I have lived in Canterbury for the past 2 years as a student studying at Canterbury Christ Church University. I feel that I have seen what Canterbury has to offer both the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.

As I am originally from the outskirts of London coming to Canterbury was quite a change for me. Although it is a very busy town one still gets the sense of the original charm due to the historic architecture such as the castle walls, the old paved roads and the beautiful Cathedral that can be seen from far away.

There are many shops in the town centre which attract many visitors from all over England and the rest of Europe. Being close to Dover there are many French tourists in particular. Most of these shops however are very pricey and so for students like me, who are on a tight budget, it is very hard to shop!

Renting in Canterbury is also expensive. A typical price for student accommodation would be around £350 per month. For holiday makers some cheap hotels and B&B's can be found although these are quite a walk from the towns centre. There are also a few beaches just a short train or bus ride away.

In the daytime one can visit; the cathedral which is between £6-8, Canterbury Tales museum, the old castle ruins, the Bowlplex which also consists of an aesthetic ice rink, the cinema and Laser wars. There are also many restaurants, both your typical fast food (McDonalds, Burger King, Subway and Pizza Hut), your greasy spoons cafe's and the higher class restaurants. I would recommend Zizzi's in particular as it is beautiful in there and you can even sit outside and eat in the picturesque garden (weather permitting of course).

Nightlife in Canterbury is not too great. Certainly for a place jam packed with students one would think that the town would be buzzing but with only three main clubs (which close very early at 2am), there is little else to do. There are many pubs to go to but most of these also close early and other than the two Whetherspoons at either end of the town, drinks are very pricey. This lack of nightlife entertainment means that you can get quite a lot of trouble with bored youths.

Overall it is a nice place to visit perhaps for a day or so but I would not reccommend a long stay. If you are into history then it is ideal but if you are up for a good night out then this is not the place for you.