Meet Taipei Zoo’s giant pandas or watch creatures from Africa prowl the Savannah. Get up close and personal with tigers and leopards or enjoy the colourful displays of over 1,300 species of bird in the aviary. Pay a visit to the Dinosaur Museum to see the life-size displays of the first creatures to roam the earth.

Taipei Zoo first opened in 1914 as a centre to protect rare and endangered species. It has grown to become the largest zoo in Asia and one of the most important centres for conservation education in the world.

Step into the hot, humid climate of the Asian Tropical Rainforest for the chance to meet orang-utans, Bengal tigers, Asian elephants and more. Note the difference in climate in the Desert Animal area where you can meet the camels and oryx that make their homes in this barren environment.

One of the most popular areas is Panda House, where China’s favourite bears prowl, play and eat. Find more cute and cuddly looking bears in Koala House or for something completely different make your way to the Amphibian and Reptile House. Frogs, lizards and snakes of all sizes and colours are on display here.

Make sure you stop in on the aviary where over 1,200 birds from over 130 different species make for a spectacular sight. If you are traveling with young ones then a visit to the Children’s Zoo is a must. Here they can touch friendly creatures such as goats, horses and llamas. Take them to the Education Centre where interactive exhibits teach them about conservation.

Taipei Zoo is located in the Wenshan district of Taipei. It is served by bus and MRT train routes and is open daily. Note that on successive Mondays the various animal enclosures close for maintenance. Children under six get in free.