Naman Shrestha
Adapted from the original Belgian TV series ‘De Mol,’ Netflix’s ‘The Mole’ is a high-stakes reality game show that follows 12 contestants. They might come from different walks of life but work together toward the same objective — adding money to the collective prize pot, which only one of the contestants would take home. In order to do so, they join forces to succeed in various missions and challenges that put their physical endurance and skills to the test.
The catch is that one of the 12 players is the Mole, who discreetly sabotages the group’s efforts to win the challenges and add money to the pot. The Mole’s task is to keep a low profile and avoid suspicion from other players while doing their best to keep the pot of money as limited as possible. Hosted by Ari Shapiro, the show’s growing suspense surrounding the identity of the Mole is not the only thing that keeps the viewers intrigued; the stunning and contrasting visuals of modern and natural landscapes in the backdrop also gain their attention.
Where Was The Mole Season 2 Filmed?
Shooting for ‘The Mole’ season 2 reportedly took place in its entirety in different places across Malaysia, including Forest City, Kuala Lumpur, Tioman Island, and Port Klang. Principal photography for the sophomore round got underway in July 2023 and continued for the following six weeks, during which the participants were not allowed to use their phones at all.
Forest City, Malaysia
A major portion of ‘The Mole’ season 2 was lensed in Forest City, a private town situated in the Malaysian state of Johor. The cast and crew members made the most of the tall buildings in the integrated residential development as the hotels and golf resorts of the area served as the ideal backdrops for the show. You are most likely to spot various landmarks and monuments of the town, such as the Forest City Phoenix International Marina Hotel.
Other Locations in Malaysia
As part of their adventurous journey, the participants also traveled to various other locations across Malaysia. For instance, several important scenes for ‘The Mole’ season 2 were also recorded in and around Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur at 12, Jalan Pinang in Kuala Lumpur. Furthermore, the cast and crew of the second installment set up camp on Tioman Island, which consists of seven villages in total. Surrounded by numerous coral reefs, the island is a popular tourist destination as it has many chalets and resorts.
For shooting purposes, the filming unit of the second season of ‘The Mole’ also took over a few places in the town of Port Klang, situated in the District of Klang. It is also reported that several portions were filmed on the Napier grass fields of Western Malaysia, providing a stunning backdrop filled with lush greenery. As if that’s not enough, the beautiful northern state of Perak, the limestone Tempurung Cave in Gopeng, the Kinta Valley Retreat in Ipoh, the Tanjung Tualang Tin Dredge No. 5 in Batu Gajah, and the near-forgotten town of Papan all make an appearance too.
However, one of the most intriguing filming locations of this installment is the historic Georgetown on Penang Island, especially as we get to explore quite a bit of it. From the 4-star 23 LoveLane Hotel to house number 18 Lee Jetty and from tourist attractions like Fort Cornwallis and Jubilee Clock Tower to the restaurant Colour Port, we saw it all.
Read More: Is Netflix’s The Mole Scripted or Real?
