Colchester Zoo | Family Day Out

The summer is slowly coming to an end here in the UK and what a wonderful summer it has been! We have been very lucky with such wonderful weather this year and I’m so grateful as this is not only our first school summer holidays but also the first year in years we haven’t been on a family holiday abroad. As we have spent the last year moving into our new home and doing big home improvements, every penny has been spent on paint, flooring and tiles. As we knew we had to sacrifice a holiday abroad we decided that we had to make sure we planned lots of exciting things to do with the kids here in UK so that we could still have some Summer 2018 memories. Check out our recent visit to Adventure Mini Golf here.

Here in the UK we have just had our last Bank Holiday before Christmas and as it’s so close to the new school term starting we decided to have one more family adventure! My 5 year old daughter, the little adventurer of the family, woke up on Monday and wanted to plan a fun day out. We looked at a few locations and attractions but we all quickly decided on a visit to the Zoo, so naturally we picked a zoo near me and our favourite, Colchester Zoo. Just under an hour drive from where we live in Kent, it’s worth the drive every time! So we packed our bags and headed out to spend the day at the Zoo.

COLCHESTER ZOO & WHAT THEY DO TO SUPPORT THE ANIMALS

There probably isn’t much I could say about a visit to a Zoo in a blog post when photos say it all. I always feel a little uncomfortable at first when I visit a Zoo, when I’m looking at the animals in their enclosures but Colchester Zoo really are great organisation. They have a charity called Action for the World where they raise support and awareness to protect these amazing animals and in conservation projects worldwide. You can read all about their work and their current and ongoing projects here. Colchester Zoo do so much more than we realise behind the scenes like Breeding Programmes amongst all the other ways they care and protect these mostly endangered species. There are so many ways you can donate and support these animals too and you can also find this information at the Zoo and online.

A GREAT FAMILY DAY OUT AT COLCHESTER ZOO

Walking around the Zoo there is so much to see as well as read about. With lots of loud speaker information for visitors you can really learn all about the species, what the zoo does to help them and also their back story from where they came from and their history. This information always ressures me that these magnificent animals are not just for a viewing and education but for some protection from a dangerous world of poachers and cruel “animal entertainment”. The admission is very reasonably priced for a family day out and children under 3 go free! I recommend planning in advance as the ticket prices booked online before you go are a little cheaper if you are on a budget.

While we were visiting the Zoo we made sure to explore all the enclosures, planned our day around animal feeding times and we even got to feed an Elephant! We enjoyed some lunch in one of the many areas you can sit and eat, the toilet facilities were good as well as great baby changing rooms/areas. We also enjoyed a lovely ice-cream treat to end our adventure at the Zoo. We had such a great time and the kids loved every moment, we can’t wait to go back again soon.

Have you been to Colchester Zoo before?

Pinar xo