BUTTERFLY ECO-GARDEN and TRIBAL VILLAGE

Another part of the itinerary for the Puerto Princesa City Tour is the Palawan Butterfly Eco-Garden and Tribal Village. It is one of the most popular and most frequented tourist destinations in the city.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

Formerly known as the Butterfly Garden, this one of a kind attraction continuously draws more and more tourists to visit their place for an environmental and a cultural experience.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

This ecological garden promotes environmental awareness by means of showcasing a variety of butterflies, other insects and some other endemic and endangered species.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

Inside the garden you can find a diversity of flora and fauna.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

In the heart of the butterfly garden is this wooden stand which holds and showcases the different stages of butterfly metamorphosis. 

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

There were a few butterflies in there now as compared to how many butterflies they used to have there before. It's just sad that the butterflies are not that many anymore and they're not that big.

But in spite of that, you can still enjoy the presence of the butterflies and the other insects and animals in there.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

You can also have your photo taken with this huge butterfly wings.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

There are also a wide variety of flora in the garden. 

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

Added to the attractions of the Eco-garden are the following insects and animals:

1. The Stag Beetle

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

2. Millipedes

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

3. Giant Scorpion

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

4. A gecko

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

5. Stick Insect

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

6. A baby salt water crocodile

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

7. A baby Turtle

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

8. And the Palawan Bear cat

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

After  witnessing the rich biodiversity in the ecological garden, you may now proceed to their tribal village.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

The tribal village aims to give the guests a cultural background of the indigenous people called "Pal'awan".

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

An interactive, educational and cultural tour awaits you here in their Tribal Village.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

In there you will get to know the indigenous group more. They will show you their very own musical instruments, hunting tools, etc.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

There is also a tour guide who also serves as an interpreter (the tribe has their own dialect and it needs to be translated so that the guests will be able to understand what they're saying).

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

The picture above is the tour guide who showcases one of the Pal'awan people's hunting tools. That tool is said to have already killed a lot... of animals. hehe. It is a wooden spear with a detachable steel arrow which gets stuck in the animals that they strike.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

These are some of the remains of the animals that they killed.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

This hunting tool on the other hand is used to catch birds or bats (refer to the photo below).

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

The tribesmen also showed us one of their primitive ways of hunting. Using a blow gun (a simple weapon consisting of a small tube for firing a pointed object), they can already hunt for animals. 

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

The photo above is their sample target.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

That is how far the target is from where they stand. According tot he guide they can target farther depending on one's force of blowing the pipe.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

The weapon is used by inserting the dart or pointed weapon inside the pipe and using the force created by one's breath to give the weapon momentum. It's power is limited by the user's respiratory muscles.

Other attractions of the tribal village is this skin of a snake.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

 'Bagtik' as they call it, is a hardened plant sap which is one of the main products that the Pal'awan use and sell. Bagtik is like amber, it's just that amber is not a sap but it is a fossilized tree resin. The people of the tribe collect these bagtiks and sell them to the people in town. 

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

The Pal'awan people also showed us their primitive method of starting a fire. Two small pieces of flint stones when struck against each other can already start a fire. 

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

Within just a few second, that guy in front of the audience, has already made fire. 

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

Musical instruments were also played by the Pal'awan. It's really entertaining.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

The instruments are very unique and the way they played it is very impressive.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

The tribesmen, just like most of us, also have pets.

Meet "Samson", their pet snake.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

It is an 8-ft python that the Pal'awan keep as a pet.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

And if you're brave enough, you can also have your photo taken with the huge snake.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

It was such a fun experience to be able to hold a big snake like this, though i was a bit terrified that it might choke me haha.

HOW TO GET HERE:

The Palawan Butterfly Eco-Garden and Tribal Village is located a few meters away from the South National Highway of Baranggay Sta. Monica Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. If you're coming from the town proper, you can ride a multi-cab with a route Sta. Monica-Pajara, and just ask the driver to drop you off at the butterfly garden. It's very easy to reach this destination even if you're only commuting. Fare is P15.

(Palawan Butterfly Eco Garden and Tribal Village)

For me, the best part of the tour is the Tribal Village. If you also want to experience this educational tour, you can visit them at Baranggay Sta. Monica, Puerto Princesa City. They're open from 8:30am-5:00pm. Entrance Fee is P50 per person (adult).

For more information, photos, etc. You can check out their facebook page here:




ADIOS!


-The Palawenya Explorer :)