The trail itself starts with a big clown surprise, with you entering the fun zone with the carnival creatures out in force. From the sounds of the cracking whip, to the whispers from a fortune teller, nothing is missed. They roam pretty freely and engage with you as you pass by, but others are hidden in the darkness and are ready to sneak out. We loved the mixture and provided a lively introduction. You do enter into the clowns mouth and face darkness within, to continue on a large section filled with other freaky surprises. One of our favourite moments was the illusion room, as every corner you turn could be changed in a heart beat and if you blink or step one step too far from your friends, you are likely to lose them. A really creative and genius section. This whole first part uses a blend of indoor and outdoor sections, using pathways and buildings already have as they change it like you’ve never seen it before for night.

After the clown section and you enter the safe zone, the next part of the trail is filled with plenty of horrors. You then come into a scarecrow themed section, meeting the horrible lifeless bodies which spring into life just at the right time, to the crow master hidden in the hay, before some more friendly yet cheeky farmers. This section shows that they can craft scares with laughs without taking you out of the immersion. As you get deeper in this part of the trail, the terror ramps up with meeting some hillbillies who want you to move quickly as you are not welcome for the best part. However, we came across many hilarious moments with them, with one giving their baby a bud to drink, whilst the others wanted us to milk a cow, which then sprayed all over the other person. Coming to the end of the zone, it gets a little more dark and voodoo like, with beating drums and dark pathways. Overall, this middle section was a huge upgrade to previous years.

The next safe zone provided plenty of entertainment, with our favourite being the magician. With some clever tricks and comedy, it was a nice addition outside the scares and frights.

The next section takes you on arguably the best part of Colchester Zoo Trail of Terror, which is the land train ride. This uses the land train and takes you on a round route of horror. The story is like a nursery rhyme curse that plays as you travel into the dark park. Before long, creatures come from all angles, jumping onboard, running at you with chainsaws and using special effects to get those extra screams. It’s such a clever use, with nothing comparing this Halloween, so super unique.

The ending takes you into a land trying to find freedom from all of the terror found in the trail. You come across the police who let you know everything is under control and safe as you take on the last few steps back to the final safe zone. You’ll only be a fool to believe them, with more scares and tactics used to get you one last time. Even when you think it’s over, it’s not…