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2020 has been a strange old year hasn’t it? Like everyone, we had lots of lovely plans which were all put on hold. At the peak of Lockdown I had a bit of a pity party and decided not to even try and book a holiday, as honestly I didn’t see the point if everything was going to be shut. But we did need to get away from home for a week, so I had a word with myself. We looked at where we could go in the UK, with enough outside activities to make it worthwhile. And I’m so glad we did!
Normally, our first port of call for a UK holiday is Cornwall, or Devon. But we remembered a lovely Kent mini break we’d had when I was pregnant, and managed to find some late availability in beautiful Kent, for a week in August. And we couldn’t have had a lovelier holiday, even with the cloud of Covid stress hanging over us. And the odd rain storm! So what Covid-safe activities did we do? Read my guide to a UK seaside holiday in Kent to find out.
Why We Chose A Holiday In Broadstairs, Kent
Kent is a really beautiful county, with miles of beautiful beaches. I found lovely self-catering accommodation in Broadstairs. This meant that we could cook and not have to go to that many restaurants. We did Click and Collect at Sainsburys, and bought things like tray bakes, pizzas and pasta so we didn’t have to spend too much time in the kitchen. Ryan made us packed lunches to take out with us every day, which also saved money.
I did miss going out to eat though, as that’s the main reason to go on holiday for me, haha. So when we go back I’ll be really keen to try out some of the lovely-looking cafes and restaurants we went past!
We Spent Most of Our Holiday on Kent’s Lovely Beaches
The main advantage of the Broadstairs area of Kent is how many gorgeous beaches there are in the area. You’re spoiled for choice! Broadstairs has two sandy beaches, and a chalk cliff area that you can walk along.
Then there’s Margate, Deal, Botany Bay and Whitstable all within a short drive. We, like thousands of others, found a beach to be a great bet for keeping away from others, whilst having fun. Most of our time was spent on the various beaches around Kent.
We were astonished that even in August, there was plenty of space to park, and even some free parking in Broadstairs. Being used to St Ives in Cornwall, we were so happy with this discovery.
One thing I’d advise if you have kids, is to take a travel potty with you. This means you can minimise trips to the public toilets, which generally aren’t great at the best of times.
Other Things to Do In Kent with Kids
Normally, we visit a few National Trust properties when we are away, as we are members. But unfortunately Kent doesn’t have any National Trust properties, apart from a car park at the White Cliffs of Dover. But there are lots of great English Heritage sites in Kent. So we actually joined English Heritage and went to three castles, meaning we broke even with the cost of it.
We went to Deal Castle, which was pretty small but interesting. Walmer Castle and Garden was beautiful. Dover Castle which was really interesting and had more to see as it’s much bigger. Some parts weren’t open, and of course you have to wear a mask in the parts that were open, inside.
As we’d driven down to Dover, we did walk to the viewing point to see the White Cliffs. It was a really rainy afternoon though, so we didn’t get the best view! It was still fun though.
Advice for a UK Holiday During a Pandemic
If you’re looking for a British seaside holiday for next year, I think Kent should be on your list. We will probably go back ourselves, as we had such a wonderful time. I love British holidays as they are more eco friendly than flying somewhere. We are so lucky here in the UK that there are so many beautiful places to go. Because we live in Bucks, Kent was a great option for us as it only took a couple of hours to get home.
We all have to cope with Covid restrictions in the best way for our family. I’m at the ‘really worried’ end of the scale, so going to a restaurant was quite worrying for me. When we went on holiday in August the rates were pretty low. It makes sense to choose activities that are as safe as possible, and visit places that have good measures in place.
We didn’t go out to eat in the evening but did go for afternoon tea, and the place we chose had really robust Covid safe measures so I felt confident.
We also went to the Turner Contemporary Gallery, which again had great systems in place to keep everyone safe. By looking online, we found places that had Covid policies were a good bet, as they’d though it through. All of the National Trust and English Heritage places we’ve been to since the pandemic have had great measures in place.
I’d also recommend getting travel insurance, to put your mind at ease should the situation change.
The best thing we can do is to follow the latest guidance and use common sense so that we can have a safe and relaxing holiday.
