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Tropical World in Leeds: A Fun Family Day Out
By Imogen Bavinton
Walking through the butterfly house at Tropical World Leeds, I spot an array of beautifully coloured butterflies amongst a wide range of exotic plants. However, this is just one of the many wonderfully wild aspects of this garden attraction.
Nestled in the heart of Roundhey Park in Leeds, sits Tropical World, the largest UK garden tourist attraction outside of Kew Gardens. Each year, over a million tourists visit this tropical paradise to learn about the many different animals that live in hot humid climates.
With a collection of different ‘houses’ on offer, you can get transformed to a range of different places such as the Amazon rainforest, a desert island or the African plains. Whilst here, you’re able to learn about and get a close up view of the different wildlife that would live in these places.

A beautiful butterfly in the butterfly house.
The Australasian House:
This area is an accurate representation of what an Australian rainforest would look like. Walk through the winding path where you can see many rare plants such as the Jade Vine. As you near the waterfall pool, you’ll spot terrapins lazing around the poolside.
The Desert Island:
Step ashore onto the tropical Island where you’ll find tumbling waterfalls, swamps and swirling pools of colourful fish. The magnificent pond of Koi Carp boast some of the largest fish in the country such as the Honeycomb Koi which is a huge 26 inches long! As you continue deeper inland you’ll find many different animals and birds to learn about such as alligators.
The Desert House:
In the desert house you’ll find plant, animal and bird specimens arid areas of the Americas and South Africa are to be seen here. Canaries, weaver birds and finches are amongst the many birds flying around the desert landscape. The most popular of animals however is the meerkats, where you can interact and learn more about these friendly animals.
The Butterfly House:
For me, the highlight of Tropical world is the Butterfly House, where hundreds of different species of butterfly flutter around the ceiling. If you stay still enough you could even have a couple land on you! Alongside the butterflies you’ll also get to see several types of turtle such as mud turtles and soft bellied turtles.
Overall Tropical World is an interesting and fun day out for the family and ideal for children due to the friendly atmosphere. Tickets start at £2.50 and are free for under-fives making this day out affordable as well as entertaining.
Find out more at Roundhey Park’s website.

An Alligator lounging by the poolside on the desert island.
