Colchester Zoo

Colchester Zoo is a lovely clean zoo however it is a tad hilly but very well laid out for disabled. Also some of the enclosure viewing fences/​platforms are a tad high and to try and get a photo through the glass windows is quite difficult when the sun is beaming down so I would say that this is not photography free friendly. There is many animals from sun bears, lions, pygmy hippo, meerkats, penguins and sealions etc. There is no seating for sealion talk/​show which I found odd again viewing is through big windows. The elephant and giraffe public feed are lovely and a great idea however I feel we should be handed a bigger size piece of fruit/​veg as the piece of lettuce I got was a size of a 50p coin also the volunteers ushered us along too quick so no chance for a photo opportunity with the animal.
The Pattisserie café is lovely especially in the conservatory area next to the bird of prey display area. Also the lunch was lovely and hot and the cakes even thouigh I did not have any looked divine and they looked homemade.
I done a aardvark experience when at the zoo and it was a amazing so unique and one that I will treasure. When I done it there was a baby aardvark of 9 weeks old so cute. I would deffinately do the aardvarks again in the future. However bear in mind they are usually asleep during the day so it is hit and miss if they will be active or not. There was 4 in the enclosure and only the baby and the 2 year old sister was active. Also there is a red light in the enclosure so quite a dark area and very hot so dont wear your coat into the enclosure is my advice. The zoo keeper was also very knowledgable and welcoming, loved animals and is a very pleasant young man.
I would go back to this zoo only reason why I rate this zoo a 4 out of 5 is because of the many hills and windows so made it hard for photography.

this is a lovely zoo, very well maintained and you get a sense that the people who work there are really passionate and love what they do and where they are. great for kids.

We have been to this zoo many times and it never fails to impress! Even with the building work happening there is still so much to do and see. We especially loved the land train that takes you to the Lemur enclosure where you can get our and go into the enclosure with the Lemurs roaming free. The only ask for a donation for the land train (some zoos charge a set fee) which I think is great, its a bit sad that some people use the train but don’t give a donation but I guess they think they pay enough with their admission price. We use our Marwell Zoo annual passes that gets us into many zoos across the country so for us we got into this zoo for free. As silly as it may seem some zoos we’ve visited the animals have a sadness about them (Bristol zoo is a fine example of animals seemingly unhappy) but at Colchester all the animals seem quite happy and content. The only issue I have with Colchester zoo is that it’s really hilly and steep in places so come the end of the day and not to put to finer a point on it –I’m knackered! You can easily spend a whole day here but I would recommend bringing some food and drink as it can work out expensive if you only eat and drink in the food outlets. There is ample parking which is great and it’s well signposted. We will be returning for sure!

A fantastic day out for all the family regardless of age. Animals all looked after and given loads of space.

a great day out, i took my nephew and his friends, they loved it whiles i chased them around. He thought it was brilliant and been asking to go back ever since, a really great day out.
great place to go for a little relaxing. great animals and show

I went with friends and thought it was brilliant, a really great day out. Even though we aren’t little kids we loved it!

Have taken all my kids there over the years. Too many animals to see in one trip. Constantly being added to with new exhibits. Seeing the new borns is one of the joys of the zoo.
Can get packed on summer weekends with coach trippers.

This is definatly one of the best zoo’s I have ever been to! I go so often that I am considering getting a gold card! I always go with my friends, and everytime we go there is something new and exciting to do. The animals are amazing, and range from red ants to giraffes and elephants which you can feed at certain times of the day! You can also watch deminstrations of the keepers feeding and playing with the animals at set times of the day. There is a large farm animals bit where there are horses and donkeys which you can feed, aswell as the greedy goats! There are tones of unusual and beautiful animals kept there, like the white tiger and the emperor squirral monkey which is one of my personal favourites! The keepers and staff are friendly and helpful, which makes it and easy and great day out!

