Asia’s Most Thrilling Wildlife Wonderlands

Asia is known for its spectacular wildlife — and the ability to get up close with it. Find out where you can go to experience native animals in their own stunning natural habitats for a true immersive flora and fauna experience.

A voyage to Asia would not be complete without time dedicated to observing the awe-inspiring wildlife of the region. With spectacular natural vistas framing everything from monkeys and elephants to sea lions and bears, these are the moments that will make you gasp and pull out your camera to capture memories that will last a lifetime. Find out where to spend your time as you plan your travel.

This moderately sized national park near Borneo, offers a perfect encapsulation of the local environment, housing nearly every type of vegetation found in the country in a series of seven complete ecosystems (including mangrove forests and grasslands). But the star of the show is the proboscis monkey, with its distinctive belly and oversized nose. With an estimated 275 monkeys on premises, most visitors will have no trouble spotting one, along with other animals like silver leaf monkeys and bearded pigs. For some outdoor relaxation, enjoy time on the beach or lace up your hiking shoes to take on one of the many trails.

A growing movement in Thailand to protect endangered elephants has led to the rise of elephant sanctuaries near Phuket. The animals have been rescued from logging, circus work and other situations, and are now allowed to roam in protected areas that are open to visitors. Some are expansive parks with plenty of streams and waterfalls for the elephants to play and refresh themselves in, while others are smaller in scale. Finding one that is ethical in its treatment of the animals is recommended; giving the majestic animals their proper space instead of allowing visitors to bathe and touch them is one thing to look for.

Home to hundreds of thousands of animals, the Bering Strait lends itself to exhilarating viewing while en route from Japan to Dutch Harbour, Alaska. As the only waterway connecting the Pacific and Arctic oceans, you could see anything from a beluga whale to a walrus to bearded seals to the occasional polar bear during migration periods in spring and fall. It's also an important crossing for Pacific Salmon, as well as millions of nesting birds like the Parakeet Auklets. It's no wonder that the Audubon Society calls it an "ecological hotspot of global proportions."

Spanning almost two million acres, the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is home to Kodiak brown bears, the largest land carnivore in the world with the ability to weigh up to 1,500 pounds, who appropriately spend their days feasting on the local salmon running through the beautiful park. With mountains rising 4,000 feet, deep glacial valleys and even fjords, the natural background is as staggering as the wildlife within the park, which includes over 250 species of animals. While the Kodiak Bear is the best known in the refuge with over 3,000 individuals, you can also expect to see red foxes, river otters, ermines and hundreds of species of birds alone.

Located on the island of Hokkaido, Kushiro Shitsugen National Park is the largest wetlands in Japan, roughly 287 square kilometers in size. The park is home to 1,300 different animals and over 700 plant species, but the best known of all is the National Park's star, the prized, red-crowned crane, which is a symbol of luck, long life and fidelity. For this reason alone, this stunning park is known as a birdwatcher's paradise. Take in the red-crowned cranes, sea eagles, herons, songbirds and more as you canoe through the watery pathways of the wetlands — or take the steam train that runs throughout if you prefer a less-active viewing.

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