City life

IT WAS somewhat of a miracle that we left Tropical World without having trampled on any of its exotic exhibits.

Some of the giant butterflies which flit and flutter around your head, then land near you feet seem to have a death wish. Luckily we managed to grab our young son, Elliot, just before his foot unintentionally came crashing down on one!

Tropical World, in the Canal Gardens of Roundhay Park, Leeds, is a great place to pass a few hours, especially when it's wet and cold outside.

As soon as you enter the huge greenhouses, you're hit by a tremendous wall of heat, so it's best to wear layers.

The attraction is home to one of the country's largest collection of tropical plants and is split into different zones.

There's the butterfly house, a riot of colourful plants and animals with more than 60 species of butterflies and moths.

In the South American zone, there's an Amazonian-style waterfall, which Elliot loved, tropical pools and exotic orchids.

All manner of colourful birds and lizards, such as macaw and geckos have the run of the place.

In the arid house, where there are hundreds of cacti and succulents gathered from the deserts of Africa and North America, a bunch of cheeky meerkats delight visitors with their play fighting and preening.

In the nocturnal zone you get the chance to see animals that normally only come out at night, such as fruit bats and bush babies.

There are also lots of fish to look at from the cold waters of the North Sea to the warm and tropical oceans, such as sturgeon, catfish and hungry piranhas.

Elliot especially liked the insect and reptile house, where there are all sorts of snakes, deadly tarantulas and scorpions.

After visiting Tropical World we headed a few miles down the road to Meanwood Valley Urban Farm.

This organic farm, which opened to the public in 1980 and is one of the first City Farms to be established nationally, is just off Meanwood Road, at the edge of a housing estate.

As soon as you enter the car park you are greeted by a menagerie of farm animals, many of them rare breeds including Soay, Ryeland and Whitefaced Woodland sheep.

There are also Dexter cattle, Gloucester Old Spot pigs, goats and a large collection of poultry and water fowl.

The EpiCentre is the focal point of the farm. It is a perfect example of "green" construction and is an exhibit in itself. It's got a turf roof, solar heating panels, a reed bed drainage system and recycled paper insulation.

And if you get peckish there's a caf, which uses organic produce from the farm's garden whenever possible, and a shop which sells organic vegetables, herbs, plants, honey and eggs.

You can quite happily spend and hour or two here - and at £1 admission for adults, 50p for over 12s with under-12s free, it's great value for money.

Fact file

Tropical World, Roundhay Park, Leeds. Tel 0113 266 1850.

How to get there: Take the A64 to Leeds, turn right at the Leeds outer ring road at Seacroft and follow the brown tourism signs to Tropical World and Roundhay Park. The car park is free.

Admission: Adults, £3; children aged eight to 15, £2; children under eight free. Leeds Card holders free.

Opening times: 10am until dusk daily, expect Christmas Day.

Meanwood Valley Urban Farm, Sugarwell Road, Meanwood, Leeds

Tel 0113 262 9759

How to get there: From the Leeds outer ring road take Meanwood Road. Turn into Farm Hill (housing estate), then take the first right turn off Farm Hill on to Sugarwell Road.

Admission: Adults, £1; children 12 to 17, 50p; Under-12s free.

Opening times: Daily, from 10am to 4pm.

Updated: 09:52 Saturday, August 02, 2003