This my most favourite zoo in the world.
Everytime I visit there are new exhibits and new animals. The zoo is a bit too big to do all in one day and the shows are brilliant.
The penguin enclosure is my absolute favourite and it’s the best one I’ve ever seen. When they feed the penguins they bring them into where you stand so you can see them up close. For a penguin lover this is a very exciting experience and about as close as you’ll ever get.
Just beware that parts of the zoo are very hilly, buts lots of it is easily accessible.
There’s also a huge car park — with lots of spare space perfect for picnics!

Colchester zoo is brilliant for adults and children of all ages. We spent a full day here enjoying the sights and it was definitely great value for money!
Including the zoo which i will talk about later they have a huge play area for the children to burn off some energy, and this is where we ate our picnic at lunchtime. There is also an option to visit customer services to adopt an animal which was lovely for the kids and only cheap for a year of knowing you are helping protect an animal!
The range of animals is expanse but my children really enjoyed the reptiles in Iguana Forest and we all loved watching the orangutans bouncing around! The penguins and sealions are great fun to watch in the water section and we watched the penguins being fed at 3pm. There are 2 times a day they are fed so make sure your around for this as it is great for the kids!
We also enjoyed ‘the farm’ style area where we petted horses, saw sheep and some of the more familiar animals that the children don’t often get to see close up.
I don’t think i’ve even covered half of the animals at Colchester zoo — you really have to go and see it to believe it!

I love Colchester Zoo! I used to be a gold card holder, so visited at least a couple of times a month but then when the children started school I stopprd going as regularly as the zoo becomes very busy at school holiday times.
Best times to visit are during the week in term time. you can get round so much more easily and get in to all the feeding times and shows/​displays easily.
There is a great range of animals, who appear to be incredibly well cared for and the zoo take conservation very seriously and responsibly.
My only complaint woulf be that in spite of their great work in protecting and caring for animals they then allow a fast food chicken outlet to sell food (and that welfare of those chickens that have provided the meals is not considered) … somewhat hypocritical in my book!

This zoo is massive and places a strong emphasis on conservation, as well as educating children about the animals they have, (with the aid of information boards, and also sometimes demonstrations).
A great family outing that will keep you busy for most of the day, the animals are very well kept and are all in very large enclosures, and great care is taken to ensure their health and safety, and to prevent endangered species from going extinct.
The staff also have a great deal of knowledge about the animals kept, and in some cases, they bring some of the more docile animals out of the enclosures and let you feed them, (the elephants, etc).
There are a few restaurants/café’s in the zoo, or there are picnic areas with seating should you wish to bring your own food and drink.
The price of entry is well worth it, and excellent value for money, and the place is always crowded with people wanting to see the animals on display, though it’s not so crowded that you can’t navigate it or see anything.
Other on-​site features include a gift shop where you can purchase a myriad of branded merchandise to support the zoo too.

I was really impressed with what Colchester Zoo had to offer when we went there. Some zoos seem quite sparse but at Colchester there was so much to see. We got there for 10am and didn’t leave till kicking out time!
It was amazing seeing the wild animals so close up. The enclosures seem well designed to give you a good view of the animals as other places I’ve been to you wonder where the animals are half the time.
The giraffe bit was great as you could go high up and be level with their heads as they ate from their feeding baskets. The elephants too were quite impressive. Funnily enough the animal our young daughter was most fascinated by and spent ages watching was the ‘sand fox’ as it ran back and forth through a tunnel up against the window!
This needn’t be an expensive day out either for those of you who collect Tesco vouchers as they accept these here. I highly recommend a visit.

I have been visiting Colchester Zoo for many years now and have never been dissappointed yet! It is a great day out for young and old with so much to keep everyone entertained.
The animals all look so well cared for & the staff always seem very happy to take the time to answer any questions — however silly they may turn out to be!
If you want to get the most out of the day then make sure you arrive early so you gett ime to go round and see everyting.
For a fantastic family fun day, Colchester Zoo is a must… enjoy!

