If you can’t go on an African safari just yet, there are savannahs in Asia with wildlife that can make your “Wildest Dreams” a reality.
Compiled by Abby Yao
Stare at the sunset in the company of free-roaming animals in a guided safari in the grasslands. It’s always amazing to see creatures in the wild. Here are five countries where you can channel Taylor Swift, though it’s best to skip the nice dress when you’re in a Jeep.
1. National Parks of India
India has such an abundance of national parks and reserves that it isn’t easy to pick just one. Bhandavgarh and Kanha National Parks are the most renowned, but if you don’t have much time, there are a number that you can incorporate into your tour of the Golden Triangle (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur) circuit, such as the Sariska National Park, Ranthambore National Park, and Jim Corbett National Park. Who knows, you might meet the cast of The Jungle Book.
GETTING THERE Tours of the Golden Triangle start from Delhi.
If you’re lucky, you might spot tigers at Ranthambore National Park CC BY-SA 2.0 Bernard DUPONT
2.Baluran National Park, Indonesia
The dry climate of Baluran National Park in East Java makes it a doppelganger for the African plains. Various species of deer, wild cats, wild cattle, and monkeys call the park home. The sight of Mount Baluran in the background is a nice touch, too.
GETTING THERE Baluran National Park can be reached from Surabaya or by ferry from Bali.
Deer in the Baluran grassland CC BY-ND 2.0 johan.wildlife
SEE ALSO: Top Indonesian Mountains for Beginner Climbers
3. Chitwan National Park, Nepal
The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Chitwan National Park at the foot of the Himalayas is one of the last refuges of the one-horned rhinoceros. It is also home to gharials, Bengal tigers, striped hyenas and over 500 species of birds.
GETTING THERE Tours of Chitwan start from Kathmandu.
Rhinos are Chitwan’s most famous residents CC BY-SA 2.0 Bernard DUPONT
4. Calauit Safari Park, the Philippines
In the 1970s, former President Ferdinand Marcos had African wildlife shipped to the remote island of Calauit. Today, Philippine-born giraffes, zebras and impalas roam the island freely in harmony with the local Calamian deer, mousedeer and bearcat in this unusual wildlife sanctuary.
GETTING THERE Most tours of Calauit start from Coron, Palawan which can be accessed via domestic flight from Manila.
The giraffes in Calauit approach the huts during feeding times. CC BY 2.0 MicahPiosDad
SEE ALSO: Calamian: The Crown of Palawan
5. Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
Yala National Park in the south of the island nation is popular for its superb variety of wildlife, which include hundreds of elephants, one of the highest concentration of leopards in the world, and sloth bears.
GETTING THERE Tours including Yala National Park start from Colombo.
The herd may come your way at Yala National Park CC BY 2.0 Amila Tennakoon
