Wildlife in Asia
The more visitors that come to a region to watch wildlife the more it should benefit the surrounding community and put money into the pockets of those living in often deprived and remote rural areas. Employment through animal tourism is just one of many reasons why a responsible wildlife watching tour works for local people as well as travelers.
Rewilding projects, rehabilitation centers and NGO conservation programmes, dedicated to keeping endangered species in existence, are the essence of responsible wildlife watching tours in Asia. Obviously, the more areas of Asia that are protected from deforestation, poaching and urban spread the better for wildlife, but the livelihoods of local people need to be taken into consideration too.
Read on to find out more about wildlife in Asia, what animals you can see and where.
Our Asia Vacations
Tiger tour in India, land of the Tiger tour
Wildlife tour through India
Kayaking vacation in Indonesia, Komodo Dragon tour
Sea kayaking to some of the most remote beaches on earth
Borneo tour, Great Apes and Beach escapes
Explore bustling cities, lush jungles and paradise beaches.
Sri Lanka wildlife and whales tour
Whales and the wildlife of Yala National Park
Borneo vacations, tailor made
Rainforests, orangutans, beaches tailor made
Borneo tailor made vacations, wildlife & beaches
A luxury tour of the best wildlife & beaches of Sabah
Sri Lanka tour & beach vacation
Tropical island paradise with cultural tour
Borneo orangutan vacation
Trekking, wildlife and beach adventure vacation to Borneo
Rajasthan cycling vacation with Taj & tigers
Enjoy cycling tour in Royal Rajasthan with Taj and Tiger.
Orangutan photography in Borneo
Develop your photography skills in Borneo
Thailand tailor made vacation, elephants, jungle & beach
Elephant encounters, jungle treehouses and stunning Thai islands
Kerala birdwatching vacations, Western Ghats
An endemic birding tour through the Western Ghats of India
Borneo orangutan conservation volunteering
Care for rescued orangutans in beautiful Borneo
India bird watching vacation & Taj Mahal
Bird watching at two of India’s premier wetland reserves.
Sri Lanka birding & cultural tour
Top tour of birding, wildlife and culture of Sri Lanka.
Tiger watching vacation in India
A chance to see the majestic tiger in the wild
Central India vacation, culture and wildlife
The very best of central India's wildlife and history
Sri Lanka vacations, tailor made
Independent tailor made vacations to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka wildlife and culture vacation
Amazing value for money! Experience Sri Lanka private tour.
Indonesia vacations, tailor made, Orangutans & Komodo dragons
Explore Bali's rich culture and landscape
Sri Lanka vacation, tea, trains and elephants
Best of Sri Lanka with mixcure of wildlife and culture.
Wildlife vacation in Sri Lanka, private departure
Wildlife vacation to see Sri Lanka's 'Big Four'
Honeymoon in Borneo
Luxury Borneo Honeymoon, best of wildlife & luxury resorts
Wildlife tour and beach vacation, Sri Lanka
Big 5 of Sri Lanka with leopards and relaxing beach stay
Borneo tailor made tour on a shoestring
The Best of Borneo: Wildlife, Adventure, Idyllic Beaches
Tadoba National park tiger safari, India
Tadoba the best tiger reserve of India
Golden Triangle with Ranthambore tour, India
Brilliant experiences including Tigers and Temples
Borneo Wildlife Volunteer Project
Encounter orangutans and elephants in the Bornean jungle.
Sarawak wildlife & beach vacation
Encounter an orangutan & hike through virgin rainforest
Orangutan conservation vacation in Borneo
Meet Iban tribes and encounter orangutans in Borneo
Asian animals and where to see them
Orangutans
Although people sometimes mistake Sepilok for a type of zoo, where orangutans are let out of their cages to feed, it’s not like that at all. The entire area is wild and open for animals to roam freely, and safely, both day and night. Recently rescued mothers and their babies will, however, be in confined conditions as they undertake a rehabilitation programme but, they too, will be released into the open area as soon as they’re ready. The wish being that they eventually relearn how to forage for food themselves rather than returning to the platforms provided in the rehabilitation cages.
Although there are other areas of Asia where orangutans can be found in the wild, the chances of seeing them are extremely limited. Sepilok is a very open and wild environment and without places like it and the funding through tourism, orangutans could quite realistically cease to exist.
Find out more about the best places to see orangutans in Asia
Elephants
Elsewhere in Asia, just outside Chitwan National Park in Nepal, you'll find Tiger Tops Elephant Camp that is home to ellies that were once used by mahouts brandishing bull hooks to transport safari tourists. Although you can also see elephants in the jungles of Chitwan, as part of a family vacation, staying with elephants from sunrise to sunset in the spacious paddocks at Tiger Tops is another experience entirely and allows you to appreciate the animals' natural behaviour in an intimate way that's very hard to replicate on a traditional safari tour. Mahouts are still used but without the bull hooks and elephants live in large paddocks and are not chained up. The Tiger Tops' conservation model allows elephant 'owners' an alternative to safari tours as a means of making money, as well as caring for elephants in the best possible environment.
One place in Sri Lanka that we certainly DON’T support is Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, and here’s why.
Tigers
Find out more about tiger safaris in India.
Snow leopards
Read our snow leopard tracking vacations guide.
Komodo dragons
Find out how to safely see a Komodo dragon on a responsible travel tour.
Bird watching
Of course, the rainforests and biosphere reserves of Sri Lanka are no slouch when it comes to bird sightings. Yala National Park, the Horton Plains and the Ramsar wetlands of Bundala National Park are all prime habitats for birdwatching with a whole host of indigenous coastal and forest dwellers bound to catch the eye.
Find out more about bird watching in India.
Our top Asia Vacation
Kayaking vacation in Indonesia, Komodo Dragon tour
Sea kayaking to some of the most remote beaches on earth
2021: 1 Apr, 9 Apr, 19 Apr, 29 Apr, 18 May, 28 May, 7 Jun, 17 Jun, 28 Jun, 8 Jul, 18 Jul, 28 Jul, 7 Aug, 16 Aug, 11 Sep, 20 Sep, 2 Oct, 11 Oct, 20 Oct, 31 Oct, 10 Nov
How to watch wildlife in Asia
Tailor made wildlife watching tours are the best way to see animals in your own time with the added flexibility of choosing to stay a little longer in one location rather than whizzing onto the next. Tailor made trips to Sri Lanka, Borneo, India and Thailand all include animal English speaking local wildlife guides, who know what to see, and where, in the safest and most responsible way possible. They also include opportunities to stay in some remarkable locations, often close to a country’s national parks and naturally wild habitats.
Small group wildlife watching tours will include a group leader and a local wildlife watching guide as well as designated departure dates which have often been chosen because of their potential for bird or mammal sightings. Small group tours are perfect for solo travelers as you get the chance to watch wildlife in the company of like-minded enthusiasts, and provide a more sociable and affordable alternative to going it alone. Hiking, kayaking and eco-lodge accommodation will often be included as part of a small group wildlife watching tour so just make sure you pick an itinerary that suits your pace rather than signing up to something that might leave you with your binoculars in a twist.
It’s important to remember that sometimes wildlife watching is a fickle beast, often dependent on luck as well as patience and local knowledge. Try not to focus all of your fortunes on seeing just one animal. Enjoy the whole experience of being close to nature and include any animal encounter as an exciting plus, rather than the raison d’être.