Summer season is near! Summer is also known as Camping season. A lot of people and families plan their road trips and camping trips across Europe during this season. Last year, we have discussed trying out camping within the Netherlands for starters, before we venture out to a full blown Europe camping adventure that is in our bucketlist. I have posted two experiences we had in different campgrounds like Kemphaan and Hemels. Now, we travelled up north to check two things in our bucketlist.

GEITHOORN

Geithoorn is a small town known for as the "Venice of Netherlands. It has always been in our bucketlist as place to visit in the Netherlands. What makes this town so special, is that the town cannot be accessed by car. It is surrounded by waterways, canals and lakes, which makes the town magical, like straight out of a fairytale book. The layout of the town is not optimized for motorized vehicles, so you have to explore the place by foot. Geithoorn is surrounded by rivers and canals, that most houses have bridges to connect them to the main road. 

We long wanted to come visit Geithoorn, so we planned that this summer, we'll camp there. I was able to book a nice campsite at Camping d'Hof. It was a vacation park which has a small area for tent pitchers like us. The good thing is that they have access to the lake, in which you can park your boat.

Geithoorn is a small town, so it is easy to explore for one whole day. The only struggle is that the town is in between lakes, mode of transportation is only by bus or car. There are car parking spots at the outskirt of the town. One of the top activities to do in Geithoorn is a boat tour or rent a private boat. 

When we visited the town, we rented a small boat for two days and explored the whole town. Most boat rental companies will provide a map of routes you can do depending on the amount of time you rented the boat. Driving the boat is easy to learn, just takes a few minutes to get used to navigating and steering. 

If you do not want to do the boat [I highly suggest you do!] tour, you can just wander around Geithoorn by foot. Explore the different small shops tucked inside the pretty houses, or dine around the restaurants in town. 

CAMPING d'HOF

There were only a few campgrounds in Geithoorn, and most if them have no electricity outlet. One thing we prefer are campsites with access to an electric outlet nearby the tent. Camping d'Hof is the only campground which has electric outlets near the campground. They have two small campground nearby the lake. 

Camping d'Hof is located conveniently south of the main town, in a quiet area with access to the lake. During the summer season, they offer watersport activities and offer gear rentals. We went there during the end of the summer, so we were able to see just a few people trying out kite surfing. 

They have different types of accommodations aside from the tent pitches, like cabins, camping pods and caravan and rooms inside their main building. The place also has a recreation hall and offers laundry service for a fee. They also provide boat rentals, which is essential if you want to explore Geithoorn by water. 

We stayed for 3 days, living our best life in the magical town of Geithoorn. We rented a boat for two days and had the campground for ourselves for a day. It was convenient for we were able to park our boat near the campground. I'll share this video as it best sums up our camping trip.

@carolranas Our last camping vacation this summer in Geithoorn. @imsosh and Dax had so much fun riding the boat! #voorjou #becarol #foryou #teamperez #zomervibes ♬ Love Tonight (David Guetta Remix) - Shouse

Overall, Geithoorn is on top of our list of towns you need to visit in the Netherlands. It is best to visit during the Spring and Summer season so the surrounding nature is alive and thriving. 

Have you been to Geithoorn? Which city one of your favorite in Europe and why?

I will share another camping experience with you last 2021. Per my last camping blogpost, we were taking it slow and trying out camping in different sites in the Netherlands before our camping tour to Switzerland for summer. As I was researching camping places (which is different from vacation parks), I leaned towards camping sites that are within arms reach to attractions. Our yearly Efteling visit was crossed out as an option this year for we were there last summer, so Kasthuevel campsites were out of the options.

I have Billybird Park saved on my list in Google for amusement parks to see in the Netherlands. There was a new camping site opened just beside the park, Camping Hemels. I found out that you get free entrance to the park once you booked a slot in the campsite.

CAMPING HEMELS

Camping Hemels is located in a small town in the south of Netherlands. The campsite is located adjacent the park, which is convenient if you have a kid. What is even more exciting is that they have access to a lake, which was shared with the park. 

