Ah Kent. The home to three ‘royal towns’, the ‘Ladies castle’ and the only recognised desert in Britain. You’re spoilt for things to do in Kent, but I’ve tried making a list that blends options for people of all ages and for groups with different aims, from families looking for fun things to do in Kent with the kids to adrenaline junkies looking for something exciting.
Also, if you find yourself in Kent, don’t hesitate to look at some of the following accommodation options.
1) Port Lympne Safari Park
I’m normally highly reluctant to include zoo’s, as I have a massive hatred for them, but this is more of a safari park, allowing you to see these animals in a big expansive area of land. Covering 600 acres, you will get to see giraffe, bears, lions and plenty more. But most impressive, when we went to the Maasai Mara, we found rhino’s were by far the hardest to spot, but they will be around at Port Lympne wild animal park.
2) Leeds Castle
You always have to remind yourself that Leeds castle is down south (or at least I do), based in Maidstone. Castle’s seem to touch home with all of us Brits, being something deeply embedded in our history, which makes you curious to learn about how royalty lived in the fortress and the numerous battles around the land that took place. This is a great activity for a family day out in Kent.
3) The Resting Place Of Pocahontas
I’m not ashamed to admit it, I was hooked to Pocahontas as a child, it was easily one of my favourite Disney movies, behind the Lion King. What many people don’t know is that the movie is very loosely based on real life, albeit her actual name was Amonute. The Native American is deeply buried in myths which are realistically made to make it look like she was wowed and admired white Christian travellers, when in reality the truth might be very different.
4) Dover Castle
Another great family day out, Dover is a medieval castle built in the 12th century under the rulership of King Henry II. Located on Kent’s white cliffs, this is certainly a great one to get some photos of, especially if you happen to have a drone for unbelievable footage from the sky.
5) Chislehurst Caves
These man made tunnels was home to a number of subterranean gigs, hosting the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Who and the Stones. However, it’s not its illustrious musical history I’m highlighting this 22 mile cave for. It’s largely for the historic stories, including the WWII Blitz, Romans, Saxons and Druids. The guided tour will normally take around 45 minutes.
6) Canoe in Yalding
The river Medway offers a wealth of activities far from just admiring and I’ve always been a fan of kayaking and canoeing. There are a number of set routes, while you can hire out the canoe, with Spring and Summer being the most popular months for this activity. But it’s not just a day out with a mate or a partner, this is increasingly becoming a popular Kent team building activity.
7) Quad Biking
If you’re an adrenaline junkie then you could do a lot worse than quad biking! The most popular location is in Ashford, where there are a number of set routes and quad bikes available to hire. These off-road routes also mean you can alternatively hire a 4X4 vehicle if that is more up your alley.
8) Canterbury Cathedral
This World Heritage Site was one of the most critical centres of pilgrimage back in the medieval times. This is actually the oldest one in England and, unsurprisingly, the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Of course, nowadays I just think of people commenting on Ladbible and calling themselves the Archbishop of Banterbury.
9) Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Light Railway
This is one that embraces my inner child, as I remember doing this when I was around 6 years old and I can’t express how much I enjoyed it. In fact, I have terrible memories of that age (obviously) but this was one of my fondest memories. This miniature railway would make for a perfect day time activity for the whole family.
10) Chapel Down Vineyard
Wine drinkers stand up! Ever since visiting one in Argentina, I became hooked and since then I’ve always loved drinking wine made straight from the vineyard. You get an unbelievable price if you want to buy a few bottles to take home as well. Plus, wine tasting should definitely be top of your agenda. You can book a guided tour, while if you think you might get a bit merry, you can book a hotel close by.