STAFF REVIEW - KENT SEGWAY EXPERIENCE
I have always been intrigued by Segways but have never had the chance to try them out. Well, that was all about to change – when Gemma, Willow, Charlotte and I were all kindly invited by Southern Segway to embark on our first Segway experience.
Thankfully the sun was out and shining bright on the day of our first visit - a perfect day to travel around in Segways; enjoy the fresh air and soak up the sun - which is rare in England! We left the office bright and early at 9:30am, excited to see what the experience would entail. When we arrived at the location, we decided to wander around the premises. We found that they had refreshments available nearby, as well as a pub located less than 5 minutes’ drive away. The pub was small, cosy, and was near the main roads. We sat outside and appreciated the view.
We then began to head back to start our experience. When we arrived at Southern Segways, we felt like royaly! At the entrance, we were greeting by large imperial gates, followed by clear path ahead for us. We could tell by the freshly cut grass that the property was regularly maintained.
We began to make our way to the experience, while admiring the environment around us. Once we arrived at our location, we were kindly greeted by Sarah and Tony. After we all introduced ourselves Sarah and Tony wasted no time getting us all kitted up with our helmets. Tony then began to give us a safety briefing, using the Segways to demonstrate - while explaining the “do’s and don’ts”. This eradicated any misconceptions I had about Segways - I didn’t think they would be that fast, but once Tony showed us the speed of them when the limit cap was off, I was proven wrong!
Once they explained how to drive the Segway (which is simply by leaning your body forwards: - the further you lean forward, the faster you go. When you lean backwards the Segway goes backwards). Tony and Sarah wanted to ensure that we were safe and comfortable driving the Segways. They then put our skills to the test. We took turns going forwards and performing a full 360 turn with their assistance. Once they saw we were all comfortable on our Segways, we started to head out.
Eventually, I become more comfortable on the Segway. While we were roaming through the forest towards the main attraction (Leeds Castle), we made a brief stop at a lake filled with ducks, this was a breath-taking view! Sarah instructed us to safely step off our Segways while Tony took the speed cap off. This meant that the inner speed demon was about to come out. They said we could go as fast as we wanted, which I was thrilled to hear. However, not everyone wanted to speed their way down to the castle, Charlotte and Willow decided to take a slow and steady pace whereas Gemma and I wanted to test how fast we could go.
Once we had our fun wandering around the forest, we stopped at the main attraction; the Leeds castle. The view was mesmerising as Tony elaborated on the background of the castle. Lady Baillie, the former owner of the castle, was in her 20’s when she bought the property in cash. It was fascinating not only to explore the surrounding environment, but also to learn the history of the castle. Tony and Sarah were kind enough to let us take pictures at various locations, and even offered to take the pictures for us. The first stop we made was at the top of a hill, where the view was unreal! We had a birds eye view of the castle, an amazing photo opportunity that no one could resist. Our second stop-off point was closer to the castle, beside a lake. This was another astonishing view as we could see the castle just a few moments away from us, and we all decided to get a group picture.
Overall, I thought the Kent Segway Experience was amazing. I would like to say a huge thank you to Tony and Sarah for making this experience unforgettable, it was clear that they enjoy their job which made the experience even more pleasant. This experience would be perfect for families, friends and couples, as the tour ventures around the castle and allows you to explore. You will experience incredible views as well as gaining knowledge on the history of the castle.
