Sealife Adventure

The tanks at Sealife Adventure are the real draw here - vast acrylic panels where you can watch sharks, rays and proper shoals of fish gliding past. It's the kind of place where five minutes turns into forty without you noticing. Kids absolutely lose themselves, pressing their faces against the glass and tracking individual fish like they're hunting them down.

Rochester's only about a stone's throw away, so this works well as a half-day stop between exploring the high street and heading to the seaside proper. The aquarium itself doesn't demand hours - two to three is the sweet spot. Families with younger children (under eights especially) will get the most from it; older kids might tick it off faster unless they're genuinely into marine life.

The big advantage is that you're well-positioned for the local holiday parks. Essex Glamping is just up the road if you fancy something a bit more upmarket than the Haven option, though the latter's closer and geared toward families who just want a base camp without faffing about.

One thing worth knowing - it gets rammed during school holidays, so go mid-week if you can. Feeding times are worth timing your visit around too; the staff actually know their stuff and it transforms the experience from "look at fish" into something with a bit of substance.