Butterfly & Fountain World

Enter through the gift shop, where you walk through heavy black screens to arrive in Butterfly World. Immediately you are hit by the humid heat and the sound of water – a stream with little bridges across it flows throughout the butterfly house. 

And then the butterflies begin to flit from tree to tree, flower to flower, right in front of your eyes. Many of them such as the Owl Moths, the Blue Morpho Butterflies and the black and red Swallowtails are quite big. Some rest with their wings open, giving you an ideal photo opportunity.

If you’re lucky there will be an Atlas Moth or two. These are the biggest of the collection and the most beautiful – huge soft moths with markings that will take your breath away. The Owls and the Atlas moths have ‘eyes’ on their wings to ward off would-be predators when they are at rest.

Walk through more black screens to Fountain World where you enter the Italian gardens first, full of scented roses, statues, box hedges and the new herb garden.

Go from here to the Japanese Garden with its red and black carved wooden walkways, pagodas and Koi pools. Keepers give talks here throughout the day during which you get the chance to hand feed these enormous jewelled fish that the Japanese keep for good luck.

Don’t miss a play with the interactive fountains on your way out – kids love these! And then you get to go through Butterfly World again on your way out. It’s fabulous.