On a rainy day a friend and I decided to visit Tropical World in Roundhay, Leeds. I'd never been before, so was probably a little more excited than I should have been! We used the free parking attached to Roundhay Park and pushchairs at the ready we dashed in out of the rain. It costs less than £4 per adult and children under 5 are free. (Entry is also free if you have a Leeds Card). The first section is a tropical butterfly house. The butterflies are beautiful and the fish in the ponds and tanks are impressive, just a little hard to see if you're in a pushchair! The walk continues with gushing waterfalls, birds zooming overhead and tanks full of reptiles. Personally I didn't get too close to the snakes - even a thick glass tank separating us is no tonic to my fear! The parakeets and macaws are amazing and captivated the children. Without a doubt though, the most exciting bit for all is the meerkat enclosure. It's brilliant to see them so close and displaying apparently natural behaviour - clearly I'm not an expert but I've seen Meerkat Manor, I'm sure that counts!
The visit continues through a nocturnal zone which is really interesting for adults and older children, but slightly disconcerting for younger ones and ends in the visitor shop. The site is pushchair friendly, but the paths are not particularly wide, so on a busy day be prepared to negotiate past other prams! We also went during term time and I think it would be very busy during school holidays, especially on wet days!
We ended our visit with a coffee and slice of cake at the Roundhay Fox, mostly because we didn't find the entrance to the on-site cafe. A really lovely afternoon, a clear family favourite, and considering I used to live so near I cannot believe I haven't been before! We'll be going back and taking the Grandparents!
Tropical World
No comments:
Post a Comment