Holiday in Kent. Howletts OR Port Lympne OR both...???! Plus other suggestions please

[misspollysdolly]

Going on holiday in Kent with DH, DD(8), DS1 (3) and DS2 (6months). Staying near Sittingbourne but obv will have car so can travel around easily.

Going with the intention of going to Howletts and/or Port Lympne. Is it worth going to both, or is one better then the other? Also suggestions of the best beaches/places to visit/eat, etc would be v gratefully received.

Also, what's Diggerland like?!

Many thanks.

Port Lympne is the best and they now do a safari where you go around in a jeep so see animals close up and no walking.

My two year old was astounded by the gibbons They were busy calling, i think it must have been feeding time or something and she was gobsmacked. We loved it I think it does depend alot on the weather - i wouldnt want to go on a drizzly day as the animals do tend to shelter from the rain

Wildwoods at Herne. DDs loved it there (mind you that was a couple of yrs ago!)

Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, its a small train. Great fun.

Walmer castle and Dover Castle. lots of space for children to run around outside. Would interest your 8yr old.

I prefer Howletts as its seems more contained than Port Lympne. Gorillas are great.

I went to Port Lympne two years ago and thought it was a bit rubbish.

I used Tesco vouchers, so didn't mind too much, would not have been happy to pay full price though.

King's Wood Forest

oh yes, kings wood is fantastic, although you might need an all terrain buggy We did it with a bugaboo lol

I like Howletts and Port Lympne - in fact going in the summer hols (yes please to kids for a quid tickets!!!)

Bedgebury is good if your kids are of the age to appreciate the climbing stuff (ie over 5.

Kent is lovely, I'm a Kentish Maid!!

Nope, I am not from Deal, but believe me Tides, (Deal indoor pool) is really dirty these days. The outdoor paddling pool in Deal is lovely tho.
Canterbury Museum is great, it is a Rupert Bear Museum is lovely.

Disturbingly, I've just worked out that it must be twenty years since I've been to Tides... I think it was fairly new then.

my emails [email protected] change that male to mail! for kids for quid..

Port Lympne is beautiful but hard work as its up a hill (I live in the village!!), we get half price admission being villagers.
SOme mornings I wake to the sound of cows mooing from the local farm and wolves howling from the zoo..........

Howletts is perhaps better........ purely because its all flat.

The beaches - I would avoid Hythe purely because its pebbles, big painful ones, FOlkestone has a nice sandy one but its tucked away and parking is a nightmare. Sandgate is - PEBBLES so why its not called STONEgate I dont know...

Dymchurch......ST Marys Bay..... Littlestone (but mind the quicksand.. really) would be easier possibly to get to too as you could come down the Brenzett Road from the M20 at Ashford, cuts through the countryside.
Ashford Stour Centre now has one of those cool pools with slides & a lazy river which we love, I do agree, Tides at Deal - bleurgh BUT imo the best for small swimmers. My neice loved going from small pool to small pool on the interconnecting slides. The other places (Mote Park in Maidstone too has a slide dealy thing) have just BIG stuff
Railway is great, Hever too but I think a bit boring for small smallies, Museum of Kent life is cool but AVOID DICKENS WORLD in Maidstone, no one has a good word to say about it.

OH LEEDS CASTLE! we LOVE it, if you buy a ticket its pretty dear but gives you entry for a year and a day, we went 8 times in a year LOL

In reply to TheMARGOnator - the wooden maze at Hever castle is off to your left from the grass parking area hidden under the trees.
It's well before you get to the castle itself.

It has several ways in (each with one of Henry's wives pictures above them). It's a 3D maze so you have to go up and down as well as through. More of a giant climbing frame. My son spent simply ages in it! The best maze there he said.

Gilly

i've not heard any good things about Dickens World either, probably the sort of place to go on school trips only. Oh and it's in Chatham not Maidstone

Thanks for all the responses guys. Starting to get really excited about our hols now! Will thin again about the Howeltts/Port lympne trip and maybe do just one.

A big motivation for going is to see the lovely Gorillas - so which site has them on/ or has the most??

The other suggestions aound great too. Thanks.

Thanks Gilly - I do eventually return to threads!

BOTH have gorillas now, slightly more at Howletts, have to say the safari (you pay extra) is well worth it at Port Lympne, you go in with the giraffes etc