Phuket Butterfly Garden & Insect World was founded by Dr. Prasit Koysiripong in February 1990 and was originally called 'Phuket Butterfly and Aquarium’. Along the way, the emphasis concentrated on the insect world and the aquarium lost out!

A butterfly garden is very much an observatory, where you’re free to wander in their natural habitat. Here you can learn more about the miraculous miniature world of insects, butterflies and moths. Incidentally, the main difference between butterflies and moths is that the former are active during the day and the latter, after dark. Butterflies normally rest with their wings flat, moths with their wings vertical. Moths tend to be less bright but many have intricate, intaglio patterns on the wings. They’ve both adopted similar survival strategies. Some will have camouflaged colouring so that they merge into the surroundings of their preferred foliage, others are vividly painted to tell possible predators that they’re dangerous and probably not good to eat. Their life cycle is quite complicated. They lay eggs – usually on the underside of leaves, which hatch out into larvae, commonly known as caterpillars. These feed on foliage and gardeners will often kill any caterpillar they encounter, before it eats their prize hydrangeas for lunch. Some are as brightly coloured as the butterflies they’ll become and some types have toxic hairs which can cause a nasty rash if you touch them. Those who survive the attentions of gardeners, birds and other natural enemies go into a hibernation stage forming a pupa, a woven, protective enclosure or cocoon called a chrysalis, which suspends from a leaf or branch. After a period which varies from species to species, the pupa will transform and a fully formed butterfly will emerge to decorate our gardens and delight us.

Before entering the butterfly garden, visit the insect exhibition which features an abundance of insect species. Explore the wonderful lives of these small creatures. See collections of beetles, bees, wasps, grasshoppers, termites and ants. Listen to the musical crickets and cicadas and view insects such as arachnids, scorpions, and giant millipedes – from a safe distance.

There’s also a video about the amazing transformation from egg to caterpillar to butterfly.

The garden covers an area of 1,350 square metres and holds more than 40 species. Walk in among the beautiful flowers and marvel at the thousands of butterflies filling the air, busy seeking pollen or nectar among the tropical blooms. Some may be courting! Did you know that female butterflies secrete hormonal perfumes called pheromones which drive the males mad with desire?

There’s also a small silk museum displaying silk cocoons, traditional weaving equipment and some lovely examples of silk cloth.

After your tour, pay a visit to the shop, which has a good collection of butterfly crafts and Thai artifacts – ideal mementos of your visit and presents to take back home to friends and family. Then there’s a café which serves hot and cold drinks and snacks where you can relax after your botanical exertions.

Whilst the garden is designed to encourage the public to learn about these amazing, delightful and colourful creatures it also incorporates a research centre which studies the butterflies and other insects in their natural environment. There’s also a breeding section. In fact, all the butterflies in the garden are bred on site. They also conduct breeding programmes for indigenous species which may be endangered by the on-going commercial development on the island. These are bred in captivity and then released back into the wilds to preserve nature’s ecological balance. You can help too. Next time you find a caterpillar in your cabbage patch, just pass on by.

Phuket Butterfly Garden & Insect World is located in Soi Paneung in the Sam Kong area. The garden is a five-minute drive from Tesco Lotus. Take the road towards Phuket City and it’s on the left hand side. There’s a large sign indicating the turning. Entrance for children under 10 years is 150 baht, adults and kids over 10 years pay 300 baht. Open daily from 09:00 until 17:00 hours (last admission). For more information ring
+66 (0)76 210861 or visit www.phuketbutterfly.com

Come and experience it for yourself. It's fascinating for visitors of all ages and truly a photographer's delight.