Wild Elephant Valley

Asian elephants survive in China only in the far south of Yunnan, a population of a few hundred concentrated in Xishuangbanna, and this valley in the Mengyang reserve is where they are most often encountered because a salt lick and river draw them onto the valley floor. Visitors watch from raised walkways and a cable car running above the canopy, so sightings are from a distance and never guaranteed; on many days the herd is elsewhere in the forest. The reserve also holds gibbons, hornbills, peacocks and dense tropical vegetation, and a rescue and breeding centre cares for injured animals.

The landscape

• The raised walkways - paths above the valley floor where elephants pass.
• The cable car - a ride over the canopy the length of the valley.
• The rescue centre - injured and orphaned elephants under care.
• The tropical forest - gibbons, hornbills and dense understorey.

When to go

November to April, the dry season, when elephants use the valley more predictably and trails are passable; the summer monsoon brings heavy rain. Early morning and late afternoon are the likeliest hours.

Things to know

Wild elephants are not seen on most visits, and visitors expecting a guaranteed encounter are disappointed. Elephants here are genuinely wild and dangerous, so distances are enforced. Entry plus cable car is expensive.

Nearby

Jinghong lies south; Menglun botanical garden is southeast.