You can try before you buy at Perry Court Farm between Wye and Ashford. They grow a mixed crop of pears, plums, asparagus, artichokes and much more. Ranges are seasonal, so you'll find bunches of daffodils in spring and boxes of apples in the autumn. Look out for homemade sausages from their own pigs. There are even a few pieces of local art and, outside, rows of pots and plants for your garden.

Where: Perry Court Farm, Bilting, Ashford, Kent TN25 4ES, +44 (0) 1233 812302

Open: Daily

Perry Court Farm website

Walk along the sunken, tree-shrouded lanes of the High Weald surrounding Tunbridge Wells to follow in the footsteps of Saxon farmers. Long summer days give the perfect opportunity to take little sloops out on the calm waters of Bewl Lake. During autumn the trees are encrusted with gold at Bedgebury National Pinetum.

Seven Wonders of the Weald website

When Richard Phillips cooks foodies sit up and notice - he won a Michelin star at Thackeray's in Tunbridge Wells and now he's working more magic at Chapel Down. The freshest of local produce, fine French-influenced cooking and a wine list crammed with delicious British wines are making this the hottest dining spot in the South-East.

Where: Tenterden Vineyard, Small Hythe, Tenterden, Kent, TN30 7NG, +44 (0) 1580 761616

Open: Lunch Tue-Sun, Dinner Thur-Sat

Cost: £30 for three courses à la carte excluding wine

Chapel Down website

Fine dining, fine champagne and fine rooms. You can snuggle up under cashmere bed throws ten minutes from the cathedral in the cobbled shopping streets of Canterbury.

Where: ABode Canterbury, High Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2RX, +44 (0) 1227 766266

ABode website

Find inspiration at Down House as Charles Darwin did when he lived here. The house and gardens remain much as they were during Darwin's residency. On the 200th anniversary of his birth and 150th since the publishing of his Origin of the Species, you can see recreations of his experiments on natural selection. Watch bees at work building honeycombs and take in exotic orchids and carnivorous plants.

Where: Down House, Luxted Road, Downe, Kent BR6 7JT, +44 (0) 1689 859119

Open: Sep-Mar Wed-Sun; Mar-Aug daily

Cost: £7.40; children £3.70

Down House (English Heritage) website

We had a real English seaside experience in kitsch little Oscar Road Café in Broadstairs. We loved fresh prawns served with brown bread and the tea-time walnut gateau. Take your own wine to go with the lobster! Janine, Lille

Where: Oscar Road Café, 15 Oscar Road, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1QJ, +44 (0) 1843 872442

Oscar Road Café website

We picked up a hire car and drove to Royal Tunbridge Wells. It's a 45-minute drive due east of Ashford through hop, apple and vine country along the A28 and A262. We stopped at Lamberhurst and Biddenden vineyards along the way and sampled some of their wines – at least my husband did but I was driving! Sarah and family, Biarritz

Ashford International is a ten-minute walk from Ashford town centre, where we found a Tourist Information Centre, right opposite St Mary's Church. We were given a leaflet called Best Places to Visit and got two-for-one entrance to loads of places. Audrey, Paris

We almost got lost at Bluewater! With three malls in one complex, the place is huge! Plan to stay there a whole day and organise your shopping time like a military campaign. I found a nature walk to occupy the kids, loads of juice bars and cafés, and lots of excuses to splurge in House of Fraser and John Lewis. In fact there's even a Eurostar store there! Molly, Ruffec

Where: Bluewater, Greenhithe, Kent DA9 9ST, (UK) only) 0870 777 0252

Bluewater website

We went to Penshurst, near Tonbridge, for the afternoon. The village is full of Tudor architecture. The big house, Penshurst Place, was built in the 14th century – we saw the baronial hall and the staterooms – very impressive! The house is still in the hands of the Sidney family after 700 years! Our kids adored the wallabies and rare sheep breeds at the Penshurst vineyard. Jean-Claude, Marbella, Spain

Penshurst Place website