Asia
The largest continent on the planet hosts some of the biggest, dangerous, and most fascinating animals. Large areas have suffered from devastating habitat loss in recent years, yet you can still find pockets of protected land that provide refuge for Asia’s fantastic fauna.
Enter the jungles of Borneo and the world of the primates, including the endangered orangutan and proboscis monkey.
The island of Borneo, divided between Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei, is home to a rich diversity of wildlife. Even with human developments encroaching into their territory, there are many opportunities to spot animals in their natural habitat.
This relatively small country, lodged between India and Tibet, home to the largest mountain in the world, also boasts some of the largest land mammals on Earth.
Nepal has a variety of weird and wonderful creatures, from insects, birds, reptiles, and mammals. Although I’m still waiting for to see tiger in the wild, I did get to see elephants, rhinos, crocodiles, monkeys, and toucans.
Although famous, or infamous, in the Western world for its beaches and full-moon parties (amongst other things), Thailand offers much more than drunken nights on the beach. I was pleasantly surprised to discover it is home to an astonishing amount of wildlife within its National Parks.
The survival of wildlife is, in part, thanks to the former King. The long-reigning monarch had a personal love for animals and helped protect the biodiversity of his country. On top of that, Thailand was spared the destruction that its neighbours suffered during the Vietnamese war with America, which spilt over into Laos and Cambodia.