Colchester Zoo

I have always loved Colchester Zoo and seeing it again through my children’s eyes has been great. This was a bit of an impromptu visit, as we had nothing planned for the day. I had been considering getting annual passes, as they seem to work out cheaper if you plan to visit a lot, so I used this visit to make a decision. 

The Zoo opens at 9.30am everyday (apart from Christmas Day) and is only 30 minutes from us so we got there just after it opened. This worked really well as we were able to watch the red pandas getting their breakfast. The otters were also particularly lively!

There has been so much work done at the zoo recently to give the animals in their care the very best enclosures they can that the Zoo is very different to the zoo I visited as a child. The Sun Bears have recently moved into their new enclosure and work starts soon on the new home for the chimpanzees. The newly revamped Familiar Friends area also gives you a chance to get up close to wallabies. There are also different animal encounters throughout the day, letting you see the animals interact with their trainers and giving more information about the animals. My two loved the Sealion presentation and feeding the elephants. 

The Zoo is fantastic for families. A suggested route is given for those in wheelchairs and with buggys - just follow the yellow line!. There are plenty of toilets, including areas for baby changing, and all of the food outlets have the facility to warm milk or food. There is a soft play area and a huge outside play area near to the entrance to the zoo so there are lots of opportunities for the children to let off steam if they aren’t already tired from all the walking! Food outlets are dotted round the zoo and there are numerous picnic benches. You can leave the Zoo to get your picnic from your car but just make sure that you have got a stamp so that they will let back in! 

Colchester Zoo is a fantastic day out - in fact I’ve now got the Platinum Passes which give free entry for 2 years so we will definitely be going back!