The campsite is divided into sections, for the caravans and pitchers and for the glamping tents. If you must know, glamping means camping out without the worry of bringing your camping equipement, as it has been provided at the site. It is not similar to a hotel/house but you have a cozy room inside a big tent, which has been all arranged for you. Bathrooms are still shared and communal. 

One more striking advantage of Camping Hemels is that during the summertime, the restaurant/bar in the site holds themed nights for its guests. They have campfires/BBQs by the lake, DJ party, paddle boarding by the lake and other activities which makes the stay more pleasant, if ever you got bored of all the rides/entertainment in the park.

As for me, it was perfect. My husband can work by the lake with a beer on hand, while mommy and the kid enjoys the park, and vice versa. It is a win-win situation for everyone. It is a bang for your buck because you get entrance to the park included in your stay.

The only con I think is that our pitch tent was squeezed in between caravans, I guess we were the only small family camper who pitches their own tent, as most of the guests there were seasonal caravan people. But I really didn't mind because our neighbor that time were too kind. Our neighbouring caravan did not mind conversing in English and even introduced us to the mouthwatering Bosche bollen, which is by the way the renowned dessert of the region we were staying at. They drove to get it at the famous town in the city, brought it back and shared with us. Isn't that the sweetest?

BILLYBIRD PARK HEMELRIJK

Billybird Park has a lot of locations across Netherlands, one of them is in Volkel, just beside the Lake Hemelrijk (hence the name). The location is massive, yet the attractions were pretty basic. 

The park is divided into three parts, the attractions/rides, the indoor playground and the waterpark. The waterpark is a massive inflatable area which you pay a separate entrance fee. It requires one to have a swim diploma before entering the waterpark. The indoor playground is a big two level ball pit. It conveniently has a small cafe for parents to sit on and have coffee while watching their kid play. 

The attractions/rides were basic, the typical ones you will see at a playground.  One unique thing about the park is that most of the rides were mechanical and manually driven. It was really a delight because you won't worry of electrical machinery breaking and you have control of the speed. The downside is that the driver (aka the parent) gets more tired than the kid, especially when the kid wants to go more rounds on the ride. Let me share a video below of us having fun at Hemelrijk.

Overall, we had fun during our camping trip to Camping Hemels and Billybird Park Hemelrijk. I am loving the idea of nature and camping especially after moving here in Europe. The pandemic is sure opening up creative ideas for us to explore the Netherlands while being safe with social distancing and stuff. 

What do you love about camping? 

Share it in the comments below!

Summer.

It is the most anticipated season of the year. School is out and so is the sun. Summertime is usually where people have big plans and go on long vacation. Since Daxton is going to school now, we can only have a long vacation during the summer as well.

Everything is slowly opening up now that most people are getting their vaccine shots. We initially planned to go roadtrip/camping around Europe, visiting Switzerland in the summer. Camping is a safe choice for a vacation since you will be out in nature and you’ll interact with less people.

We visited Decathlon and shopped for camping essentials. We bought our cooking and sleeping gears, keeping it to the bare essentials. But before we plan our weeklong roadtrip to Switzerland, we must first test out our camping gear nearby, just to make sure we are making the right decision.

Armed with our newly bought gear from Decathlon NL, we headed to Kemphaan for a weekend camping trip.

Natuurcamping de Kemphaan

 It is a simple campsite with complete facilities nestled in Stadslandgoed de Kemphaan. It is open for leisure campers as well as seasonal campers. Among all the campsites in Almere, Natuurcamping de Kemphaan is the the most affordable for less than €30/night.

We wanted to give camping a try first before we book a weeklong camping somewhere far. That is why I decided to book a campsite near Almere. Since it is our first time out, we settled on somewhere near. In case we forgot something, we can easily drive back home to get it and make a note for next time.

