Wanderer
13-Dec-2009, 03:52 PM
Bali is a lovely island with plenty of sunshine and quick rain. The amount of vegetation is quite significant, and the landscape includes volcanoes at more than 3000 ft above sea level, to lovely beaches that presents sunrise and sunset. Flowers are aplenty even in the most populated areas in Kuta, but they are usually removed from the plants for ornaments or placed in water. Hence it is rather tough to shoot butterflies in the streets of bali, as they are either too skittish, or do not have a resting spot.
While doing my pre tour research, i found a Bali Butterfly Park located at Tabanan. Knowing that I would probably have to make this trip myself as my colleagues on the trip together are probably not interested in butts, I decided to embark on this little adventure alone while they are off to do surfing and horse riding, which I am not interested at all.
There are plenty of transport providers just outside my hotel at Legian. A half day rental of vehicle with driver costed me 30 USD. I left the hotel at around 2pm and headed towards the butterfly park, where I expect myself to spend around 1.5 hours, and then to Tenah Lot for the sunset at 6.15pm
The jouney from Legian to Tabanan took 1 hour. The butterfly park is rather quiet and out of the way, with few tourists. It is not the typical tourist destination. Entrance to the park set me back by 40,000 rupiah, approximately 4 USD. It isnt cheap, but who cares. I'm on holiday.
The first impression of the park is that the enclosure is rather big in comparison with Hort park or Oh's (well, with ticketing, it better be big), with nettings covering an area at least half a soccer field. The nettings were also tall, reaching heights of approximately 2-3 HDB levels. There was a river running through, and a few "waterfalls" within the enclosure.
Vegetation were rather simple, with Pagoda flower and ixora dominating as the food plants. Some host plants, such as pomelo were also planted. I later learnt that all 20 breeds of butterflies featured in the park were basically raised within the enclosure.
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs050.snc3/13752_227468513464_649693464_4185313_7838501_n.jpg
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs070.snc3/13752_227468608464_649693464_4185323_6571243_n.jpg
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs070.snc3/13752_227468593464_649693464_4185321_3232994_n.jpg
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs050.snc3/13752_227468503464_649693464_4185312_3235065_n.jpg
There was a 2x4x2m "cage" within the enclosure which houses the pupae, secured by clothes pegs as shown below:
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs050.snc3/13752_227468433464_649693464_4185304_4479088_n.jpg
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs050.snc3/13752_227468563464_649693464_4185318_1332137_n.jpg
I was told that once the butterflies eclose, they will not be released immediately to the enclosure, but allowed to "learn how to fly" for half a day before release. Some shots within the "School" is attached below
While doing my pre tour research, i found a Bali Butterfly Park located at Tabanan. Knowing that I would probably have to make this trip myself as my colleagues on the trip together are probably not interested in butts, I decided to embark on this little adventure alone while they are off to do surfing and horse riding, which I am not interested at all.
There are plenty of transport providers just outside my hotel at Legian. A half day rental of vehicle with driver costed me 30 USD. I left the hotel at around 2pm and headed towards the butterfly park, where I expect myself to spend around 1.5 hours, and then to Tenah Lot for the sunset at 6.15pm
The jouney from Legian to Tabanan took 1 hour. The butterfly park is rather quiet and out of the way, with few tourists. It is not the typical tourist destination. Entrance to the park set me back by 40,000 rupiah, approximately 4 USD. It isnt cheap, but who cares. I'm on holiday.
The first impression of the park is that the enclosure is rather big in comparison with Hort park or Oh's (well, with ticketing, it better be big), with nettings covering an area at least half a soccer field. The nettings were also tall, reaching heights of approximately 2-3 HDB levels. There was a river running through, and a few "waterfalls" within the enclosure.
Vegetation were rather simple, with Pagoda flower and ixora dominating as the food plants. Some host plants, such as pomelo were also planted. I later learnt that all 20 breeds of butterflies featured in the park were basically raised within the enclosure.
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs050.snc3/13752_227468513464_649693464_4185313_7838501_n.jpg
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs070.snc3/13752_227468608464_649693464_4185323_6571243_n.jpg
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs070.snc3/13752_227468593464_649693464_4185321_3232994_n.jpg
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs050.snc3/13752_227468503464_649693464_4185312_3235065_n.jpg
There was a 2x4x2m "cage" within the enclosure which houses the pupae, secured by clothes pegs as shown below:
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs050.snc3/13752_227468433464_649693464_4185304_4479088_n.jpg
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs050.snc3/13752_227468563464_649693464_4185318_1332137_n.jpg
I was told that once the butterflies eclose, they will not be released immediately to the enclosure, but allowed to "learn how to fly" for half a day before release. Some shots within the "School" is attached below