Top Attractions In Kent

Although not a well-known international holiday destination, the English county of Kent is fast becoming one of the nation's favourites for the warmer months and is now attracting visitors from abroad to its attractions. Situated between London and the continent, Kent has previously been used just for thoroughfare, but now it is becoming a popular area for both tourists and English nationals as it has both British and continental influences and a large amount of attractions and land forms.

Similarly to much of the British Southern coast, the county is renowned for its rustic and traditional English sea-side resorts, gardens and coastline. Indeed because of its abundance of orchards and hop gardens it is widely regarded as "The Garden of England" and the South Downs are just one example of Kent's picturesque areas. Such beautiful landscape is one of the area's greatest attractions as it is great for family outings like nature rambles, wildlife spotting and hiking, as its light exercise and a fantastic way to enjoy the great outdoors and spend quality time with each other.

As well as boasting a great inland landscape, Kent also has towns and cities of interest such as Dover and Canterbury. Dover, a bustling town, is famously home to the White Cliffs; an international landmark and stunning piece of coastline. Although normally used as a stop off point to France, it is ever becoming a fantastic English holiday destination. In Dover alone there are a variety of things to do, apart from enjoying the scenery. Dover Castle is fantastic for young ones, as it offers a labyrinth of secret wartime tunnels, medieval rooms and an underground hospital to explore and educationally learn a bit about the area's history too. In a similar vein, Kent is home to a lot of Roman ruins, and museums allowing you to dress up as Romans, see their beautiful mosaics and imitate your own; generally experience Roman ways of life.

Maidstone is another one of the county's main towns with all of the amenities one might expect from a modern yet still traditional English town, including a large retail centre, rural pubs and cinemas. Four miles from Maidstone is the stunning Leeds Castle, renowned for its stunning lake setting. Kent county is also home to Rochester Castle, Deal Castle and Walmer Castle and Gardens. For a different kind of family day out, Howletts Wild Animal Park is a fantastic facility with hundreds of the world's most interesting species, including the largest family group of Gorilla's in captivity. The area is also home to lots of special outdoor music festivals, summer festivals and regattas.

The county's coastal regions are its most popular, and tourists of all ages enjoy the traditions that come with English sea-side resorts. Many of these old-fashioned English customs are great for kids; coconut-shies, magic shows and Punch and Judy performances for example. For slightly older kids, the fairground rides, pedalos, watersports, funhouses and circuses can be great ways to really enjoy a British Summer! Many of these towns also offer piers, sweet shops and typically traditional food outlets and cafes selling cream cakes, fresh fish and chips and other typical fayre. Whether you are looking for a family holiday, a quiet weekend or a beach experience, Kent has a lot to offer.