The campsite has different accommodation options like pitching a tent, place for a campervan and small lodges. We rented a place where we can pitch a tent but has access to electricity just like what the campervans use.

The toilet and shower facilities are clean and good. There are almost 8 toilets and separate shower areas for men and women. The reception will provide you shower coins that you can use for hot water in the shower. They also have sinks for washing hands and washing dishes which has hot water as well. They also provide the soaps for the sinks that anyone can use. There are chemical toilet disposal for campervans and an option for washing and drying clothes for seasonal campers.

What is nice, during the weekend, a food truck comes in that sells typical Dutch snacks like sausages, sandwiches and fries. There is a Saturday food market beside the campsite where you can buy produce and meat from small businesses around Almere. 

Overall, our stay was quite pleasant. We were allowed to pitch tent facing the playground. Daxton liked it because he can just run outside and play with the other kids. One good thing also is that the grass is well maintained. I have not seen any poop on the grass from the pets. The toilets and shower were always clean, which made camping outdoors comfortable. It is a very quiet and tranquil place to camp.

Here is a video of what went down during our camping weekend at Natuur Camping de Kemphaan:

I think we will push through our weeklong camping trip. I bet it’ll be fun and we’ll have crazy stories. 

What are your plans this Summer?

Let me know in the comments below!

Toddlerhood is another challenging phase for most parents. These kids have so much energy and their brain are like sponges that will soak up any information they see/hear/do. It is important to choose wisely the activities we introduce in their routines for it will slowly form their character and personality. 

Exhausted parents (either working or staying at home) have been constantly looking for ways to entertain their toddlers. There are a lot of things a parent can do but there are places where you can bring your toddler to expel those bursts of energy and learn at the same time.

We are living in Almere, yet most of the information I gathered are from Amsterdam. If you are a parent  in Almere, I got you covered with toddler activities. Here are the list of organizations/groups where you can go.

For Babies (up until 2.5yo):

HETJKC in Almere Poort

They were a newly opened organization in Poort and the closest in our area. They do weekend sessions and more of a parent and kid activity. Classes are in Dutch, but sometimes they translates in English for families who doesn’t understand any Dutch yet. They were very friendly and my son enjoyed his time there. We continued going there until my son was accepted to peuterspeelzaal/voorschool.

They are 13 lessons for $135, sessions are for 1 hour on Saturdays. More information can be found on their website.

ABCDE Playgroup

They are the playgroup that is more established in Almere, yet can only accomodate few children due to location restrictions. This is also more of a parent-kid playgroup. The group was very warm and friendly. This is where I met a fellow Filipina! They have a routine which is in Dutch, which is perfect if you are trying to learn the language.

They have their lessons for 3 hours/session for $3 per session. They also have a stripcard 10 sessions for $25. You get a cup of coffee and you have to bring a fruit every session to share with other children.You can message them directly via their Facebook page.

English Playgroup in Literaturwijk (Buurtcentrum Het Boegbeeld)

Same concept as ABCDE with an English approach. They were quite new when we joined, and had stopped coming when Daxton went to peuterspeelzaal. It was arranged by mamas in the buurt, and with an inloop approach. It was $0.50 cent per session every Thursday morning. 

De NieuweBibliotheek (Library) activities

To fill in activities for the week, I check the agenda of the public library in Almere. They have several activities lined up for children. What we usually go to were the English readings (both in Poort and Stad library). You can check the activities in their website.

For Peuters/Toddlers (from 2.5yo and older)

Aside from the activities above, we also went to several places whenever there are ongoing activities. When Daxton turned 2, we enlisted him for peuterspeelzaal. Since peuterspeelzaal starts at 2.5yo, we attended the following activities below.

De Schoor (Droomspeelbus. Ouder en Kind Loop, etc..)

De Schoor is an organization helping the youth in the neighborhood get aquatinted with after school activities. It was beneficial to both parents and kids because mischief in the neighborhood is prevented because children have activities they can look forward to. You can check their ongoing activities all over Almere in their website. 

