A great way to enjoy the country and to experience the outdoors is to join the many Dutch people on their bicycles. Distances between towns are short and the land is very flat which makes cycling a great way for all of the family to enjoy the countryside. There are hundreds of places to rent bicycles as well as well signposted cycle paths and routes. You can plot your route easily by buying a map with all of the country’s cycle routes marked on it. If cycling is too energetic then you can see the country by sailing its mass of waterways. There are a multitude of river and canal cruises, you can either rent a barge or a yacht and sail the canals yourself or participate in an organised tour. Larger vessels are used for river cruises along the Rhine and many go as far as neighbouring Germany. The cruise ships are like luxury hotels and many provide 5-star facilities. You can also hire sailing and motor boats as well as historic ships. Many of the traditional ships are flat-bottomed boats like schooners and clippers.

The splendid tulip fields is a sight to behold, with literally thousands of colourful tulips spreading over miles. Noord Holland has the greatest number of bulb fields and the best time to see them is from the end of March to mid-May. Noord Holland also hosts numerous flower festivals; one of the largest is the Aalsmeer flower auction. Each day 17 million flowers are sold and exported from here; you can observe the proceedings and take a guided tour. Another intrinsic part of Dutch life is their love for cheese. A great way to learn about the multitude of cheeses in production here is to visit the traditional cheese market held every Friday in Alkmaar. Cheese is bought and sold here in the same way that is has been done for over 600 years.

There are plenty of fun activities for families to do and a trip to Apenheul Zoo near Appeldoorn is an action packed experience. The zoo is home to more than 30 species of monkeys, most of which roam freely throughout the park. Larger primates including a large population of gorillas live on islands, but it is still possible to observe their behaviour as though they were living in their natural habitat. Burgers’ Zoo is another great place to visit and yet another where the animals live in their natural habitats. The park is home to over 3,000 animals and it is possible to take a safari tour to see everything from lions and tigers to giraffes and antelope roaming free or to observe animals that live in a large purpose-built tropical rainforest houses. Other environments at Burger’s include a realistic desert setting and an ocean. It is also possible to cycle around the park as there are plenty of well-signposted cycle and walking paths.