The Magic of Life Butterfly House — Attraction in Melindwr

Firstly, I think some of the reviews left for this place are very unfair. Although the butterfly house is small, this does not mean that it is lacking! The butterfly species on display are active and amazing - they flutter freely around you in a tropical environment, designed to cater specifically to their needs.

I do like that there are signs around the environment about the butterflies, and about why they keep the environment the way it is. To all those who have complained that this establishment is small - need I remind you that a tropical environment is hard and expensive to maintain! There is absolutely no rush to leave, as it is an all day admission. I feel the price is very fair for the experience offered, which is more than the butterflies!

In the main reception/shop area, there are a selection of exotic insects - some of which can be handled. The staff seem to be very knowledgeable on all of the creatures, and are happy to chat! The shop area is a little small, but that can't be helped. All in all, I think The Magic Of Life Butterfly House is well worth a visit,...

Tucked away in a beautiful valley we found this unexpected tropical paradise. Lots to see even before getting into the butterfly house itself, including some huge caterpillars, tropical fish and live coral, enormous moths, leaf cutter ants and a stick insect that was more like a branch in size! The staff were knowledgeable and passionate about the creatures; it was like being inside David Attenborough's head. The butterfly house was a small but densely packed experience. Even if you know nothing about butterflies the experience of being in the presence of so many of them is quite magical. We had a member of staff guiding us some of the time so once again we were in our own private nature documentary. It is warm and humid with the butterflies, so be prepared for that. It took a few minutes to get used to it, but after that I could have stayed in there all day watching them flitting around and learning about their behaviour and life cycles, very relaxing. Outside we saw a Monarch and a Red Admiral (in October!) which reminded us how we can take our local species...

I've been going here every few years for quite some time and every time there's something slightly different to see. The staff know what they're talking about and actively offer to let you interact with the (safe!) other animals they have, which you wouldn't get to do in many places because staff would be "too busy" to supervise.

I'd have to agree with some of the lower rated posts - it does feel expensive for what's there. THAT SAID given how much effort is involved, and the fact that it's a small operation quite out of the way (relative to some other butterfly houses) they have costs to cover, and I'm happy to help with that, even if it is only a quick walk around, who cares?

All in, a decent few hours out, and the drive to them is nice enough as well whichever way you come at it.

Edit: just to clarify, the 4 stars instead of 5 is just for the price, it's not a negative for me, but I know it'll put some people on a budget off going and to me reviews shouldn't just consider my thoughts about it, but what others would want to...