Traveling through Southeast Asia brings us in contact with exotic food, flowers, people, and wildlife. Animal lovers who visit the region have a unique chance to see some of the world’s most interesting animals up close. Here are five ways tourists can encounter local wildlife:
1) Ride an Elephant through the Jungle
Swaying through the sun-dappled forest on the back of an elephant is a near-magical Southeast Asian experience some visitors remember as one of the highlights of their trip. While elephants are native to several countries in the region, Thailand probably has the most opportunities for tourists to see an elephant in real life.
Visitors report that the best, most responsible elephant encounters can be had at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang and the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai. Both centers rehabilitate injured elephants. If you’re really lucky, you might be able to glimpse a wild elephant at Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park.
2) Swim with Sharks
Catch your breath at the grace of a 12-meter-long whale shark gliding beside you when you swim with the buntanding, whale sharks, in Oslob or Donsol, Philippines. Despite the name, these fish are not whales, but filter-feeding sharks that feed on plankton and are harmless to humans. Whale sharks also make periodic appearances off the coasts of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Check with local dive guides to see when you’ve got the best chance to see one.
If you do get the chance to swim with a whale shark or other wild sea creature, don’t try to touch it while it swims. This kind of harassment can harm the animal and will probably scare it away.
And, if you prefer to swim with meat-eaters, you might try your luck at swimming with whale sharks’ toothier cousins in an aquarium. Hong Kong’s Ocean Park, Singapore’s Underwater World, Bangkok’s Siam Ocean World and other local aquariums offer the chance to snorkel or scuba dive in the shark tanks.
3) Search for an Orangutan
Be persistent, and your search for a glimpse of orange fur in the jungle canopy will be rewarded. Orangutans, Asian great apes, are native to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Sabah, Malaysia, and East Kalimantan, Indonesia are two of the best regions on Borneo to find the apes in the wild.
Orangutans can also be seen at rehabilitation centers, but sometimes these feel more like zoos than facilities to help the apes. If you can, try to visit one of the wildlife sanctuaries and reserves instead. The Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in Sabah is a popular choice.
4) Pose with a Tiger
Dare to pet a fearsome beast at the “Tiger Temple” in eastern Thailand. This temple — which has raised controversy over treatment of the tigers — is raising some 100 tigers and a large number of other animals. Visitors to the temple in Kanchanaburi can line up for photos with the tigers (and even pet them!), see tiger cubs becoming acclimated to people, and explore the grounds on the lookout for peacocks, water buffalo and pigs.
Critics of the tiger temple say the animals there are drugged to be docile while they are in contact with visitors. Temple volunteers deny this, however. Supporters of the temple claim that the tigers there have better chances than the ones in the ever-diminishing wild habitat.
5) Honor the Monkeys
Macaque monkeys enjoy a tailor-made party in their honor every November at the Monkey Festival in Lopburi, Thailand. The monkeys are served a buffet feast donated by locals, who believe that giving food to the macaques will bring good luck. Even if you can’t make it to Lopburi in November, you can always visit the monkeys living at the local temples. They’re quite friendly and willing to approach humans, so be careful if you bring food or drink with you–they might think you meant them to take it as a gift.
Monkeys are generally considered good luck in the region. However, when traveling in Southeast Asia, travelers sometimes see gibbons and other primates that have been sold into captivity from the wild. In bars sometimes, mistreated monkeys are made to smoke cigarettes or do other unhealthy things.
What is your favorite animal encounter in Southeast Asia? Share it with us in the comments below.
