · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Tanjung Tuan is a small forested cape at the end of the Port Dickson coast, technically a pocket of Melaka. A trail climbs through the forest reserve to the Cape Rachado Lighthouse, and each spring thousands of migrating raptors cross the Strait of Malacca right over the headland.

Things to do

  1. Cape Rachado LighthouseWalk up through the forest to the lighthouse for views over the Strait of Malacca.Map ↗
  2. Raptor watchingIn March, honey buzzards and black bazas ride the thermals over the cape on their way north; the Malaysian Nature Society has long held its Raptor Watch here.Map ↗
  3. The beaches belowSide trails drop down to small, quiet beaches around the cape.Map ↗
  4. Port DicksonBlue Lagoon is right at the entrance, and the rest of PD's beaches are a short drive back up the coast.Map ↗

Good to know

  • It's a forest reserve: stay on the trails, take your rubbish out and keep food away from the monkeys.
  • Bring binoculars and a hat for raptor watching. Most birds come through from late morning, once the air warms up.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.