Today we made our second trip to Jiannan Butterfly Trail and we were totally wowed by all of the butterflies!

The first time we went was on an overcast Saturday morning in early May. The cool weather was nice for walking around and I was happy with all of the signs and clearly labeled host plants there. But as for actual butterflies, we saw very few. But today was strikingly different. We saw some of the most enormous and breathtaking butterflies we’ve seen in Taiwan yet. And they even stuck around for us to take pictures of them!

Here’s why I think today was so different. Butterfly watching isn’t just about where you go but also when you go.

3 tips for WHEN to go

butterfly watching

• Go during peak season! Here in Taiwan butterfly season generally is in the summer months from June to August. But specific populations of butterflies and special migrations will happen at different times of year. For example, the purple crow butterflies overwinter in Maolin,Taiwan between December and February… so going in the summer wouldn’t be best! So do your homework before making a special trip to see butterflies.

• Go on a sunny day! Most butterflies are more active on sunny days. You will probably see some butterflies here on overcast days but you will so a lot more on sunny days.

• Time of day matters too! Different butterflies tend to be more active at different time of days. But Josh and I feel like the best time for butterflies is usually between 8am and 11am. Then again if it rains all morning and then the sun comes out in the afternoon – the afternoon can be a great time to see the butterflies!

Oh and if these pictures tempt you to go check out Jiannan Trail yourself, we highly suggest it! It’s incredibly easy to access off of Taipei’s MRT brown line. There are directions to it and some of Taiwan’s other top butterfly viewing destinations here. Happy butterfly watching!