Meet turtles, sharks and octopi at Sea Life Centre Brighton, and watch them beneath your glass-bottomed boat. Or head to Drusilla’s Park for the meerkats, pandas and lemurs, then ride the Safari Express train and refuel in the café. Or discover the local artistic history at the Ditchling Museum.
Explore how the Tudors lived at Anne of Cleves House in Lewes. Steam through 11 miles of glorious Sussex countryside on the Bluebell Railway. For the same experience in miniature, head to Beech Hurst Park for the ride-on train and playground. Or just discover miles of wave-washed beaches at Brighton, Hove, Eastbourne and Lancing.
At Washbrook’s Family Farm, you can meet the animals, ride tractors, play indoors, and enjoy two acres of outdoor action including a zip wire, jumping pillow, and trampolines. Handle the animals and feed the lambs at Blackberry Farm Park. Or paint your own pottery at Fun Pots in Haywards Heath.
Head to High Sports in Brighton to climb the walls. Enjoy indoor and outdoor play, animals, rowing boats and a water slide at Knockhatch Adventure Park. Dive into art workshops, storytelling, dressing-up and handling sessions at Brighton Royal Pavilion, or try the Chocolate Ecstasy Walking Tour for three hours of delicious fun.
Wine, golf, horses, and tanks. There’s no shortage of stuff for grown-ups to get stuck into around these parts. Start by climbing or riding Ditchling Beacon, or pick from dozens of walks in the South Downs Nature Reserve, a land of green rolling hills, windswept cliffs, and lush woodland.
Blast clay pigeons out of the sky at The Big Shoot in Albourne. Or just shoot 18 holes at the Mid-Sussex Golf Club, Burgess Hill or Pyecombe. If fishing’s your thing, big carp and catfish await at Winton’s Fishery. Or catch some history instead, at Arundel Castle, Bodiam Castle or Chichester Cathedral.
Explore the South Downs on two wheels, with bike hire from Hassocks Community Cycle Hire. Switch to four legs with Three Greys Riding School or Bevern Bridge Stables. Or just sit back and chill at a choice of luxury spas. Pick from Ockenden Manor, Wickwoods Country Club, Ashdown Park Hotel, or South Lodge Spa.
Go Ape at Crawley, try grand-prix karting, archery or shooting at Q-Leisure, or hire boats at Barcombe Mills. Live out your military dreams driving a tank with Into the Blue. Explore the countryside with the alpacas from Spring Farm, ride segways at Go Ape Crawley, or try a tasting at Ridgeview Wine Estate.
