5 Must-see Asian National Parks

Due to its large size, the Asian continent is home to several ecosystems, from deserts to snowy areas, hence its great biodiversity.

The Asian ecosystem is quite varied: it has jungles, beaches, deserts and mountains in all its extension. We can even see snowy areas to the north! In the following article, we’ll talk about Asia’s five national parks that you can’t miss if you want to learn about this continent’s biodiversity.

What are the national parks in Asia that you can’t miss?

Across the continent there are nearly a thousand protected areas and reserves with national park status, and  the countries with the highest number are China, India and Thailand. 

Among the national parks in Asia, we can highlight:

1. Sundarbans (India)

Located in the State of West Bengal, Sundarbans National Park (pictured that opens this article) was founded in 1987 and covers an area of ​​more than 133,000 hectares.

The main source of water is the Ganges River and the typical ecosystem is the dense mangrove forest.

As for fauna,  this national park is home to the marine crocodile and the Bengal tiger. 

But we can also see monkeys, flying foxes, porpoises, seagulls, pigeons, sawfish, hawksbill turtles and Burmese python snakes.

1. Great Himalayan National Park (India)

It is one of the newest Indian parks since it was founded in 2014 in the north of the country, specifically in the State of Himachal Pradesh. It stands at a height of between 1.5 thousand and 6 thousand meters.

The best time to visit is between September and November, when fauna makes their temporary migration to lower latitudes.

Although  life here is very complicated by climate issues, in this reserved area there are 375 species of animals.

Among them, we can highlight the snow leopard, the musk deer, the Himalayan grizzly bear, the blue goat, the Serau (a type of goat), the wolf, the goral and the rhesus monkey.

1. Khao Sok National Park (Thailand)

Another of the national parks in Asia that you cannot miss is located in Surat Thani province.

It has an area of ​​740 km², which is home to Lake Cheow Lan and a limestone mountain range. 

The reserve’s ecosystem is mainly composed of the rainforest.

Bamboo is the main tree that grows in Khao Sok, as are lianas.

Both are home to and food for many of the species of animals that live in the region, including the Malayan tapir, the Asian elephant, the tiger, the sambar deer, the gaur, the squirrel, the rat deer, the white gibbon, the monkey monkey and semnopithecus.

1. Tunkinsky National Park (Russia)

Also known as Tunka, is a park located in south-central Siberia, specifically in a mountainous area covered by valleys and lakes, 200 kilometers from the city of Irkutsk.

The ecosystem is made up of meadows, glaciers, waterfalls and even hot springs.

As for the typical fauna, Tunkinsky is the habitat of the snow leopard ( critically endangered ), the Asian wild dog, the eastern doe, the moose, the glutton, the steppe weasel and fish such as carp and grayling.

1. Jiuzhaigou National Park (China)

Divided into three valleys (Rize, Zechawa and Shuzheng), the last of the Asian national parks on this list is located in northern Sichuan Province and was founded in 1992.

Between mountains, plateaus, waterfalls, lakes and snow-capped peaks,  this protected area has an elevation that starts at 2,000 meters and reaches 4,500 meters.

It has 720 square kilometers in length and a subtropical climate that can reach -4°C in winter and 17°C in summer.

Jiuzhaigou Park  is home to the giant panda and the flat-nosed golden monkey, in danger of extinction and with more than reduced populations.

It is also home to around 140 species of birds.