Fantastic place for all the family. Well worth buying a gold card. You can’t get round all the displays and shows in 1 day. All the animals are in worlds so you can see them in their natural habitat

I have many fond memories of this zoo. It seems to be well-​planned, as it takes pretty much exactly the right amount of time to get round in. Furthermore, the exhibits are world-​leading, with everything from lions to reptiles. The penguins are a particular highlight, as not only are they well-​fed and cared for, classical music is played to give the area an air of tranquillity and peace. The only (minor) complaint is the cost of food and souvenirs, but this is only to be expected with such a major local attraction. In all, I would highly recommend this zoo for a fun day out, regardless of age.

I haven’t many other zoos to compare it to, but Colchester zoo is lovely. It is hidden away near Colchester (follow the elephant signs!) with a huge carpark. It costs £13 for an adult to get in, and £7 for a child, but you can get 10% discount when you book online.
You get free re-​entry too, if you need to go back to the car.
There are many different enclosures inside the zoo, and the animals appear to be well cared for. They do various displays of birds and demonstrations throughout the day too.
I would suggest bringing your own food as it can cost a bit to eat there, plus don’t take a buggy or wheelchair round as the place is full of hills, and huge!
A great family day out.

This zoo is fantastic!!!
very child friendly as well as wheelchair friendly (some parts are very steep but gives you ifferent routes)
Its a job to get round in 1 visit.
various places to stop and get ice cream or more important a cup of tea!
gift shop as you come out of the zoo with some very nice ideas.

One of the best-​designed zoos and it also happens to be walking distance from my house which is usefull as the car park can become very busy and can be hard to get away at the end of a long day walking.
There are a wide variety of animals there — big cats, African animals (including elephants, giraffes, zebra, rhinos), lots of chimps/​monkeys, a long underwater viewing tunnel for sealions to name but a few. The different regions of the zoo are designed so well, the enclosures look comfortable for the animals and allow the observer a great view.
The zoo is quite large, and quite hilly (wear sensible shoes — stilettos would not suite some of the walkways!). It is not immediately obvious how to find your way round, but there are plenty of maps around the zoo and trials to follow. Also plan which talks you want to go to, come clash unfortunately you should be handed a map of the park with timetables for the talks with your ticket.
There are two mini trains. You don’t see much on the jungle train, but definitely go on the train near Tiger taiga as it takes you past some animals you wouldn’t otherwise see and gives information on the animals.
The zoo offers informative talks on a variety of animals. The penguins actually come out of their enclosure to feed right in front of you. The big cat talk was interesting, they are fed in order: lions, white tiger, leopards. A single animal talk lasts for about 10mins. There are also falconry displays and events to coincide with special occasions (Halloween, Christmas etc)
There are two very good shops at the entrance one offers zoo-​related gifts including toys and the other is more upmarket including furniture. There is even a like stoll selling a wide range of fudge. There are several food outlets within the zoo with plenty of seating (including undercover) but prices for food are a little expensive. You can’t use the restaurant seating if you bring your own picnic, but there are benches around the park.
It costs about £13 per adult but you get a discount if you book online and if you plan to go regularly you might want to think about a card. They also offer birthday parties, animal adoption and keeper for a day experiences. They are open every day except Christmas day give yourself plenty of time to look around and try everything — especially if you are going with young children.

Super zoo, the animals are well looked after if any of the animals have marks or fur missing they always but up a note about it so you don’t worry about them.
The food is horrible we always go to sainsburys first to buy a picnic lunch.
We have just discovered the road trains (the pleasure of going with a 4 year old) these are free but they do ask for a donation the Tanganyika one is good it goes round the lakes and you get to see animals the other one is not so good as most the time there is just bushes to look at.
The new sealion pool is lovely there is tunnel to walk through and they swim and rest above you.
The zoo is constantly growing so we go every year at least once there is a lovely santas grotto near christmas (check website for details) with real reindeer this year.