As a lover of all things relating to nature and wildlife, an avid animal lover and a big kid at heart: I love zoos. Being able to see animals I may never get the opportunity to see otherwise is a blessing, especially if it ends up being a petting zoo, where I get to directly interact with the animals! We have spoken highly about a few different petting zoos now, and on our most recent visit to Snowdonia and all of its wonders, we were in the mood for some animal magic. Luckily, just a stone's throw north across the Menai Strait is Pili Palas Nature World, so we got underway and began our adventure into the world of amazing animals, and you should too...
Pili Palas Nature World is just outside of the town of the town of Menai Bridge (which is naturally adjacent to the bridge of the same name). This puts it in a good place in terms of access, as hopping over the Menai Strait via either the Menai Bridge or Britannia Bridge will land you mere minutes away from your destination. The entrance is just a short drive up the B5420, on approach it may just appear to be another roadside house, but look for the signs and drive down the track next to the house and farm buildings - the car park is surprisingly ample around the back. Public transport in the form of busses can get you to the town of Menai Bridge, at the time of writing there were a handful of routes from Bangor and the walk from the edge of town to Pili Palas Nature World is about 10 minutes (although, most of it with verges and no pavements).
Make your way into Pili Palas Nature World, buy tickets at the desk (if you haven't pre-booked online) and you will be able to immediately step into what I think was our favourite part of our visit: the Butterfly House. This humid and tropical area starts out with a koi pond and many tropical-looking plants, and quickly it became apparent how up close and personal this display is as a set of butterflies flew straight past our heads. This room is a stunning collection of varied and beautiful butterflies, with the likes of Owl Butterflies, Monarchs and, Rox's favourite, Blue Morphos. That is not all, as you may spot a few other residents flittering and hopping around, Finches, Java Sparrows, and more call this area home - plenty to discover and enjoy. This whole room made for an unquestionably magical feeling, like being in a tropical paradise with glistening blue butterflies circling as you explore - I absolutely loved it.
From the butterfly house, the surprises of Pili Palas continued for us - the aviaries of the Bird House homed multiple inquisitive and quite friendly birds, more than willing to have a chat, but the biggest shock was the two kookaburras sat directly over our head as we walked in! Kookaburra's laughter is incredible to hear, and we were lucky enough to hear them get set off while we explored the grounds.
The fun doesn't stop there though, with so many great displays to enjoy as you circle through the various buildings, with amazing little mammal displays, the meerkats in their home, an awesome array of bugs and reptiles and plenty more left to explore. Some of my personal highlights included the adorable African Zebra Mouse and neighbouring Hedgehog as well as the incredible snakes who were posing perfectly for photos.
Pili Palas continues outside with displays of Guinea Pigs, Rabbits and Pigs for you to enjoy before passing by the farm area and into the enclosed petting zone complete with roaming Goats, Chickens and Ducks. There is plenty for the youngsters to enjoy, with great play areas, parks and climbing frames to keep them occupied. The entirety of the outside has been well geared towards family days out, and it would certainly be a nice place to relax with a bite to eat while letting your kids burn some energy in a safe space.
Beyond the central attractions of Pili Palas are some extra things you can enjoy before concluding your visit - out back is a nature walk that takes you to a bird hide, with a few feeders to help coax the local wild birds into visiting. As you make your way you may encounter the Donkeys in their field as well as two red squirrels playing in their enclosure together. The walk was a lovely addition - only a short woodland walk but a nice adventure into the fresh air before heading back through the gift shop to exit and conclude our animal adventure.
Pili Palas Nature World was a wonderful day out, the memory of beautiful butterflies circling overhead is one that I think I will remember forever, absolutely incredible creatures. Beyond that, all of Pili Palas is worth your time, well equipped and loaded with things for kids of all ages - a perfect family adventure. Pili Palas was the ideal half-day adventure for us, so if you are looking for more nearby then consider things like National Trust's Plas Newydd or travel a bit further to enjoy the grandeur of the stunning Beaumaris Castle. Angelsey is chock full of things for you to discover, and I would unquestionably add Pili Palas to that list.
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