Peutervoetball Poort

In Almere, Arno Splinter Peutervoetball is the organization that handles football activities for tiny children. Football is a big sport in Europe, and there are a lot of clubs and organization that one can join in. However, the youngest that one can join is around 7-8 years old. 

With Arno Splinter Voetball, your kid can start as young as 3 years old. Their classes help children get used to the training routine, and help develop their motor skills as well. You can get more information on  their website.

Dance Studios / Theater Classes

For the creative children, there are dance classes and theater classes available. There are four dance studios in Almere Poort that I am aware of namely: 

- United Dance Almere

- Dansstudio Roxanne

- Amy’s Dans Studio

- Kid Dance Academy

I am not the most creative mom, so I have not signed my son yet to their classes. Once I see an interest, then I can let him give a try.

If speaking in Dutch is a bit daunting for you and you want a more expat-friendly (aka english speaking) activities, I have compiled some groups/activities here from Amsterdam, if travelling is not an issue:

Jacaranda Montessori School

Jacaranda Montessori School is quite famous in Amsterdam for its Montessori teaching methods. Their waiting list is quite long so you need to register as early as you can. Do not fret because with a bit of patience, you can get a spot. This is a more parent and child montessori activities. The center is quite pretty and interactive. 

They have different classes for different age groups. One Term is around $293 for 13 weeks with 1-1.5hr class. You can head to their website for more info on rates and schedules.

I was quite anxious to get a spot back then. Good thing I was able to have the chance to try a session and enjoyed it a lot. It was unfortunate that the school is a bit far from our house and travel via public transpo (as parking spaces as well) is a bit of a stretch for me with the Netherlands weather. While waiting for a spot, you can buy Simone’s book as starters to orient oneself with Montessori methods.

Friends call me Jim

This is similar to MyLittleGym as it is more on enhancing Gross Motor skills for your child. We went to their open day to experience the center and a bit of activities. Their center is a bit small but boasts nice furniture to help enhance gross motor skills. 

One term is around $200 with 10 sessions and 45mins per session. Again, this is too far logistic wise for us.

Those are two of the classes we tried in Amsterdam. There were a lot more activities in Amsterdam that are English based. Below are some that I have found in the internet (check their website for more information):

- Toddler Sensory 

- Little Van Gogh

- Monkey Moves

- Little Star Fitness

- Muziek op Schoot

- Kids ArtLab

- My Little Gym

Our first year in the Netherlands, I had that fascination with Amsterdam. So I joined the Amsterdam Mamas group to get to know the everyday life (and struggles) of families here in the Netherlands. As the group implied, it was more on Amsterdam activities and there were several subgroup for different areas (Almere, Hoofddorp, Haarlem, etc…)

Amsterdam was not that far from Almere. It is only a 30 min train ride and 20 min drive. The only thing that turned me off was traveling by public transportation under Dutch weather conditions. The Dutch weather is pretty famous, and known to have the same mood as a hormonal woman (I hope I get my metaphor right). 

After my son started in peuterspeelzaal, we stopped doing more activities for him and traveling to Amsterdam for it. I was more inclined to do activities that are within our neighborhood. Also, I observed that children here are not pressured to do more aside from playing. In our Asian culture, children are molded early to learn the basics like reading and writing. 

What activities does your kid enjoy? How do you manage a toddler’s energy? 

Let me know in the comments below! (and help out an exhausted Mama!)

Spring is highly anticipated for its warm hugs of sunshine and warmth. The Netherlands is known for its crazy weather and paired with climate change, we experienced the most bizarre weather combination this Spring. However, no one is stopping the people to welcome the Cherry Blossoms and Tulip season.

The first week of Spring, we were greeted with summer-high temperatures, which brought joy to everyone. It was 20 degrees Celcius, still a bit cool for summer, but warm enough to break the winter hibernation. Then the second week came, we were surprised with hale, snow, sun, and crazy wind. Temperatures were so erratic that every 5 minutes, the weather changed. We were still in lockdown, yet everyone is itching to get their dose of Vitamin D from the glimpse of the sun.

