Colchester Zoo is situated in north east Essex and was first opened in 1963. It is open all year round from 9.30am until 6pm from April - September, and 5pm from October - March (6.30pm in the summer holidays). It is quite well signed up when you get near Colchester and can be located off the A12.

This is yet another place where I have visited more times than I would like to admit to. My most recent visit was a couple of days ago so thought I would write a review of it whilst it's fresh in my mind.

As you make your way into the park you will find yourself in 'Beginning Zone'. There is an indoor walk through 'Iguana Forest' which is a very hot and humid enclosure. There are 4 iguanas in there (I only saw 1 the last time!) and a couple of tortoises. Keepers also do talks at various times throughout the day. There is another walk through enclosure which is outdoors and home to 2 sloths and a number of emporer tamarins. I have only ever seen the sloths outside once, although the tamarin monkeys are usually outside and can get really close. The keepers also do talks here throughout the day. Nearby is an indoor discovery centre where children can learn about wildlife and join in educative activities for free.

Next is 'Aquatic Zone'. Despite the name this area is home to both animals which live in and out of water. Here you'll find reptiles such as cuban crocodiles, blue poison dart frogs, iguanas and small mammals such as tamarins, meerkats, squirrel monkeys, spider monkeys, mangabeys, capuchins, marmosets and mongoose. Many of the small mammals often have babies which is great as a lot of them are endangered species. Again keepers do talks and feeds throughout the day. There are ice cream stalls, general food stalls and a restaurant here too.

You'll then find yourself in 'The Valley Zone'. The most popular animal here is the white tiger named Sasha. There is only 1 white tiger and he has a large enclosure full of grass, bushes and even a stream to himself. I often see him pacing backwards and fowards which feels slightly awkward to watch. I always felt like he should be housed with a mate, although I am assured by the zoo that these animals are solitary in the wild. You can view the tiger from 3 different overhead decks. One of the overhead decks is actually a tunnel which has giant advarks and margay on the other side of it. Another deck leads down a flight of stairs (and slope) to 'Lion Rock' which is home to a male and female lion which you can view from a number of different angles. Fennec foxes can be found inside the lions sleeping quarters (in a different encloure though!) which you can walk through. Opposite is the 'Falconry Display Area' where frequent bird shows take place (and sometimes fun shows just for children) and nearby are the baboons which are always lots of fun to watch. There a several activities here, one of which includes 'Crazy Sand' - these come at an additional cost (although £1.50 for a handmade multicoloured sand necklace isn't bad). On the other side of the white tiger enclosure is a rope bridge which takes you over the lemur enclosure. There are lots of different species of lemur. The bridge is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs though so you will have to use the lion rock route to get round to the lemurs.

'Familiar Friends' is a great area for children. It's much like a farmyard and has animals such as horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, llamas, chickens and rabbits. Next to the farmyard stables is 'Panning for Gold' which comes at an additonal cost and 'Kokopelli's Activity Centre' where children can take part in different arts and crafts for free. You can buy a cup of food for 50p to feed the animals by hand with. There is a newly opened 'African Farm Walkthrough' where you can stroll freely amoungst goats and chickens. There is a free 'Jungle Safari train' ride here which takes you round the track twice where you pass some plastic animals, all of which are featured in the zoo. There are also foam hand washes scattered around the farmyard so everybody can keep their hands germ free. There is a 'UmPhafa Road Train' which takes you to 'Kingdom of the Wild' but I have never been on this as it always seems to be out of service! Baby animals are usually quite frequent here too.

'Kingdom of the Wild' is probably my most favourite part of the park. It is hard to miss as it is such a large area and leads on from 'Edge of Africa'. There is a large, open, sandy island which is home to a number of large African elephants, you can also visit their indoor sleeping quarters. At various times throughout the day you get the opportunity to feed the elephants by hand. It's totally free and a remarkable experience - if you ever wondered what an elephants trunk feels like, it's slobbery and hairy! Opposite is another large, open, sandy enclosure which is totally unique and unlike anything I have ever seen in a zoo. The enclosure is home to 3 girraffes, 4 rhinos and a number of zebras, kudus, ostrich and cranes. The animals tolerate each other as they would live together in the wild so it's completley natural for them. Again there is an opportunity to feed the giraffes by hand throughout the day. You feed them twigs and small branches with leaves on and they take them from you with their long tongues. There is soap and sinks for afterwards! There is also an indoor area to kingdom of the wild - this is where the animals sleep and where their indoor paddocks are situated. Inside you can also find pygmy hippos, patas monkeys, meerkats, a huge ant farm, tortoises and a selection of lizards and fish. Just outside is a walk through bird enclosure, a vulcher enclosure and an advark enclosure.

There is a big lake in the middle of the zoo, this area is called the 'Lakelands Zone'. There are lots of birds to look out for including ducks, swans, storks and flamingos. There are a couple of restaurants (one of them does Quorn wraps but is pretty much unheard of!) on the edge which is nice to sit down and eat at whilst overlooking the lake. There is a nearby seal enclosure too.

On exiting the zoo you have to go through their souvenir shop. Zoo's must make a fortune by doing this. They sell pretty much everything in here - even pots of rhino poo to use as compost!