Hidden behind Chatuchak Park, far away from the busy main road, the Butterfly Park offers a tranquil sanctuary from the craziness of Bangkok city. If you fancy a peaceful bike ride amongst natural surroundings, a visit to the Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park is a must.
Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park
The park itself is surprisingly huge considering it’s hidden away location off the Bangkok beaten path, perhaps even bigger than the more famous Lumpini Park. You won’t find so many of the pretty flower displays like you’ll see in the standard public parks of Bangkok – the overall look of Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park is a little rough around the edges: overgrown and slightly hilly.
However, this wild, natural environment offers an inviting landscape of solitude with plenty of picturesque lakes to add to it’s beauty. As you wander around the spacious Bangkok park, you’ll notice the odd couple snoozing on the grass, workers taking a sneaky nap in one of the podiums and cheeky groups of local kids skiving off school.
At the northern entrance of the park, visitors can relax in the quiet cafe and restaurant which serves cheap Thai meals and smoothies. There is even a mini amusement park where kids can ride their bikes around a miniature track.
Cycling in Bangkok
The main focus of the Bangkok Butterfly Park is the large cycle path that runs through it; 99% of the people you come across in Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park will be riding a bike. It’s not ideal to explore the park on foot due to it’s huge size, but the flat landscape and wild surroundings make for an ideal bike ride in Bangkok.
Unfortunately, I never actually found where exactly to hire the push bikes that I saw everybody else riding. Apparently, if following my directions to the insectarium below, the bike hire area is located to the left of the bridge in the opposite direction to the Butterfly Gardens. I have a feeling they may be available from the Dream World amusement park pictured above.
Bangkok Butterfly Garden & Insectarium
As well as being ideal for cycling, Wachira Benthat also has it’s own butterfly garden and insectarium. The insectarium has some beautiful flower displays and a range of butterflies to admire and photograph. What’s best of all though, is that admission is free!
To get to the butterfly garden and insectarium, it is easiest to enter the park from Kamphaeng Phet 3. Enter the park through the large vegetable garden courtyard, then straight on across the right side fork in the path. You’ll notice a ‘relaxation area’ just ahead to your right: just past here is a rather ugly, metal bridge. Cross the bridge and turn right for a couple of hundred metres.
How to get to the Butterfly Park in Bangkok
The best way to find the Bangkok Wachira Benthat Butterfly Park is to take either the MRT to Chatuchak Park or the BTS to Mo Chit – either way will take you directly to Chatuchak Park. You then want to make your way to the other side of Chatuchak Park from here – It can be kind of frustrating trying to find an exit so just try and make your way out at the opposite side first!
When you exit the park, you’ll find yourself on Kamphaeng Phet 3 road. Walk along this road to the right and you should pass a complex called Jatujak Green. Eventually, you’ll find yourself at the gates to a vegetable courtyard that leads to Wachira Benthat Park.