SAKURA (CHERRY BLOSSOMS)

The first two weeks of Spring is when the Sakura aka Cherry Blossoms shows their beauty by filling the parks with a pinkish blanket of flowers. I have found three locations where we can appreciate its beauty.

Amsterdamse Bos, Amsterdam 

Regenboogbuurt, Almere Buiten

This neighborhood has impressive pathways of Cherry Blossoms which is the perfect Instagrammable spot. There are about three streets that are lined up with Sakura, it is enough for everyone to have their photos taken without interference. 

Muziekwijk Station, Almere Stad

This spot is easily accessible to anyone for it is near a train station. They have a park nearby where you can have a picnic, and lay down surrounded by sakura petals falling down (which we did and it was bliss!). 

We visited the two Almere locations during the first week of April because it was the nearest. We were able to appreciate the beauty of  Cherry Blossoms for the first time, here in the Netherlands. It is a brief experience of the erratic weather that took over the next week. Boy, we are glad we got to see them anyway.

TULIP FIELDS OF THE NETHERLANDS 

Tulips have been a signature piece in Dutch culture. The Dutchies love their tulips. Last year, we weren’t able to see the tulip fields (duh, corona pandemic crisis!). This year, measures have eased a bit so we were able to see the fields. 

The tulips bloom from the end of March till the first week of May. But the erratic changes in temperature, made the tulips bloom late this year. The tulips were appreciated until the second week of May. Here are the routes we took to check them tulip fields:

Tulpenroute Flevoland

It is the biggest tulip field in the Netherlands. The fields stretch for almost 100km. Almost the whole Flevoland is blanketed with tulips when this season comes. We were lucky for these tulip fields were accessible to us, by car and by bike. 

Due to the sudden snow/temperature drop, most tulips were harvested and most of them were not yet in bloom. We visited three locations in Flevoland (and even got stuck for two hours in traffic!) just to appreciate these fields. You can check out the routes at Tulpenroute Flevoland site for car and biking routes around Zeewolde, Dronten, and Emmelord.

I also stay tuned in Facebook groups and WhatsApp groups in Almere in case people post locations and exact addresses of the tulip fields they found. The community in Almere is very nice for people are sharing their experiences with fellow neighbors.

Lisse- Keukenhof Tulip route

This is the famous tulip route for it is where the Keukenhof Gardens are located. It is also the area where most of the tulip farms can be seen.  

We chose not to visit the Keukenhof Gardens this season because of the Corona rules situation. The garden was open in a trial state, where you need to get tested before you can enter. Also, limited people can visit with adherence to a time slot to ensure no more than 50 people are inside at the same time. 

We chose to drive along the Lisse-Hillegom area and check out the fields. We weren’t able to appreciate the up-close (most of the fields were privately owned, so it is off-limits). Nevertheless, it was really pretty. Because the weather was good when we visited, we saw a lot of people biking and wandering the fields. 

ANWB Bollenstreekroute

The route we followed was from the ANWB site which shows the tulip fields around the area of Lisse-Hillegom-Noordwijkhout. There were several farms that were open to the public like the TulipBarn, Tuliperij, and the Tulip Amsterdam Experience. 

A nice discovery for us was the Tulpen Island in Zeewolde. It was a nice Tulip-shaped reclaimed island near the Zeewolde harbor where they have a nice quaint tulip field and a place where you can wander off. 

Spring is really nice in the Netherlands. You get to see the country bloom to life in different colors. It was so uplifting that I decided to fill our house with flowers the whole spring just for the euphoria to stay. I never imagined that flowers blooming, colorful ones will put me in this brief happier state despite the corona situation. It symbolizes that life does turn around and bloom, it just takes time and stamina to endure harsh conditions. 

How did you enjoy Springtime in your place?