You have put a lot of work into this Carl. Thanks very much.
From my point of view, its not the cost of entry but the principle of
charging a fee for carrying a camera into a nature reserve that makes me
want to cringe away from such places. Its as though there is an element
of punishment aimed at tourist visitors behind the spawning of such
policies.
Overall Australia too is awful for bushwhaking the unsuspecting traveler
with frightful fees and charges for entering many Parks. As you would
know, Uluru is not shy about hitting up the battler but somehow, an
entry fee seems more acceptable than a camera charge that just seems so
parasitic.
But I take your points there are many great birding places in Malaysia
where there are no camera fees and that India hits up $12 per camera.
Thanks again
Carl Clifford wrote: porr old
Ian et al,
It seems that there are a couple of National Parks in M'sia that have recently
started to to charge a fee for cameras. What I have found from my emailings is
as follows.
Mainland Malaysia
Taman Negara charge MYR 5.00 (approx AUD 2.00), which is valid for one month.
All other main birding spots, such as Bukit Fraser, Bukit Larut, Panti,
Belum-Temengor and Genting Highlands, no fee.
Sabah
Mount Kinabalu and Poring are supposed to charge camera fees, but it seems that
if you keep your gear out of sight, no one asks. When I was a Mt. Kinabalu in
2011, I did not even pay the entrance fee, let alone a camera fee. I was
staying across the road and just wandered in. There are no fees at the Sayap
sub-station on the north side of Kinablu.
Rainforest Discovery Centre and Sepilok Kabili Forest Reserve, Sepilok
No camera fee.
Danum Valley
There is supposed to be a MYR 10 camera fee, but when I was there in June last year, no one asked. The staff did admire the images of the Orang I had taken just outside the room though:-) You are also supposed to only go into the forest with a ranger, but there was no mention of it at the Field Centre and no one stopped either of us from wandering where we liked.
Crocker Range NP
No entry or camera fees
Sarawak
No camera fees
Other countries in SE Asia such as Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam do not appear to
charge camera fees and I have never had to pay any in those countries. Some NPs in the
Phillipines do charge a camera fee, but I have no personal experience there. One
respondent did tell me that in one park, he was asked to pay a fee for his 'scope, but I
think that was just a "local" fee.
Even if you avoid those places that charge fees, there are plenty of other
places with good birding in M'sia, so don't just wipe the country just because
some of the main tourist traps want to charge you a small fee, which is nothing
compared to the AUD 12.00 per day per camera, including mobile phones you will
be hit up for in India.
Hope this clarifies things a bit,
Carl Clifford
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