The centre is a joint community project supported by the UK-based charity Butterfly Conservation.
It provides an alternative income source for local villagers who might otherwise rely on slash-and-burn farming.
The netted garden contains nectar-rich plants specifically chosen to attract and sustain different butterfly species.
The facility works to document and study butterfly species indigenous to the nearby Angkor Wat forest regions.
Staff are trained in butterfly husbandry and enclosure management to maintain a self-sustaining ecosystem.
It is frequently involved in research related to regional insect biodiversity and habitat loss.
The Banteay Srey Butterfly Centre (BBC) is a sustainable butterfly farming project located 25 kilometers north of Siem Reap. It serves as a conservation facility where indigenous Cambodian butterfly species are bred for both display and research. The site features a large, netted enclosure where visitors can walk among free-flying butterflies in a simulated tropical rainforest environment. It functions as a community-based enterprise, providing training and income for local rural villagers to discourage poaching and deforestation. The facility monitors the entire life cycle of various lepidoptera, from eggs and larvae to pupae and adults. It is the first and largest butterfly house in Cambodia, designed to educate the public on the ecological importance of local insect populations.
The central feeding stations where high concentrations of butterflies gather.
Wear bright colors like white, yellow, or pink to encourage butterflies to land on you.
Move slowly through the netting enclosure to avoid startling the insects.
Bring mosquito repellent, as the humid, plant-heavy environment attracts mosquitoes as well as butterflies.
Attempting to handle or catch the butterflies; observe them passively instead.
Do not touch the wings of the butterflies, as the oils from human skin can damage their flight capability.
