The Netherlands and Belgium
The Netherlands
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May 29 - Jun 9, 2022
We had an absolutely amazing time traveling to The Netherlands and Belgium thanks to Bas from Beat the Dutch Travel who we met through kimkim.
Throughout the planning process, Bas was exceptionally helpful; he asked us good questions to get a sense of our interests, needs, budget etc. and always responded to our messages in a timely manner. Early in the process he provided a potential itinerary which was sufficiently detailed to give us a sense of what our trip might look like and then refined it after our review. In addition to activities that were booked for us, Bas, and his colleague Mieke, also provided us with a curated list of restaurants and sights we might like to consider during unplanned times. All tickets for transit and for sights were purchased for us, which took the stress out of our travel planning. Having a local specialist make suggestions with regard to sights to see meant that we were able to take in the "must-sees" as well as some that were less likely to be visited by tourists. The accommodations that we selected, based on Bas' recommendations were all unique and interesting and suited our needs well.
During our trip we had private tours booked in Amsterdam, Nijmegen and Antwerp which helped us to get an appreciation for each of these cities from the perspective of and with the expertise of a local guide. One particular highlight of our trip, one for which we are particularly grateful was the opportunity to meet Bas when he acted as our driver so that we could visit 'The Crossing Bridge', the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, and Vrijheidsmuseum (Freedom Museum), which would have been difficult for us to visit via public transport. In addition to meeting a very practical need in terms of transport, we deeply appreciated the opportunity to learn about life in The Netherlands through is eyes.
Both Bas and Mieke were very responsive to our questions and concerns both before we traveled and then while we were on the trip. We are very grateful to them for making our trip to The Netherlands and Belgium stress free and highly memorable. Thanks to them we can't wait to plan our next trip!
Hotel Reviews
We loved staying at the Amstelzicht Hotel. It is small (with only 14 rooms) and quaint with a great location. The staff were friendly and helpful. We had a lovely view of the canal and the hotel is a very short walk from Rembrandt Square. Transit from the hotel is very easy. The rooms are comfortable and clean.
This was a very unique place to stay. We stayed in the the Deckhouse apartment. Our "room" on the boat was cozy with an outer room (including a kitchenette, dining table, and sofas) and a small bedroom. It has a great view of harbour and the bridge over the river Waal. We took a very peaceful walk around the premises in the early morning. Since we only stayed one night we didn't get to enjoy all of what Opoe Sientje has to offer. Breakfast, served in the Hold, was delicious.
The hotel is very interesting and historic with a wonderful location. The rooms are bright with lots of windows and high ceilings. The staff were friendly and helpful.
This hotel is located about a 5 minute walk from the train station and in the heart of the city. The room was small but met our needs.
We loved this B&B. Our room was very spacious and had a lot of character. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Our only complaint was that our washroom (although private - just ours) was outside of our room and down 12 stairs. Otherwise, we had a lovely stay. Breakfast, served in a small dining room was delicious.
Activity Reviews
This canal cruise was one of the highlights of our trip. The captain of the boat was very knowledgeable and shared with us interesting information and stories about Amsterdam. Our cruise was scheduled in the morning. It was very peaceful and quiet. Seeing the city from the canal is a must!
We were really grateful to be able to visit Het Verscholen Dorp (the Secret Village). Although it has such a troubling history as a hideout for Dutch Jews, it was fascinating to see.
We will be talking about this experience for years to come! It was so sobering to come to this place where Dutch Jews, Roma, and other prisoners were brought during WWII but helped us to visualize history.
Dear Cindy and Clyve,
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! I am delighted to hear you had a pleasant trip in the Netherlands & Belgium, and that you appreciated our help here! Personally, I can also say the 2 full days we spent together when I was your driver/guide, were very nice. I really enjoyed your company, getting to know you and learning about your life in Canada, and talking about life here in the Netherlands. Thanks for the good times we had together!
All the best to you and see you again sometime in Nijmegen ;-)
Warm regards,
Bas.