This Living Rainforest is an ok place to go, I went with a 10 yr old, 9 yr old and a 3 yr old….I cant really say that any of them enjoy it. As an adult it was an ok place but it is extremely small. The kids however did enjoy the small adventure playground outside.

This is a great afternoon out on a grey winter's day because the hot houses are so warm and lush. The animals are great and even though the greenhouses are quite small there is a lot to see because the paths wind round.

It is worth checking out their website. It is full of information:
* about the things you might see at the centre such as leaf cutter ants
* background information such as where chocolate comes from
* it lists the special events such as feeding times for the birds and monkeys, talks and facepainting.

I went to the Living Rainforest today for the first time. It's a small place tucked right out of the way (thank God for SatNav) and at £6.95 for an adult it's not the cheapest of attractions, but I'd definitely go again!

Outside it has a big adventure playground area for kids so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. There was also a school group there too, but luckily they left fairly quickly. After paying to get in and recieving my guide book (free if you Gift Aid your entry) we went through the big plastic doors and into the first greenhouse which was filled with tropical plants. Of course I couldn't see them because my glasses steamed up with the humidity- contact lenses are recommended.

The first greenhouse is filled with plants such as the Giant Fern (I'm not going to try and write their proper names here) and roaming lizards! There was one roaming around which was a metre long but unfortunately we couldn't find him. Now, the second greenhouse is a bit more interesting. Again it is absolutely packed with plants (it really does feel like you're trying to hack your way through the rainforest) and also animals! They have a big pond in the middle with mini crocs in, turtles and terrapins. They have lizards roaming around and exotic birds flying around freely. The monkeys and the marmosets are adorable and the toucans are absolutely beautiful. Also the terrapins and toucans have been rescued from private owners and also people transporting them for trade, so for them to be given this new, natural habitat is fantastic.

Though we didn't sit in the cafe, it really fit in with the surroundings and was very charming with basic drinks, cake and sandwiches on offer. The information centre is also very good and they have lots of activites for children to do.

I will definitely come back here again and tell more people about this hidden gem!